The Real Skinny on International Protocol

Keywords for this post:
Strategic Business Plan

Country Insights, a site developed by the Canadian government, is absolutely priceless for anyone working with one or more foreign nationals. This Canadian federal government site is one of the best sources we’ve come across in a while for getting truly interesting insights into the culture of another country. It’s well-written, lively, and filled with insider and unusual information on factors ranging from displays of emotion from a country’s citizens, conflicts in the workplace, hierarchy and decision-making, formality, relationship building, and more. An interesting twist too is that this site compares each country’s cultural norms to those found in Canadian culture.

Although the perspective was written from the point of view of a business person going abroad, it is just as valuable for a business person working with a person from another country, no matter where they meet. Understanding the priorities of our colleagues may be key to bringing them on board, whether financially or as collaborators. Developing an effective strategic business plan may, in fact, depend on how well you know the people you will be working with.