FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT LCW PROGRAMS

 

Do participants learn specific "Do's and Don't's" of the culture in question?
Yes and No.  Such things as etiquette are easily read in books and other resource materials which can even be provided by LCW.  Of course--through the natural process of analyzing a country or culture, culture-specific examples will be introduced and explained.  Our Intercultural Development Programs, however, go deeper to focus on developing the cross-cultural competency and critical analysis skills necessary to understand and empathize with the culture.  You will learn the deep-seated reasons for certain cultural phenomena and be able to apply that knowledge to other behaviors you encounter.



Who provides the training?
We work with you to determine the right facilitator/s for your needs. Typically, trainings are led by our certified intercultural specialists and supported by a "cultural resource" - someone native to the culture involved. The intercultural specialist is there to ensure understanding and skill development while the cultural resource grounds the information with first-person examples and provides a "native opinion." Often, the high quality of our training team is the thing that participants remark upon most.

Will I (or my company's participants) be 'experts' in the region or country in question after the briefing or training?
No. One will, however, be significantly more knowledgeable than before and will have the capacity to transfer that understanding to others.  It is nearly impossible to become an expert on a culture without significant research and many years of mindful time spent in-country focusing specifically on the culture. LCW's programs build intercultural skills: the ability to interact with those from other cultures in an empathetic and productive manner.



How long is a typical program?
Standard programs are 1-2 days, and are easily adapted to the client's need. We accommodate preferences from 1/2 day executive briefings to a series of modules spread over several weeks. The obvious difference being that the longer the opportunity to focus on building intercultural development skills, the greater the understanding and result.