Who Should Attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment in Bolivia and their partners

Benefits of Attendance

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 Bolivia.

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

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Bolivian 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 Bolivian mindset, different work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
• Strike the right balance between personal et professional lives

Training Approach

• A cross-cultural approach of International Mobility
• Country specific trainers
• Personalized and familiy focused action plan
• Access to the Nomad’ Network, an exclusive online tool for Akteos’ clients and experts:  find resources, exchange experiences, knowledge and insights

Programme Outline

Module 1 : Successful personnal integration in Bolivia

1. Cross-cultural awareness : the key to a successful expatriation

• Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
• Culture shock and the integration process
• Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Bolivian culture

• A Latin American enclave crossed by the Andes
• A patchwork quilt of peoples
• The richness of the country’s  pre-Columbian heritage
• Conquistadors, Bolivar and the army:  a history of dictatorship
• A fragile economy helped by international aid
• Political renewal: a source of hope

3. Bolivian values and behaviour patterns

• The private sphere: a jealously guarded aspect of Bolivian life
• The importance of appearances
• A Catholic tradition and spiritual fervour
• Passion and emotions: a tradition of expressiveness
• The value attached to status and qualifications
• Clearly defined social classes
• A flexible view of time

4. Practical day-to-day information

• Focus on the host town
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
• Social life, leisure activities, schools, extracurricular activities, sport
• Learning the language

Module 2 : Successful professionnal integration in Bolivia

1. The Bolivian corporate world

• Well-entrenched hierarchical corporate structures
• The importance attached to performance faced with the scourge of inactivity
• The influence of political parties in the labour field
• The prevalence of corruption

2. Effective communication with the Bolivians

• Formality, small talk and politeness
• A direct but moderate communication style
• The importance of networks and networking
• Bolivian Spanish, regional dialects and English for business

3. Working with Bolivian teams

• Effective management: discipline, experience and leadership
• Building trust and confidence: kindness, an open mind and accessibility
• Managing and supervising: moderation, fairness and coherence
• Avoiding jealousy. Dealing with touchy and sensitive people

4. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Bolivians

• Identifying and defining strategies
• Giving relationships that personal touch to improve feedback and dialogue
• Paying careful attention to contractual documents
• Maintaining and developing contacts

5. Final handy tips

• Caution, patience and humility
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code
• Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion