Congo Brazzaville - Working and dealing with the Congolese

Who should attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment in the Republic of the Congo and their partners

Objectives

This seminar aims at significantly improving the ability of the participants to meet the challenges of living and working abroad. The objective is to enable them to identify the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and to be able to adapt and integrate in Congo Brazzaville.

At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Congolese context and culture
• Analyse situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
• Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
• Understand Congolese mindset, different work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
• Strike the right balance between personal et professional lives

Programme Outline

Module 1 : Understanding cultural differences

1. Intercultural awareness, the key to success in international business

• Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
• The basics of effective intercultural management
• Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Congolese culture

• A Western sub-Saharan state with a distinctive tropical climate
• An ancient civilisation. Heirs to an impressive empire
• Colonisation, AEF (French Equatorial Africa), coups d'état and civil wars
• A young, urban, multi-ethnic and multilingual population
• Enviable resources, though not fully exploited due to poor management

3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships

• The importance attached to tribal origins and clan membership
• The importance of family life and identification with the community
• A respect for age and status
• A class-based society
• Religion, superstition and mystical beliefs
• An adaptable view of time, which takes account of hazards and unexpected events
• A strong attachment to the natural environment

4. The Congolese corporate world

• A paternalistic corporate structure
• Major differences in management styles between small businesses and international groups
• Privileges and favouritism: corruption and political influence

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Congolese

1. Effective communication with the Congolese

• Greetings, politeness and interpersonal skills
• The importance and meanings of non-verbal communication
• Identifying and understanding implicit communication
• The French language and dialects used in business

2. Adapting your working methods

• Effective management: experience, education and leadership
• Building trust and confidence: supervising, advising and encouraging
• Encouraging initiatives in order to promote feedback
• Striking the right balance between proximity and distance
• Pitfalls to be avoided

3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Congolese

• Giving relationships that personal touch: meeting decision-makers
• Proposing, adapting and persevering
• Forging long-term relationships
• Understanding written contracts, their interpretation and implications
• Organising the post-negotiation phase

4. Final handy tips

• Caution, patience and humility
• Protocol and etiquette
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code
• Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
• Humour: a double-edged sword