Who Should Attend ?

Employees preparing for an assignment in Bulgaria and their partners

Benefist 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 Bulgaria.

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

• Be aware of their own cultural baggage
• Understand Bulgarian 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 Bulgarian mindset, 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 Bulgaria

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 Bulgarian culture

• A secular nation at a meeting point between the Slavic and Turkish peoples
• The heritage of the Ottoman empire and of communism
• A relatively uniform population
• Turkish and gypsy minorities
• The impact of the orthodox religion
• A proud artistic tradition
• A country undergoing political and economic transition

3. Bulgarian values and behaviour patterns

• Family unity: an essential aspect of Bulgarian society
• A relatively egalitarian society
• Pride and a sense of honour
• The importance attached to appearances
• The key role of social celebrations

4. Practical day-to-day information

• Focus on the host town or city
• Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
• Social life, leisure activities
• Schools, extracurricular activities, sport

Module 2 : Successful professionnal integration in Bulgaria

1. The Bulgarian corporate world

• The persistence of Soviet-style organisational methods
• Formality and hierarchy
• The marketplace, employment and staff turnover
• The role of national and local authorities

2. Effective communication with the Bulgarians

• An expressive and implicit communication style
• Understanding the true meanings of yes or no
• The importance of networks and reputation
• The advantages of learning Bulgarian

3. Working with Bulgarian teams

• Effective management: expertise, charisma and creativity
• Building trust and confidence: fairness and professionalism
• Dealing with touchy or sensitive people
• Encouraging joint decision-making

4. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Bulgarians

• Frankness and honesty
• Discipline and coherence
• Building an “everyone’s a winner” relationship
• Written contracts, their interpretation and implications

5. Final handy tips

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