Knowledge

Workstation 1: Knowledge

You have successfully navigated new environments many times in your life.  To best navigate a new cultural environment the first step is to gather information.*   Unfortunately, this information will never reflect your particular situation in all its complexity and you will also need systems and strategies to recognize knowledge gaps as they show up in your work and daily life – about others, yourself, their culture and your own –and fill them on the spot.

Through a perspective of not knowing, we will support and guide each other to develop customized systems and strategies for achieving knowledge:

• Practice mindful, non-judgmental observation of behavior — through all six senses,
• Practice active listening skills that include context, pauses, silences, tone, pitch, speed,
• Practice respectful cultural questioning techniques,
• Slow down our automatic thought process – and notice judgment as it shows up,
• Overcome the obstacles that hold us back from gaining the knowledge we need.

In addition we will:

• Exchange stories and reflect on personal experiences.

To practice a perspective of not knowing, you may have to remove a few obstacles.

Beliefs that:

• Cultural differences don’t really exist or if they do exist, they needn’t affect you, your daily life and your job,
• Others will perceive you and your behavior as they do back home,
• Meaning is communicated mainly by words,
• Other people form and achieve goals in the same way as you do,
• One’s opinions cannot change,
• There is nothing you need to know.

Through the whole-brain, whole-body workout, you will gain tools and strategies to overcome these obstacles.

The bonus:

• Active listening and observation skills,
• Control of your automatic judgment process,
• Open, non-judgmental and flexible thinking,
• Customized learning strategies for new cultural environments.

* example information sources: books, articles, friends, colleagues, a country national, a mentor, online social networks and forums, cross-cultural training sessions organized by your company, expat clubs, local English-language newsletters and websites. You can find many sources by browsing through the carefully selected products, services, tools and resources on this website under, “   “