Blog
People doing business internationally, working abroad, business travellers, expats, coaches & consultants and all fans of crosscultural communication: this blog is for you! Read about doing global business successfully, international careers, countries and cultures – written by our experts and guest authors from around the world.
Why Some Salespeople Are More Successful Than Others When Selling In Foreign Markets
The world is becoming increasingly globalized, and companies are expanding their operations into new markets. This means that salespeople are required to interact with individuals from different cultures, which presents a unique set of challenges. Understanding cultural differences can make or break a sale.
Cultural Skills For Entrepreneurs Launching In The USA
American culture was born out of entrepreneurship. It attracts those risk takers and innovators from Europe who bring to us cultural aspects and ideas. Follow a conversation about cultural skills for entrepreneurs in the USA between Lisa Patti, who is working with international startups on how to make an impact in a new culture, and Floor Bergshoeff, who supports European companies starting their business in the US market.
5 Major Pitfalls Of International Email Communication
International Email Communication shrinks the distance that global work brings. However, intercultural differences can amplify the risk and the impact of misunderstandings. Let’s look at five major pitfalls when communicating across cultures by email.
Connecting – When You Move To A New Place
When you move to a new place, the world opens up. It’s like all of a sudden, everything is possible, and everyone is a potential new friend. But it takes a new set of skills to learn how to satisfy this need for belonging when you become an expat.
Why Do We Experience Reverse Culture Shock When We Repatriate?
The areas affected by reverse culture shock are complex and often beyond our awareness. And we sometimes lack the vocabulary to describe our emotional chaos and name our pain points. Wiebke Homborg explains to us the underestimated challenges of repatriation.
How To Plan An Overseas Career
The decision to take an overseas career is not one that should be taken lightly. You have to take into consideration your current employment, your spouse’s employment, the living and working conditions in a foreign country, and what you would need to do to actually work there. To successfully plan an overseas career, you should carefully consider all the pros and cons of working abroad.
What About The Bitter Expat?
Frustration is usually built up by the constant not meeting of expectations. And this can happen easily and often when you find yourself in a new place. Let’s look into it, what else makes the “bitter expat”?
How To Be Happy When Stuck Abroad At Christmas
Many expats won’t be able to return home for Christmas this year. Despite everyone putting on a brave face, it’s still tough for expats and their families back home not to have the Christmas together they were hoping for. So how do you cope when stuck abroad at Christmas?
Guanxi – 7 Answers For Your China Business
Guanxi is a very important part of life and business dealings in China because it helps you to move things forward. But do you know what guanxi is and how it works in your favour? Here are 7 essential questions and answers!
Which Global Skills Are Relevant In The 21st Century?
Do you know the 5 global skills clusters that people increasingly recognize as crucial for their success in the workplace and society at large? If not, find out now!
New Life In Portugal: How I Got My Business Started While Unemployed
With a mix of a few solid goals in mind and some unforeseen challenges, my wife and I moved to Portugal where I finally started my own business and fulfilled a true life goal.
Negotiations In Southeast Asia: Our Top 10 Tips For Success
Negotiations in Southeast Asia are likely to take a circular course. And if an agreement is finally reached, the signed contract can only be seen as a temporary result. Follow these 10 tips to seal the deal in the Southeast Asian way!
How To Turn Diversity And Inclusion Into An Asset
Diversity – one of the top 10 buzzwords today. Everyone wants it, but very few really understand what it means. Some struggle with how to deal with ‘diversity and inclusion’, and how to really benefit from having a diverse team or staff.
Master Cross-Cultural Communication When Doing Business in the Middle East
In this recorded webinar, crossculture2go Coach Renata Urban and her special guest Rose Sager, the Trade Representative at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain, provide examples and practical applications of intercultural communication concepts for successfully doing business in the Middle East.
I Was Made A Global Leader, What Now?
