Working with Bulgaria

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Summary

Target audience

Company managers and staff working and dealing with the Bulgarians

Prerequisite

No prerequisite

Objectives

The aim of this seminar is to significantly improve the participants’ effectiveness in their professional relationships with the Bulgarians, enabling them to be operational right from the start.

At the end of this training, participants will have acquired insights and techniques to:

  • Be aware of their own cultural baggage
  • Fully understand Bulgarian context and culture
  • Analyse possible situations in which misunderstandings may arise and identify ways of communicating
  • Reduce stress and misunderstandings
  • Decipher and understand Bulgarian decision-making and negotiation processes

Added value

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 : Understanding cultural differences

1. Intercultural awareness, the key to success in international business

  • Taking stock of one's own cultural baggage
  • The basics of effective intercultural management
  • Identifying and going beyond cultural stereotypes

2. Key aspects of Bulgarian culture

  • A secular nation at a meeting point between the Slavic and Turkish peoples
  • The heritage of the Ottoman empire and of communism
  • A relatively uniform population
  • Turkish and gypsy minorities
  • The impact of the orthodox religion
  • A proud artistic tradition
  • A country undergoing political and economic transition

3. The impact of values and behaviour patterns on professional dealings and relationships

  • Family unity: an essential aspect of Bulgarian society
  • A relatively egalitarian society
  • Pride and a sense of honour
  • The importance attached to appearances
  • The key role of social celebrations

4. The Bulgarian corporate world

  • The persistence of Soviet-style organisational methods
  • Formality and hierarchy
  • Working methods and the notion of quality
  • Professional relationships

Module 2 : Succeeding in work with the Bulgarians

1. Effective communication with the Bulgarians

  • An expressive and implicit communication style
  • Understanding the true meanings of yes or no: deciphering non-verbal communication
  • The importance of networks and reputation
  • The advantages of learning Bulgarian

2. Adapting your working methods

  • Effective management: expertise, charisma and creativity
  • Building trust and confidence: fairness, a willingness to listen and professionalism
  • Dealing with touchy or sensitive people
  • Giving staff a sense of responsibility and encouraging joint decision-making
  • Pitfalls to be avoided

3. Successful meetings and negotiations with the Bulgarians

  • Frankness and honesty
  • Discipline and coherence
  • Building an “everyone’s a winner” relationship
  • Understanding written contracts, their interpretation and implications
  • Organising the post-negotiation phase

4. Final handy tips

  • Caution, patience and humility
  • Protocol and etiquette
  • Social standards, gifts, business cards, dress code, etc
  • Sensitive subjects: politics, history, religion
  • Humour: a double-edged sword

Intra-company coursesDuration: to define
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