Australia - Working and dealing with the Australians

Who should attend ?

Company managers and staff working and dealing with the Australians

Objectives

The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Australians, enabling them to be operational right from the start.

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

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Fully understand Australian context and culture
• Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
• Reduce stress and misunderstandings
• Decipher and understand Australian decision-making and negotiation processes

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 Australian culture

• A continent-sized country, 14 times larger than France
• A unique and occasionally hostile ecosystem
• Colonisation and migration: a multi-ethnic and ultra-urbanised population
• A combination of the English language and multilingualism
• A Parliamentary democracy, part of the Commonwealth
• Top level education

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

• An American-style family structure
• A respect for private space and distance.  Sport as a religion
• Autonomy and an ability to adapt 
• Politeness and humility: a respect for differences
• The relationship between men and women: equality and separation
• Australian humour: a part of day-to-day life

4. The Australian corporate world

• A unique pace of work
• A very limited sense of hierarchy
• A relaxed yet hard-working professional environment
• An Anglo-Saxon business culture

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Australians

1. Effective communication with the Australians

• A frank-talking nation: say what you do and do what you say
• Avoiding those awkward silences: the role of visual contact
• Understanding Australian familiarity
• The special characteristics of "Aussie English"
• The working language: the role of the interpreter

2. Adapting your working methods

• A cool head, a relaxed attitude, reliability and discipline
• Efficiency, speed and pragmatism
• Consensual decision-making.  Performance as the key
• Respect for differences and for the private lives of others
• Conflict resolution: perspective, separation and mediation

3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Australians

• Making the right impression: precision, conciseness and punctuality
• The value attached to the written word
• The importance of feedback and follow-up

4. Final handy tips

• Caution, patience and humility
• Protocol and etiquette
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
• Sensitive subjects: politics, history, aborigines
• Humour: an important part of your social toolkit