**August 31st: Bridging Cultures - from Vikings to Cowboys
This course will help participants improve their intercultural communication skills when it comes to interfacing with Swedish colleagues, as well as American colleagues. This workshop is facilitated by Christina Johansson Robinowitz, author of the book “Modern Day Vikings – A Practical Guide to Interacting with the Swedes.”
This week, I received the above bulletin at work. Since I can barely keep my email manageable, I took one look at the header, snorted, thought Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and deleted it. Was that rash of me to do? Yup. Perhaps I deleted this workshop notice because I’m already an expert at bridging cultural gaps? Hell no. I am no diplomat. What I am is a loud, stubborn, inquisitive, fidgety, friendly, easily bored, easily entertained, patient, focused, helpful, standoffish daydreamer. It’s a miracle I get anything done, especially since I exhibit most of these traits during any given workday. Are these character quirks the reason why I get quizzical looks from my Swedish co-workers? I’m guessing so. But then I get blank stares and nervous sidelong glances from everyone. I do reckon, however, that when those confused expressions are coming from visiting VIPs from our HQ in Sweden, that’s probably a bad thing.
Maybe I ought to think twice before being so dismissive of an opportunity to learn exactly how brusque and abrasive I come across to my colleagues, be they Vikings or Cowboys…or Seahawks (couldn’t resist that one, sports fans.)
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