Cultural Awareness

Today, more than ever personal and business success requires the ability to live and work effectively in a muti cultural environment. Culture shapes how we act and behave within our own cultural group and influences our expectations when communicating with people from other cultures.

Culture is like an iceberg!

Above the surface are the visible aspects of culture which are easy to see such as language, food, greetings, dress & music. Because we see them we can react to them.The biggest part of culture is hidden below the surface, the invisible rules and values that define each culture. Difficulties arise when the rules of one culture are applied to interpret the behavior of another with a different set of cultural rules.

Misinterpretation = Misunderstanding