Laos - Working and dealing with the Laotians
Benefits of Attendance
The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Laotians, enabling them to be operational right from the start.
At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to to:
- Be aware of their own cultural baggage
- Fully understand Laotian context and culture
- Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
- Reduce stress and misunderstandings
- Decipher and understand Laotian 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 Laotian culture
- An enclave state in the middle of the Indochinese peninsula
- French colonisation, Japanese occupation and the conflicts in Indochina
- A people’s republic under the control of the army
- A rural, multiethnic population
- The Buddhist religion
- A buffer state subject Indian and Chinese influences
3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships
- Family origins, bloodlines and community
- Politeness and modesty, restraint and self-control
- The importance of maintaining face and prestige, an aversion to conflict
- An omnipresent hierarchy
- Money, religion and self-worth
- Rules concerning personal space and physical contact
- The Falang: the relationship with foreigners
- Festivals, the Baci ceremony and the culinary arts
4. The Laotian corporate world
- Day-to-day planning influenced by the religious calendar
- Collective decisions, though taken in a strictly hierarchical environment
- State control, the communist party and the authorities
Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Laotians
1. Effective communication with the Laotians
- The importance of greetings and the rules surrounding the “wa”
- Unspoken and implicit communication
- Deciphering what people really mean
- Learning the language: a definite advantage
2. Adapting your working methods
- Effective management: supervising, convincing and problem solving
- Remaining vigilant to avoid being manipulated
- Gaining respect without causing offence
- Building trust and confidence: comradeship and respect
- Pitfalls to be avoided
3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Laotians
- The key to establishing trust: politeness and a willingness to help
- Identifying decision-makers and power chains/power conflicts
- Identifying negotiation styles
- Time, priority and deadline management
- Attitudes to signed contracts and their implications
- Organising the post-negotiation phase
4. Final handy tips
- Caution, patience and humility
- Protocol and etiquette
- Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
- Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
- Humour: a double-edged sword
