BUSINESS CULTURAL COMPETENCE AND ETIQUETTE

Understanding Culturally Sensitive Executive Manners

Our Team

Beth HowellGeneral Dynamics Land Systems

Employment Compliance Officer (US-HR)

Bryant D. HendersonLockheed Martin

Director of Flight, Maritime and Advanced Systems

Melisa Fowler Exelon Corporation

Senior Business Project Manager

Pamela HarrisRaytheon Company

Director, Diversity and Inclusion

Executive Manners and Cultural Competence Objectives

• Improve capacity to understand and negotiate around business and cultural expectations– United States and Global

• Increase interpersonal effectiveness• Protect and enhance our image

Executive Manners• Professional and corporate expectations

– Decision making process• Learn how it works!• Corporate office must understand the culture• Diversity impacts the bottom line!

– Conflict resolution• Managed differently around the globe

– Time zone differences• Why time matters

– Australia, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United States

– Labor laws• When is it okay to call?

– France– Saudi Arabia

Cultural Competence• Capacity to apply and adapt executive

manners in a wide variety of settings and cultures

» Does “conducting business” mean the same thing around the globe?

» In the United States, there is great cultural diversity!

» International - change communication and interaction styles …like you change clothes!

» In the United States, adapting to culturally diverse settings can reflect respect!

Common Business Etiquette Mistakes• China

– Business card etiquette• Saudi Arabia

– Be patient• What if you are in the United States?

– Be patient

Global Cultural Practices and Blunders Made by Professionals• Seeing clients as the same as you.

– If it works in Philadelphia, then it'll work in Riyadh– Assuming that all countries (or people from)

within a particular part of the world have the same expectations

• Middle East• British Commonwealth

– Australia, United Kingdom, Canada

Personal and Professional Expectations Based on Cultural Experiences

• Be flexible – personally and professionally!– Time for tea, time for prayer, time for

reflection or even time for a nap– Adapt to circumstances, customs and

culture

Opportunities to Learn More about Executive Manners and Cultural Competence• Consultants • Books

– Don’t They Know It’s Friday? by Jeremy Williams/Handshaikh, Ltd.

• Professional Organizations– SHRM’s Country Guides

• Cultural Organizations– Local events at cultural centers

Outcome

• Attract diverse talent– Appreciation of cultural diversity impacts

recruiting AND retention• Influence customers

– The customer appreciates being “understood”

• Maximize personal effectiveness– Growth opportunity!

Questions and Answers