Cultural diversity is crucial in today’s global marketplace, as companies interact with different cultures and clients.
The payoffs touch every area of the business by potentially resulting in:
increased
creativity
increased
productivity
broader
perspective
better
communication
intercultural
understanding
improved problem
solving
“SOFTWARE OF THE MIND”
“MENTAL PROGRAMMING”
“The collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.”
Geert Hofdstede
“Culture is considered as something which is comprised of norms and values and governs human behavior to a particular direction, which is learned, does not change easily, which is characteristic of a particular group and which is transmitted over time from one generation to another.”
ShaidulKazi
The aim of this program is to enable expats in Serbia to cope with stress triggered by changing the cultural landscape as well as to help them thrive in this unique life transition. By completing this program, the participants will be able to recognize when cultural shock starts affecting their professional and personal performances and learn how to deal with it.
Cultural OnBoarding program consists of 4 structured 1-1 meetings with a dedicated cultural agent accompanied by expert-designed materials. The program is boosted with a 5th interest-specific meeting.
The following content represents the standard structure of the program, but it is also highly customizable to each participant through their work with the cultural agent.
GOAL OF THE MEETING
CONTENT AND TECHNIQUES USED
Personal test Hofdstede Institute
Country comparison tool
Layers of Serbian culture – customs, heroes and symbols
GOAL OF THE MEETING
CONTENT AND TECHNIQUES USED
History matrix (until WWII)
Training techniques for bicultural competence (Cultural sensitization, simulations)
GOAL OF THE MEETING
CONTENT AND TECHNIQUES USED
History matrix (WWII-1990)
Training techniques for bicultural competence (Critical incident, cultural assimilator)
GOAL OF THE MEETING
CONTENT AND TECHNIQUES USED
History matrix (1990-present day) and how history relates with present life situations and conversations
Cultural dimensions, training techniques and layers of culture – newly emerging examples
GOAL OF THE MEETING
CONTENT AND TECHNIQUES USED
Training techniques Experiential learning and Information giving, tailor made for the specific participant according to their interest
Cultural Diversity Workshops are created for multicultural teams and companies who want to benefit from the cross-cultural training adjusted for group work. The program consists of:
3 consequential workshops
Duration of each app. 3h
In-house or in our space
Based on max 10 participants per group
2 moderators
Hand-outs
Ongoing support from the team and moderators between the workshops
1st Workshop: Self-reflection and trust in multicultural work environment
2nd Workshop: Understanding challenges and values of multicultural work environment
3rd Workshop: Effective communication in multicultural workplace
Executive, Co-founder and Cultural Agent
Ana was born in Ljubljana, now in Slovenia but back on July 14th 1988 in Yugoslavia. Being in a Slovene kindergarten and later moving to England at the age of 3 made this her first intercultural experiences. Cross-cultural learning and awareness of the need for it reached its peak for her during her studies in Germany and work in Ethiopia.
She believes shifting cultures and properly reflecting on the experience is one of the richest life experiences when done properly.
Ana is BS environmental analyst and MS Sustainable tourism management.
Co-founder and Cultural Agent
Jovana is born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia. She spent two years in Leuven and Brussels in Belgium during her MA studies is Educational sciences, where she experienced different stages of cultural shock first hand and got the chance to raise her awareness of her own and others’ cultural identity, as well as the importance of developing cross-cultural skills.
A language teacher and tour guide by profession with several years of 1-1 and group work with people from different cultural backgrounds. She speaks Serbian, Dutch, English, German and Spanish. Jovana believes that by developing intercultural skills we can understand each other better and build deeper connections which help us enrich our lives and us live with less stress.
Coach and counselor
Mila is psychological counselor and couch. She joined the team in order to give psychological support, knowledge and skills to the cultural agents so that we could all as a team better understand the change people who are moving to Serbia are going through.
Mila believes that Serbia has its beauties as well as challenges and is happy she can share a helping hand and make the transition of the expats in Serbia easier, more fulfilling and worth experiencing. She is inspired by the way we are all interconnected and is glad that she can support the process of making new connections.
Cultural Agent
Globetrotter, lived and studied in three continents. Spent his senior year at the University of Missouri-Columbia, USA and after gaining his BA degree at the Faculty of Philosophy-Belgrade, Serbia he went to Lund University, Sweden where he gained his MS degree in Global Studies with major in Sociology. He also spent a semester at the National University of Singapore. Worked in Diversity consulting in Cologne, Germany. He is currently pursuing his PhD degree in Sociology.
cultures always intrigued him and he realized that one grows as a person while interacting with people from other cultures and diving into different cultural experiences. He strongly believes that people from different cultures can learn a lot from each other and by changing themselves they are changing the reality around them.
Financial manager
Tihomir was born in Belgrade in 1989. Gained a BA at Faculty of Economics in Tourism and Hotel management, and MA in human resources. He brings his financial expertise to the Friends and Culture team.
Tihomir experienced different aspects of cultural shock during his work and stay in the USA and Bahrain, which helped him gain important insights and better understand core values of different cultures. He is curious and adventurous, and one of his life goals is to find a perfect balance in life. He believes in the uniqueness and great potential of Cultural Onboarding program and the positive benefits that it brings to the clients.
"Having lived in different countries throughout my life, I knew I wouldn't experience any big culture shock when I moved to Belgrade. However, I was completely surprised at how useful and helpful Friends and Culture's Cultural OnBoarding program was! It provided me with information I didn't know I needed and was customized to my interests. So it really fast tracked me to better understand Serbian's complex and fascinating history as well as the daily practicalities and cultural insider knowledge. This program is a must for any employer seriously thinking of hiring Expats!"
Gloria Gaspar - Portuguese-American with some Danish infusion
If you want to find out more about the details of the program, tailor made possibilities or prices, send us your message and our team will get back to you shortly.