These are the slides for a webseminar given to students of the California State University. The context was to give high-level insights and advise on how to communicate in an international business environment. Topics covered: Trust (how to lose it and regain it) Email Communication (do's and don'ts) Workshops for expat managers in dealing with local subsidiaries. Wahyd Vannoni www.mediacodex.com

1. Multicultural Communication
in a Business Environment
A webseminar delivered by
Wahyd Vannoni of Mediacodex
for California State University
3 / March /2010

3. ΠΟΛΥΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΙΚΟ
ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ

4. ΠΟΛΥΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΙΚΟ
ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ

5. ΠΟΛΥΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΙΚΟ
ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ
MULTICULTURAL
COMMUNICATION

6. Goals

7. Goals
• Share 15 years of international
corporate communication
experience

8. Goals
• Share 15 years of international
corporate communication
experience
• Tools to understand
multicultural communication

9. Goals
• Share 15 years of international
corporate communication
experience
• Tools to understand
multicultural communication
• Immediately applicable

10. Goals
• Share 15 years of international
corporate communication
experience
• Tools to understand
multicultural communication
• Immediately applicable
• Obstacles to multicultural
communication...

11. Goals
• Share 15 years of international
corporate communication
experience
• Tools to understand
multicultural communication
• Immediately applicable
• Obstacles to multicultural
communication...
• Corporate context

17. 9 Languages

18. 9 Languages

19. 9 Languages

20. 9 Languages

21. 9 Languages

22. 9 Languages

23. 9 Languages

24. Agenda

25. Agenda
• Trust (losing and regaining)

26. Agenda
• Trust (losing and regaining)
• Email communication

27. Agenda
• Trust (losing and regaining)
• Email communication
• Specific examples

28. Agenda
• Trust (losing and regaining)
• Email communication
• Specific examples
• Suggestions for immediate
implementation in a corporate
setting

29. Agenda
• Trust (losing and regaining)
• Email communication
• Specific examples
• Suggestions for immediate
implementation in a corporate
setting
• Questions and Answers

30. Trust

31. Trust
• What does it depend upon?

32. Trust
• What does it depend upon?
• How it can be lost?

33. Trust
• What does it depend upon?
• How it can be lost?
• How it can be regained?

34. Trust

35. Trust
What does it depend upon?

36. Trust
What does it depend upon?
• Correspondence and
equivalence between:

37. Trust
What does it depend upon?
• Correspondence and
equivalence between:
• What you say and what you do

38. Trust
What does it depend upon?
• Correspondence and
equivalence between:
• What you say and what you do
• What you say and how you
behave

39. Trust
What does it depend upon?
• Correspondence and
equivalence between:
• What you say and what you do
• What you say and how you
behave
• Offline and online

40. Trust

41. Trust
How it might be lost.

42. Trust
How it might be lost.
• Saying one thing and doing
another

43. Trust
How it might be lost.
• Saying one thing and doing
another
• Saying one thing to a person/
group and another to another
group/person

44. Trust
How it might be lost.
• Saying one thing and doing
another
• Saying one thing to a person/
group and another to another
group/person
• Formation of “insiders groups”

45. Trust
How it might be lost.
• Saying one thing and doing
another
• Saying one thing to a person/
group and another to another
group/person
• Formation of “insiders groups”
• Discrepancy between online
and offline

46. Trust
How it might be lost.
• Saying one thing and doing
another
• Saying one thing to a person/
group and another to another
group/person
• Formation of “insiders groups”
• Discrepancy between online
and offline
• Over-promise & underdeliver

47. What you can do (1)

48. What you can do (1)
• Do few things but do them well

49. What you can do (1)
• Do few things but do them well
• “under-promise over-deliver” /
be realistic, modest and beat
expectations

50. What you can do (1)
• Do few things but do them well
• “under-promise over-deliver” /
be realistic, modest and beat
expectations
• document your goals and
publish achievements

51. What you can do (1)
• Do few things but do them well
• “under-promise over-deliver” /
be realistic, modest and beat
expectations
• document your goals and
publish achievements
• admit failures

52. What you can do (1)
• Do few things but do them well
• “under-promise over-deliver” /
be realistic, modest and beat
expectations
• document your goals and
publish achievements
• admit failures
• ongoing evaluation of alignment
between expectations and
achievements

53. What you can do (2)

54. What you can do (2)
• Show you understand and care

55. What you can do (2)
• Show you understand and care
• Show you are eager to solve
other people’s problems

56. What you can do (2)
• Show you understand and care
• Show you are eager to solve
other people’s problems
• Be available, be approachable
(not only as a corporate policy
but in practice)

57. What you can do (2)
• Show you understand and care
• Show you are eager to solve
other people’s problems
• Be available, be approachable
(not only as a corporate policy
but in practice)
• Put yourself in other people’s
shoes

58. What you can do (2)
• Show you understand and care
• Show you are eager to solve
other people’s problems
• Be available, be approachable
(not only as a corporate policy
but in practice)
• Put yourself in other people’s
shoes
• Demonstrate interest in other
people’s cultures

59. Email

60. Email
• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

61. Email
• Email title: “RE: Presentation”
➡ “Is it ready?”

62. Email
• Email title: “RE: Presentation”
➡ “Is it ready?”
- or

63. Email
• Email title: “RE: Presentation”
➡ “Is it ready?”
- or
➡ “IS IT READY?”

64. Email
• Email title: “RE: Presentation”
➡ “Is it ready?”
- or
➡ “IS IT READY?”
- Answer: “NO !!!”

65. Email
• Email title: “RE: Presentation”
➡ “Is it ready?”
- or
➡ “IS IT READY?”
- Answer: “NO !!!”
✓Ask yourself how your email
can be read, and in what tone.