Tuesday, 9 a.m., your boss asks you to come into his office. He smiles at you and says: “Congratulations! You are our new Global Head of Purchasing”. Don’t panic. If you think your new position as a global leader sounds very fancy, but wonder if you are at all prepared to do a great job – Bravo! You are starting pretty well!
Cultural Challenges For US Americans Doing Business With Germany
Since Germans are such productive, punctual, and direct business people, US Americans often assume that doing business with Germans is going to be a walk in the park. Yet, there are many cultural differences that can derail a US American-German merger, such as the Daimler Chrysler story, or render US American market entry strategies and negotiations unsuccessful.
Remote Global Teams: Manage Diversity For Maximum Output
A new study shows: contextual diversity increases performance in remote global teams. However, you need different nationalities on the team for a higher contextual diversity, which ultimately results in more personal diversity. Therefore, challenges caused by differences in cultural background, age, language, skills, and values need to be managed well to reap the benefits.
International Negotiations: One Language, Many Cultures
Differing expectations of how talks should be conducted ultimately lead to irreconcilable differences in international negotiations. Both sides meet with a fixed mindset shaped by their own business culture. At the same time, globalised business life often feels like we all act in a single, worldwide English speaking culture. How can we make international negotiations more successful?
Mastering Crosscultural Communication
Navigating safely through the perils of crosscultural communication barriers is like wading through deep waters. It is smarter to use life jackets in the form of ongoing crosscultural coaching than simply to wade in armed only with hope.
Cultural Intelligence – A Code To Work Across Borders
Those with cultural intelligence know how to strategically use cultural differences to come up with more innovative solutions, says crossculture2go Coach Anita Sachdev, presenting a real-life example.
Is Your Talent Competent And Confident To Work Globally?
To connect and interact meaningfully across borders, a deep dive into the global cultural mindset is required. crossculture2go Coach Anita Sachdev shares with us why developing global talent is non-negotiable.
10 Tips For More Inclusive Online Communication
How can you better support your international colleagues & clients and facilitate more effective online discussions?
How Intercultural Awareness Can Enhance Your Business Presentations
crossculture2go Coach Kevin Corrigan takes a look at some of the main considerations when preparing business presentations for global audiences.
Authentoxicity – The Glorified Version Of Fixed Mindset
Csaba Toth, developer of the multi award-winning assessment tool Global DISC™, talks about authentoxicity, one of the purest and most unnoticed forms of fixed mindset.
Is There A Benefit To Anyone For Being Wrong For Longer?
Csaba Toth, developer of the multi award-winning assessment tool Global DISC™, shares with us his thoughts on task-conflicts versus relationship conflicts.
Why Boosting Your Business English Can Make All the Difference
crossculture2go Coach Victoria Rennoldson believes Business English ultimately is part of your toolkit enabling you to fully develop your global career without feeling limited by your communication ability.
Would You Benefit From International Career Coaching?
Too many people are not aware of the fact that career coaching can be very beneficial for their professional growth. If you would like to pursue a successful international career, then career coaching is definitely something worth considering. Here is why!
Protocol vs Cross-cultural Competence
Why we need both, in national and international business – when prospecting, negotiating, persuading, scheduling, agreeing & disagreeing, decision making, problem solving, giving feedback, leading & motivating, building trust & relationships, and many other areas of importance.
Intellectual Obesity
While the brain is full, fat and happy, your results are still the same. Nothing changed. This is a typical phenomenon I have seen so many times in the field of leadership and coaching.
The 1001 Tales Of “Normal” In International Business
crossculture2go coach Renata Urban says, she can instantly feel her eyebrows move up and her forehead frown when she hears that word: “normal”. Here is why.
Have You Got An Uncommon Mindset?
Cultural differences are simply the clashes of common senses, says Csaba Toth, developer of the multi award-winning assessment tool Global DISC™
What is the Mission of an Agile Coach?
