Who Should Attend ?

 Company managers and staff working and dealing with the Romanians

Benefits of Attendance

The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Romanians 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 Romanian context and culture
• Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
• Reduce stress and misunderstandings
• Decipher and understand Romanian 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 Romanian culture

• A major central European country
• The ambiguity of a multiethnic society
• A deep divide between the cities and countryside
• A prestigious historical heritage.  The challenge of European integration
• The reality and complexity of corruption

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

• A patriarchal society with a Latin culture
• An orthodox but not particularly religious population
• A people proud of their identity.  A sense of community-mindedness
• Appearance and the overt signs of wealth.  Cooking and the art of living.
• The absence of barriers between public and private life
• Emotions and tantrums as part of daily life
• Only a limited grasp of time and deadlines.
• Reasoning based on subtlety and irony.

4. The Romanian corporate world

• The role of the state and the authorities
• Centralisation and the concentration of decision-making powers
• An important and formal hierarchical structure
• Scant regard for performance.  Favouritism and nepotism

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Romanians

1. Effective communication with the Romanians

• Interpersonal networks: a vital aspect of Romanian Life
• The Romanian language: some useful pointers
• The Romanian French-speaking community: the myth and the reality
• Implicit communication
• Romanian humour

2. Adapting your working methods

• Effective management: listening, supporting and asserting
• Resisting the temptation to “conform”.  Asserting your authority: knowing how and when to say no.
• Encouraging productivity: promoting responsibility and valuing people as individuals
• Conflict resolution: tempers, manipulation and storms in teacups
• Pitfalls to be avoided

3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Romanians

• Meeting decision makers
• Maintaining close personal relationships
• The written contract: set in stone
• Time management and reliance

4. Final handy tips

• Caution, patience and humility
• Protocol and etiquette
• Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
• Sensitive subjects: the Roma population, the communist era and Dracula
• Humour: a double-edged sword