66. Email - What’s
missing?

67. Email - What’s
missing?
• Visual feedback

68. Email - What’s
missing?
• Visual feedback
• Body language

69. Email - What’s
missing?
• Visual feedback
• Body language
• Tone

70. Email - What’s
missing?
• Visual feedback
• Body language
• Tone
• Understanding of time can be
fluid

71. Email - What’s
missing?
• Visual feedback
• Body language
• Tone
• Understanding of time can be
fluid
✓Avoid (soon, later etc...)

72. Email - What’s
missing?
• Visual feedback
• Body language
• Tone
• Understanding of time can be
fluid
✓Avoid (soon, later etc...)
✓Be precise (within 24 hours)

73. What to do... and avoid doing

74. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

75. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”
✓In general write more information
and give more context than you
would in person

76. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”
✓In general write more information
and give more context than you
would in person
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to
contextualize your email

77. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”
✓In general write more information
and give more context than you
would in person
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to
contextualize your email
‣ (You will receive an email which
might seem dry so apologies in
advance...)

78. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different ๏ Avoid ambiguities
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”
✓In general write more information
and give more context than you
would in person
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to
contextualize your email
‣ (You will receive an email which
might seem dry so apologies in
advance...)

79. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different ๏ Avoid ambiguities
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!” ๏ Avoid jokes
✓In general write more information
and give more context than you
would in person
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to
contextualize your email
‣ (You will receive an email which
might seem dry so apologies in
advance...)

80. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different ๏ Avoid ambiguities
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!” ๏ Avoid jokes
✓In general write more information ๏ Don’t automatically “forward” and
and give more context than you “Reply all” email indiscriminately
would in person
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to
contextualize your email
‣ (You will receive an email which
might seem dry so apologies in
advance...)

81. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different ๏ Avoid ambiguities
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!” ๏ Avoid jokes
✓In general write more information ๏ Don’t automatically “forward” and
and give more context than you “Reply all” email indiscriminately
would in person
๏ Settling scores
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to
contextualize your email
‣ (You will receive an email which
might seem dry so apologies in
advance...)

82. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different ๏ Avoid ambiguities
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!” ๏ Avoid jokes
✓In general write more information ๏ Don’t automatically “forward” and
and give more context than you “Reply all” email indiscriminately
would in person
๏ Settling scores
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to ๏ Criticizing colleagues, clients,
contextualize your email stakeholders
‣ (You will receive an email which
might seem dry so apologies in
advance...)

83. What to do... and avoid doing
✓Read your emails using different ๏ Avoid ambiguities
tones (or have a colleague read it)
‣ “no” -> “NO!!!” ๏ Avoid jokes
✓In general write more information ๏ Don’t automatically “forward” and
and give more context than you “Reply all” email indiscriminately
would in person
๏ Settling scores
✓When in doubt about an email you
sent, don’t hesitate to call to ๏ Criticizing colleagues, clients,
contextualize your email stakeholders
‣ (You will receive an email which ๏ Using corporate email for personal
might seem dry so apologies in matters
advance...)

84. Communication Exercices

85. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners)

86. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

87. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm?

88. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?

89. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. -

90. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. -
2. -

91. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. -
2. -
3. -

92. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. -
2. -
3. -
4. -

93. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. -
2. -
3. -
4. -
5. -

94. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. - 1. -
2. -
3. -
4. -
5. -

95. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. - 1. -
2. - 2. -
3. -
4. -
5. -

96. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. - 1. -
2. - 2. -
3. - 3. -
4. -
5. -

97. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. - 1. -
2. - 2. -
3. - 3. -
4. - 4. -
5. -

98. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. - 1. -
2. - 2. -
3. - 3. -
4. - 4. -
5. - 5. -

99. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
Which are the 5 critical Which are the 5 critical
objectives of our firm? objectives of our firm?
1. - 1. -
2. - 2. -
3. - 3. -
4. - 4. -
5. - 5. -
Match?

100. Communication Exercices

101. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners)

102. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

103. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
What do think of them ?

104. Communication Exercices
Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)
What do think of them ? What do think of them ?

105. Universal tips

106. Universal tips
• Learn key-words:

107. Universal tips
• Learn key-words:
➡Thank you

108. Universal tips
• Learn key-words:
➡Thank you
➡Nice to meet you

109. Universal tips
• Learn key-words:
➡Thank you
➡Nice to meet you
➡“I am sorry I do not speak
Hungarian”

110. Universal tips
• Learn key-words:
➡Thank you
➡Nice to meet you
➡“I am sorry I do not speak
Hungarian”
• Check with embassy and chamber
of commerce

111. Universal tips
• Learn key-words:
➡Thank you
➡Nice to meet you
➡“I am sorry I do not speak
Hungarian”
• Check with embassy and chamber
of commerce
• Use Social Media to find natives or
expats in the country you plan to
do business in.

112. Contact
Wahyd Vannoni
• Email
wahyd.vannoni@mediacodex.com
• --> Wahyd Vannoni
• www.mediacodex.com