Cross cultural solutions to international business demands are increasingly being viewed as a valid and necessary method in enhancing communication and interaction in and between companies, between companies and customers and between colleagues.

Cross cultural consultancies are involved in aiding companies to find solutions to challenges cross cultural differences carry.

International and national businesses are ultimately result of people. As with incompatible software, if people are running on different cultural coding, problems can occur. Cross cultural consultancies therefore concentrate their efforts on interpersonal communication.

Different cultures and cultural backgrounds between a highly diverse staff base brings with it obstacles, challenges and difficulties. Cross cultural differences manifest in general areas such as in behaviour, etiquette, norms, values, expressions, group mechanics and non-verbal communication. These cross cultural differences then follow on through to high level areas such as management styles, corporate culture, marketing, HR and PR.

In order to overcome potential pitfalls, specialist attention is required in form of a cross cultural consultant. As one would approach a doctor for a medical diagnosis or an accountant to examine finances, cross cultural consultants offer expertise, experience and know-how to diagnose problems and provide solutions to interpersonal cultural differences.

Within companies there are many facets in which cultural differences manifest. Some key areas which cross cultural consultants deal with include, but are not exclusive to, following:

Cross Cultural HR: HR covers a wide range of business critical areas that need cross cultural analysis. Consultants may offer advice on a number of areas including recruitment, relocation, international assignments, staff retention and training programmes.

Cross Cultural Team-Building: in order to have a well functioning business unit within a company, communication is critical. Cross cultural consultants will provide tools and methods to promote staff integration, reduce cross cultural conflicts and build team spirit. This is essentially done through highlighting differences and building on strengths to ensure they are used positively.

How to Keep PR Working for You

Managers in non-profit, association and business worlds need to persuade outside audiences with greatest impact on their operations to their way of thinking. And then move those external stakeholders to take actions that help their departments, divisions or subsidiaries succeed.

But that takes a very special plan, one that delivers results far beyond simple publicity placements.

I’m talking about a blueprint, say, like this one that lets you broaden your public relations field of fire, putting its primary focus where it belongs, on your unit’s key external stakeholder behaviors: “People act on their own perception of facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action very people whose behaviors affect organization most, public relations mission is accomplished.”

You’ll know such a blueprint is working when you see results like capital givers or specifying sources starting to look your way, customers making repeat purchases; membership applications on rise; prospects beginning to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures coming in; welcome bounces in show room visits; community leaders beginning to seek you out; and politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of business, non-profit or association communities.

However, to get there you’ve got to be certain public relations people assigned to your unit buy into your more aggressive public relations approach. In other words, do they all accept reality that it’s crucially important to know how your outside audiences see your operations, products or services? And do they really subscribe to an even more important reality that says perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can trouble your unit?

Start by involving your PR team in plans for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

I mean, your PR people ARE in perception and behavior business to begin with, so they should be of real use for this opinion monitoring project. Professional survey firms are always available, but that can cost a bundle. So, whether it’s your people or a survey firm who asks questions, objective is to identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions .