The Sudan - Working and dealing with the Sudanese
Benefits of Attendance
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Sudanese, 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 Sudanese context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand Sudanese decision-making and negotiation processes
Training Approach
- Exercises and case studies based on the experience of participants in the company
- Personalized action plan and cross-cultural strategies
- 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 : 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 Sudanese culture
- The largest country on the African continent
- A multi-ethnic state situated at a meeting point between Africa and the Middle East
- An Islamic tradition peppered with animistic cults
- An age-old civilisation with a unique heritage
- A country ravaged by civil war
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- The importance of family life
- Hospitality and a sense of honour
- A highly patriarchal society
- Animism and voodoo: spirituality as part of daily life
- The importance of local and tribal values
- Respect for elders and for status
- An adaptable approach to time
4. The Sudanese corporate world
- NGOs, the UN and private companies
- The value attached to work and to learning
- Privileges and favouritism
Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Sudanese
1. Effective communication with the Sudanese
- Verbal communication, tone and posture: Key aspects
- Greetings, politeness and courtesy
- A frank and direct communication style
- Arabic, Nubian, Ta Bedawie, nilotic, nilo-hamitic and English for business
2. Adapting your working methods
- Effective management: humility, perspective and experience
- Key traits for good management: a calm, firm and fair attitude
- Getting staff fully involved to encourage commitment
- Centralized decision making in a hierarchical environment
- The importance of socialising outside work
- Pitfalls to be avoided
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Sudanese
- Building trust and confidence: dialogue and communication
- Etiquette and formality: making a good first impression
- Highlighting mutual interests
- 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
