It is no longer the exception that teams of employees are made up of people from a variety of countries, it is the rule. Corporate mission statements often state that teams of employees from different countries and cultures "will benefit from the best parts of each culture and develop international synergy." Unfortunately, most international teams ultimately disintegrate into small groups of employees from similar backgrounds, excluding other members of the team. If you are experiencing this, or plan to develop an international team, this seminar is for you. Doug's background at Tokyo Disneyland and many other international corporations provides a unique opportunity for executives and employees to discover vital information about how to be successful in their own multicultural environment.

Course Overview:

In order to build a strong team, some portion of the approach needs to purposely highlight both positive and negative perceptions people with different backgrounds have about each other. The objective is to expose the issues and help the employees work them out in mutually acceptable ways. Realizing the potential for emotional reaction from some participants, a team-building program will be conducted with the following principles in mind:

People are affected, in different ways, by the standards and norms of societies in which they live and work. This is often referred to as our "culture". The diversity found in different cultures is not inherently good or bad and we respect it because it provides a valuable resource for finding creative solutions to organizational problems.

Each of us is a unique individual with our own thoughts, personalities and values of what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable. However, the culture in which we were raised influences greatly our value structure . Therefore, we can identify common trends of behavior among groups of people with similar cultural backgrounds, even though each has his or her own unique personality. Similarly, we can identify some behaviors and thought processes common to people raised in the United States, even though the U.S. has a huge, diverse population.

The best way to manage is the method that gets the best results and the best results usually come from an approach which brings out the strengths of each culture. The exercise of one's full potential usually produces the best results at the interpersonal and the organizational levels.

Training Staff:

G. Douglas Lipp & Associates strives to accurately represent the challenges and opportunities in conducting business in a global environment. Therefore, the team-building program is conducted by a bicultural team with extensive international business experience.