Who Should Attend ?

Company managers and staff working and dealing with the Montenegrins

Benefits of Attendance

The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Montenegrins, 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 Montenegrin context and culture
• Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
• Reduce stress and misunderstandings
• Decipher and understand Montenegrin decision-making and negotiation processes

Training Approach

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 Montenegrin culture

• The Yugoslav heritage, proximity to neighbouring Serbia
• The democratic process
• The social and political situation.  The economic environment
• The educational system

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

• The importance of traditions, the orthodox religion
• The chiefly domestic role of Montenegrin women
• Slava, family values and nationalism
• "Balkan time": a flexible view of time
• Pride, sensitivity, humour, direct and expressive communication
• Great care and attention paid to appearances
• A respect for qualifications and status
• Performance is highly valued

4. The Montenegrin corporate world

• The privatisation process, foreign investments
• The market, employment, salaries, corruption
• The importance of the public sector, the Soviet heritage
• A clear hierarchy but collective decision-making
• A sense of effort and performance

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Montenegrins

1. Effective communication with the Montenegrins

• First impressions: the first meeting is a decisive moment
• An expressive use of body language
• Information flows.  Networking
• The working language: the role of the interpreter

2. Adapting your working methods

• Effective management: leadership and availability
• Acting coherently: being firm, clear and frank
• Creating a friendly working environment
• Making the most of personal ambitions: recognition and promotion
• Dealing with touchy and sensitive people
• Pitfalls to be avoided

3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Montenegrins

• Building trust and confidence: discipline and formality
• Successful networking
• Time, priority and deadline management
• Understanding 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, etc
• Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
• Humour: a double-edged sword