As an agile coach, crossculture2go expert Eva Gaborikova sees her mission in encouraging team members and their leaders to embrace agile approaches and equip them with knowledge and tools to develop their own agile mindset.
The 5 MONKEYS Approach Of Leadership And Cultural Intelligence
…and the results they deliver. The truth can set you free, but it will piss you off first…
Develop Cultural Agility Of Leaders, Scrum Teams & Virtual Teams
To be able to compete, meet customers’ wishes and win, the development of cultural agility is a must. crossculture2go Coach Eva Gaborikova shows how to support leaders and teams to successfully work within and between multiple different cultural contexts and locations.
Small Talk, Networks, And The Beautiful Life In Italy
crossculture2go Coach Cheryl Obal found that it is pretty uncommon in Northern Italy to have small talk with strangers. Very different from the US, where total strangers talk to you wherever you go. That is why personal introductions are absolutely crucial to doing business successfully in Italy.
Adaptation: Both A Front- And Back End Job
It is one thing to theoretically know about cultural differences, to be very aware, open-minded and prepared, and a totally different one to get the firsthand experience.
Global People Skills Aren’t Optional Anymore
Globalisation in business, management and leadership often disorients the very people who are supposed to provide orientation to others.
Bridging The Leadership Gap With Uncommon Sense
Why leadership programs, based on Baby Boomer experience in a world without internet and cultural intelligence, are not designed to address the challenges of the 21st century.
Virtual Business Support: Thrive Instead Of Sitting Out
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly changing our global business world. While initially a firefighting response might have been all you could think of, now is the time to find ways to ultimately manage the new normal.
How To Gamify Team-building In Virtual Teams
We miss social interactions and having pleasant chats with friends and relatives. Therefore, crossculture2go Coach Eva Gaborikova shows how to gamify team-building in virtual teams to support each other in a positive way. (part 3)
20 Culturally Correct Questions For Leaders And Members Of Virtual Teams
crossculture2go Coach Eva Gaborikova shows how to “warm up” relationships and cooperation during virtual team meetings. (part 2)
How To Keep Remote Team Members Engaged
crossculture2go Coach Eva Gaborikova supports remote multinational teams when engagement goes down and people feel disconnected and tired. (part 1)
Here And Home – How Expats Can Feel At Home Anywhere
Occasionally, even the most global-savvy among us might feel displaced – geographically or culturally. And this imbalance can affect all facets of our lives, from personal relationships to career performance. Our coach Kalaivani Mattern believes that there are myriad ways to turn that unease around. Read about her approach “Here and Home” when supporting her expat clients.
German Market Still Work-in-Progress? Here’s How To Get To The Next Level
Our Business Coach for Germany Andra Riemhofer explores the pitfalls international companies face when entering the German market. And of course she knows what you can do better than the big names!
4 Compelling Examples How Global Management Decisions Can Fail
Why global management decisions like shorter product-development cycles or open office space can quickly fall apart if not translating well from one business culture to another.
Can Small Talk Influence The Success Of Negotiations?
The right choice of a conversational topic contributes to a mutual understanding and building trust necessary for business negotiations and cooperations. Our coach Eva Gaborikova explores how small talk can influence the outcome of business in different countries.
Working With Chinese Partners – Why Central Europeans Feel Lost
“They say “yes” but don’t keep the agreement” or “When we meet, we do not discuss business”. These and many other sentences our coach Eva Gaborikova hears very often when her Central European clients talk about working with Chinese partners.
Why Online Business Coaching Really Is For Everyone
Some of the world’s most successful business leaders have relied on business coaching during their steep careers. But in today’s virtual world, business coaching really is accessible to everyone – and most beneficial when dealing with the many challenges of global business life.
Flexibility, Authority, Obedience
Justin (55), originally from Romania, has been living and working in Saudi Arabia for 8 years. While he travelled across the world and started from scratch, he didn’t reprofile, but he stayed in his field, and now works as an assistant professor at a state university. We asked him about the transition and his experiences and challenges, both professional and personal.
