What is Culture Awareness Training?

Human beings have a great desire to be with people who are similar to themselves. This is because they share the same ways of doing things, the same values and operate by similar rules. When we are with people who are similar to ourselves, the ways we have of doing things just seem like common sense. However, sometimes work or study or a sense of adventure take us out of our comfort zone. When this happens we realise that the things we took for granted about human interaction are not necessarily the same for everyone. This can be a very difficult, even shocking experience. Cultural awareness becomes central when we have to interact with people from other cultures. People see, interpret and evaluate things in a different ways. What might seem real to you probably won’t seem as real to the next person. Not right, not wrong, just is. However, the word is not the thing or as Korzybski stated 'a map is not the territory it represents, but if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness'. Culture Awareness is something about understanding the differences between culture beliefs and reality. Our perception of the world is being generated by our brain and can be considered as a 'map' of reality written in neural patterns. Reality exists outside our mind but we can construct models of this 'territory' based on what we glimpse through our senses. Hofstede's definition of culture explains this relationship well. According him 'culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another.' Consequently, what is considered an appropriate behaviour in one culture is frequently inappropriate in another one. Our assumptions encase us. We have different culture maps in our heads.
So what does all of this have to do with culture awareness training? Simple: if you can recognise and change your [awareness] you can change your [world architecture/beliefs], which changes your [experience/feelings], which then inevitably change your [life responses]. Read: you can show up differently by knowing your map and making subtle shifts.
But becoming aware of our cultural dynamics is a difficult task because culture is not conscious to us. Since we are born we have learned to see and do things at an unconscious level. Our experiences, our values and our cultural background lead us to see and do things in a certain way. On the other hand, it is impossible to speak about being global without the ability to deal with different cultures, with different maps and realities. Culture awareness helps to make the interaction between people from other cultures a positive experience. 

WHAT IS CULTURE AWARENESS TRAINING ANYWAY?

Culture Awareness Training is an opportunity for practitioners who strive for cultural competence or just for anyone who interacts with people from different cultures. It should offer a specific knowledge about other cultures, people, nations, behaviours, inform how to develop empathy and learn to understand feelings and needs of other people and finely help to develop the self-confidence and own culture identity in order to become more competent at dealing or managing across cultures. Finally, Culture Awareness Training should not be a boring lecture. Everybody knows that the traditional mode of stand-and-deliver is being demonstrated as less effective. Culture Awareness Training should consist of different sessions combining short lectures and practical exercises and involves a great deal of interaction, be packed with practical tools, research, team exercises, simulations, case studies...etc.
Culture Awareness Training provides an understanding of the different cultural rules and behaviours that exist, how we react to these differences and how to avoid misunderstandings to improve business and personal success.
So if you are looking for a really good Culture Awareness Training for your company or organisation, please make sure that at least contents following:

General Information about culture

Here, then, are lots of very different understandings of culture, but it is good to know that culture shapes how we understand that incompatibility, what actions and reactions are seen as appropriate, and what possible solutions would look like. The important thing you should learn about culture is that while it may be fundamental, it is not innate. Yet it’s often not discussed, analysed or critiqued but is seen as being ‘common sense’. Culture is made up of the shared values and assumptions of a particular group of people. Because these values and assumptions are shared, it is easy to take them for granted and believe that they are ‘normal’. In this way it is possible for people to believe that the ways in which they behave and the things they value are right and true for everyone.

Cultural values and attitudes

Time, space, group dynamics, authority, tasks, relationships...and so on. Difficulties arise when the rules of one culture are applied to interpret the behaviour of another with a different set of cultural rules. Failure to understand and recognise these parts of culture and the layers that compose them, as well as how they influence each other is the main reason misunderstandings occur when doing business internationally.

Communication styles

When you step into a foreign culture, suddenly things seem different. You don’t know what to do or say. Learning about the Intercultural Communication as a starting point, you can evaluate your approach, your decisions, and actions based on a general sense of how the society might think and react to you.

Working together across cultures

Dealing with cultural differences, language barriers and remote team members are some of the issues that today’s managers and leaders face. However different our individual perspectives are, all of them could be also a source of creativity and innovation. We need only to learn how to communicate in the way that creates a higher affinity and insight beyond the separation.

Language issues

Even if we share a common language, things can go wrong. In particular, knowledge of a language does not automatically give you the background knowledge that native speakers assume you share. Be aware!

Case Studies

Simulations, case studies and team exercises aim to not only identify, but to fully understand the key differences in cultural behaviour. Illustrative case studies support understanding intercultural interactions in a in-depth and in detail. Creswell states that 'case study is a kind of ethnography with a few significant differences'. Case study aims to provide insight to participants so that they can relate their own experience of intercultural communication and focus on an in-depth exploration of the actual "case."

Developing cultural awareness

Livermore states: 'The inward, transformative journey of cultural intelligence involves a heightened understanding of our own cultural background.' Cultural self-awareness is the first and foremost step in developing one’s own cultural competence. Understanding and becoming aware of one’s own cultural values, beliefs, attitudes and judgments becomes central when we have to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. Obviously, culture awareness cannot be completed in the classroom, but it starts there :-)
Cultural Awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the ability of standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values, beliefs and perceptions.

BENEFITS OF CULTURE AWARENESS TRAINING?

Culture Awareness Training course should provide you at least with:
  • In-depth cultural awareness and understanding of the impact of cultural differences.
  • The necessary foundation and tools to become culturally competent.
  • A better understanding of the cultural challenges facing multicultural workplaces.
  • The opportunity to enhance cultural sensitivity and competence.
  • Practical tools to reduce cross-cultural misunderstanding and encourage positive cross-cultural working relationships.

In short, a clear message in today’s globalised world is that success is built by joint efforts of people from different cultural backgrounds, who have the will, skills and knowledge to effectively interact with each other. Failure to understand and recognise culture differences and the layers that compose them, as well as how they influence each other is the main reason misunderstandings occur when doing business internationally. Fortunately we can learn how to understand other people's behaviours and their specific concepts in perception, thinking, feeling and acting and be able to express one's own way of thinking and how to be empathetic and act confidently in interaction with people from foreign cultures. Yes, the culture awareness can be trained.
Dr. Anna Storck

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