Gabriele Rettig
expert for intercultural competence

understanding people in their own language, culture and attitude 

We live in the age of globalisation. The whole world is interconnected. More companies and corporations than ever before operate internationally and it is fascinating that people from all over the world work together. It becomes frustrating when the other party is not understood - not linguistically, but culturally.

culture codes - communicating successfully between cultures

Intercultural competence and the ability to communicate and negotiate successfully and optimally with business partners, colleagues and employees from other countries and cultures is becoming increasingly important.

different countries, different working cultures

Intercultural competence means being able to effectively interact with people from other cultures in an appropriate and respectful manner. The key requirement is knowing and understanding the country-specific culture and value standards of your international business partners.

a change in perspective leads to project success

Project success and intercultural competence are closely linked. Depending on the culture and continent, the perception of performance, costs and time is different and this can have a direct impact on the success of the project. Project managers who want to successfully lead teams with members from different nations with cultural differences should be able to recognise different cultural requirements as well as differences and be able to adapt to them - because a "faux pas" lurks behind every gesture, and can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings with a consequent impact on the success of the project.