Countries and Regions
Deciphering cultural codes of 100+ countries or regions to understand behaviors and optimize one' s professional action
Living and working in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Summary
Target audience
Employees preparing for an assignment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their partners
Prerequisite
No prerequisite
Objectives
This seminar aims at significantly improving the ability of the participants to meet the challenges of living and working abroad. The objective is to enable them to identify the stumbling blocks that lie ahead and to be able to adapt and integrate in the Congo.
At the end of this training, participants will have acquired the necessary skills to:
- Be aware of their own cultural baggage
- Understand the Congolese context and culture
- Analyze situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating more effectively
- Reduce and manage the symptoms of culture shock
- Understand the Congolese mindset, work practices, decision-making processes and negotiating styles
- Strike the right balance between personal and professional life
Added value
- Conducted by an intercultural expert consultant
- Decoding the Nomad’ Profiler
- Alternating theory and practical exercises
- Access to Digital Learning for 1 year
- Sharing best practices and personalized action plan
ACCESSIBILITY
All our training courses are accessible to people with disabilities. Each training project will be the subject of a case study by our teams, in order to adapt the training program.
Program
Module 1 : Successful personal integration in the Congo
1. Cross-cultural awareness : the key to a successful expatriation
- Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
- Culture shock and the integration process
- Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes
2. Key aspects of Congolese culture
- A multi-ethnic and extremely religious population in a secular state
- Impressive resources attracting intense international attention
- The Congo, Zaire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo: historical timeline
- The impact and scars of Belgian colonisation
- A fragile but encouraging political situation
3. Congolese values and behaviour patterns
- Hospitality and curiosity
- A society organised into separate clans and communities
- The many faces of the Congolese women
- The importance attached to appearances and propriety
- The inspiration and influence of Christianity in day-to-day life
- A flexible vision of time, hazards and unexpected events
- Humour, laughter and jokes
4. Practical day-to-day information
- Focus on the host town
- Transport, administration, housing, security, hygiene and healthcare
- Social life, leisure activities
- Schools, extracurricular activities, sport
Module 2 : Successful professional integration in the Congo
1. The Congolese corporate world
- A paternalistic and hierarchical corporate culture
- The high status of labour
- Key differences between the private and public sectors
2. Effective communication with the Congolese
- Tactile and non-verbal communication
- Courtesy, banter and politeness
- Deciphering hints and unspoken messages
- The French language and local dialects
3. Working with Congolese teams
- Effective management: experience, skills and productivity
- The benefits of adopting an open, firm and good-natured stance
- Encouraging commitment by giving praise and responsibility where it's due
- Creating a fair and neutral professional environment
- Giving relationships that personal touch
4. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Congolese
- The importance attached to meeting others
- Deciphering hierarchical relationships
- Patience and perseverance
- Written contracts, their interpretation and implications
5. Final handy tips
- Caution, patience and humility
- Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code
- Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
- Humour: a double-edged sword
Intra-company coursesDuration: to define
Interested in customizing this training to your needs ? Contact us.
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