Cross Cultural Training Case Study

At Angelika Blendstrup & Associates, we work on an individual and group basis to provide clients with customized solutions for their particular language and multi-cultural communication challenges. Our success is based on years of achieved results and client satisfaction. Here is a ‘sampling’ of a client case study showing the kinds of solutions we use to address and remedy intercultural problem communication areas.

A US manager in charge of a group of international employees was experiencing major problems getting his team to work and cooperate together. He was working with a Chinese-born woman and a German-born man– all three were very competent, high-tech professionals.
There were quite a few areas in which the three had problems. One of the problems was centered on direct/indirect communications and how each person handled the way he/she spoke to the other team members.

The German was the most outspoken of the group—he expected to be able to express what he thought in a manner that was perceived as overbearing and he was also intent on driving the project solution himself.

The US manager found the German’s directness hard to accept because it frequently sounded accusatory. The Chinese employee, on the other hand, didn’t contribute much to the discussion, just adding a few words when she felt she could make a point.

These discussions and lack of communications went on for weeks, with each team member becoming quite frustrated and with no solution in sight for completing the project.

Angelika Blendstrup & Associates interviewed each team member individually to isolate his / her most pressing problems and concerns. The information we gathered was shared among the team, but individual points were kept anonymous.

We determined that people from three different business cultures can often approach problems and projects in three distinct ways; we diligently worked with the German, Chinese and American participants to share these distinctions and provide meaningful coaching on how they each could bring about effective ways of contributing and reaching solutions collectively and successfully.

The German team member learned to soften his language and to look at problems in a more positive way. The Chinese team member became an active and enthusiastic contributor to discussions and team projects. The American manager demonstrated a greater appreciation for the differences of their three cultures and how they complemented one another in driving growth and ‘win win’ outcomes.

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