“I Thought It Was Clear!”
crossculture2go coach Silke Irmscher illustrates why there is no common sense in crosscultural business communication. Read her 4 essential tips what to do when things are quite unclear!
9 Ways To Communicate More Effectively With Non-native Speakers Of English
How can we English native speakers derive maximum benefit when we communicate with non-native speakers, leading to successful business deals and strong partnerships? (part 2)
Why Native English Speakers Can Be At A Disadvantage Working Globally
Sometimes in a room full of non-native English speakers, everyone understands each other apart from when a native English speaker starts talking! (part 1)
How US-American Cultural Values Are Exposed During COVID-19
Having lived in ten countries and five U.S. states, our coach Megan Norton describes herself as a Global Nomad and Adult Third Culture Kid. COVID-19 has forced her to stay longer than anticipated in a community where she is now observing how certain cultural values are exposed in this time of crisis.
Expats, Keep In Touch!
The dreading of emails, texts, chat and phone calls: this is one thing that almost every expat I talked to, mentioned at some point. And it is what I also felt almost a year into my new life after moving.
COVID-19: Our Current Individual Challenges Defined By Culture
In our previous article we discussed how each society has its very own way of coping. Now we want to focus on the individual aspects of coping with an entirely unknown situation that seemingly found us out of nowhere.
What New Blood Can Gain From Old Tricks
There are certain skills in life that are considered elementary, that everyone must master them, however, nobody is perfect and there are certain times when you learn something at a slower rate compared to others.
COVID-19: On The Reality Of Just How Different We Are
The fact that inclusion specialists, intercultural trainers and professionals educated in intercultural competence have long emphasized: that we are not the same, has now become more than visible for literally everyone literally everywhere.
How Hard It Is To Change – Even If You Have To
It is very hard to behave against your beliefs since they influence nearly everything you think and do. crossculture2go Coach Silke Irmscher shows what impact culture has on us and why people still put themselves at risk in times of COVID-19.
Wanted: Communication Superheroes In Times Of Social Distancing
Why is social distancing so hard for some? And why can showing solidarity negate social distancing? crossculture2go Coach Kalaivani Mattern explores what individuals can do to help during this time of global crisis.
Emergency Home Schooling Around The World
Tips and ideas if you just found yourself having to be parent and teacher at the same time.
Non-contact Greetings From Various Cultures
It might not be the best time to be kissing each other on the cheek or shaking hands. Let’s learn some different forms of greetings from cultures around the world.
Remote Working And Building Trust: My List Of Best Practises
We have been forced into this situation of remote working and virtual collaboration overnight. crossculture2go Coach Kalaivani Mattern explores how we can adapt to this new reality?
Diversity In The Workplace – Why Is It So Important?
In today’s globalized world, diversity is an important part of the workplace and benefits organizations in many ways. At the same time, we need to be mindful of the different needs and experiences that come with having a diverse workforce.
So, Was It Worth Moving Abroad?
Leaving your home country and moving abroad raises so many questions – about your own personality, and your priorities.
Language, Culture And Creativity
The way we speak is not only a result of how we think, but also a cause of certain thinking patterns.
And If You Are Crazy Enough …
Sabrina (27), originally from Sweden, is now working in Budapest as a localization manager and a yoga teacher – both of which are about the ability of constant adaptation, flexibility and strength.
Existential Migration
Unlike all the different sorts of forced migration, or simple wanderlust, existential migration has its roots in a deeper, existential need for the feeling of freedom.
Be There Or Be Square
So, my mother’s story goes like this: it was a lovely, warm summer evening and they were waiting for the famous yellow tram in Lisbon. The sign said that it was expected to arrive in seven minutes.
Expats Share Your Stories!
Why you should go out there, and start talking, share all the expat stories that run on and on in your head, without judging and/or censoring them. And listen to anyone who is willing to share theirs.
