Doing Business In Foreign Countries – 2nd Part
Written by: Léa Agbo, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Your posture is the first element your client or prospect observes. Since you are aiming for relevance and fluidity, it will be one of the keys to your success.
Culture represents a source of predominant influences even if the contemporary reality of each country is based on interdependent modulating factors. This is why your readiness and desire for involvement will be your strengths.
Also, clarifying where you want to go through an appropriation of cultural issues and the implementation of appropriate actions is a winning bet for fruitful and mutually appreciated international collaborations.
Knowing how to observe in order to adjust
Interculturality includes a preliminary observation phase, but the best thing is to know what to look for. Why? Because it allows you to place the information in context so that it makes sense and becomes an adjustable variable. This is called the orientation phase. It involves several principles directly related to your situational awareness (next week's article).
Generally, every environment has a particular line of conduct, i.e., a usual way of behaving. Through the prism of one's own culture, this is what one can legitimately expect in a given setting. So, establishing these lines really helps identify anomalies.
What is an anomaly?
An anomaly is something that should happen and doesn't. Conversely, it can also be something that shouldn't happen and does happen. They are the basic thing we notice around, or that attracts our attention. Also, cultural influence comes to the fore. It is important never to underestimate it because it is what will activate your action plan.
Based on what we observe, the plan is defined as the best option we have found at a specific time, in a specific situation.
So, in order to feel serene, be at ease, and feel confident, it is best to always observe.
Culturally structured business relationships
Now let me tell you about power distance.
This intercultural dimension refers to the degree of inequality expected and accepted by individuals in a society. This is about appreciating the relationship to power, and evaluating the level of tolerance in the face of an "unbalanced" distribution of it in social relations and on a societal scale.
When this index is high, as in France, Bolivia, Brazil, Ivory Coast or the Fiji Islands, the differences in status are more pronounced. A more autocratic approach to administration and management is also ensured. This is also often correlated with a pyramidal organisational tendency, a centralisation of decisions and a top-down supervision.
What should that mean to you? It simply means that social status is in itself a business card and that it is directly linked to the notion of respect.
Being aware of the overall relational structure of a culture grants you the privilege to navigate with much more ease and relevance in any situation. You will even be surprised to discover yourself and exploit new talents, improve your productivity and achieve your ambitions with more confidence and lightness.
Conclusion
The other culture is sometimes confrontational and can produce a contrasting effect. For a company, opening up to it means gaining credibility and legitimacy.
Internationally, each client or prospect you will meet will greatly appreciate that you speak the same language as him/her and know the appropriate codes – his/hers. This will differentiate you from competitors and open the doors to new partnerships in the target market.
In a nutshell, being interculturally competent refers to being efficient, autonomous and serving ambitious goals in a culturally different terrain.
Léa Agbo, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Léa is an entrepreneur and infopreneur, a certified coach in positive psychology, and a specialist in cross-cultural business. With over 10 years of experience in personal development, her focus is for you to become a better version of yourself.
A wide range of clients, including entrepreneurs, require her services to smoothly optimize their lives and/or business projects, have more confidence and energy to pursue their goals, and build real, constructive, and consistent self-esteem.
She specifically coaches entrepreneurs on the cross-cultural aspects of their businesses and is the author of the ‘Globalisation Programme.’
Léa holds a master’s degree in Strategic Business Management and Entrepreneurship. She is also a Certified Operational Manager. Léa is the Founder of AGBO Business Consulting, a company aiming to challenge you to the next level.
