We can assist you with understanding and communicating successfully with “the others” who grew up differently from us and see the world differently.

Vipsit has worked successfully with training and design projects in many parts of the world and we have enjoyed every moment of it. Collaboration is about communication and communication is about understanding your counterpart, the receiver of your message. We understand how a truly successful collaboration is dependent on meeting near mid-water when it comes to negotiation and collaboration.

“Culture” can be a family or company culture or even the different cultures between international parties. Whether we are observing culture in a micro cosmos or a macro scale, there are routes to success as well as paths that will lead into failure.

A definition on Culture from Merriam-Webster is: “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.”

Whenever we interact with each other, we succeed or fail depending on how well we understand our counterpart. We are all sending messages, and to be successful we need to do it in a way where the receiver understands what we intended to communicate.

Vipsit has worked with many organizations and we do believe we have an above average understanding of what culture means when it comes to successful collaboration and communication through changing times, moving old staff to embrace new environment and new work policies.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Vips has many years experience from her time in Denmark implementing ISO standards and moving the organization forward towards new compliance. Today we work with junior leadership when it comes to generate ideas on how to approach this type of change management. We share our methodology for analysis and goal setting, where we were successful and where we could have been better, had we planned better in advance.

Implementing an active well functioning management system is much more than just identifying and defining certain procedures, implement these and verify compliance. If the culture and climate within the organization is not addressed as well, the management system no matter what the topic might feel like a pair of shoes that is off in size, either too small or too large.

Fernando Lanzer writes in his book: “Organizational culture and climate” that “….culture is a set of values governing the behavior of a group; and climate is one of the effects caused by culture”

The climate (or the “smell”) within a company will define how people feel, behave and perform. Often when we are inside the company we are not aware of how our climate is. We cannot “see” it clearly as we are immersed in it. A quote from 1909 Every-Day Japan by Arthur Lloyd, Section: Introduction by Count Hayashi states: “It is said that fish do not see water, nor do Polar bears feel the cold”.

It will often be easier for an outsider to identify what the unwritten culture norms are and whether these will support or undermine the ultimate objective and vision of and management system whether it is a GMP, environmental or a biorisk management system. When the climate analysis is done, and it has been identified what unrecognized obstacles there might be within the organization, it is easier to start a smooth implementation of the system.

CULTURE IN THEORY

Fernando Lanzer is one of Vips’ preferred authors when it comes to understanding international collaboration and culture differences around the globe. He has written several books, three that specifically have helped us to be successful in managing collaborations with costumers from all around the world. Our relationship with Fernando goes many years back to the past time in Denmark.

Fernando Lanzer has written:

Take off Your Glasses. ISBN – 13: 978-1480054776
Leading Across Cultures in Practice. ISBN – 13: 978-1977620576 and
Organizational Culture and Climate. ISBN – 13:9781790575824  

Fernando is an extraordinarily skilled teacher and an inspiring author. Vips has during the last 16 years attended several of his classes. Each time he has entertained with a new two-day curriculum. At Vipsit, we have had the opportunity to enjoy discussions with him around a dinner table and around a garden fire pit as he shared his “war stories from the road”. In between we keep up on emails, and share stories and examples.

Fernando’s writings build on the foundation of the Dutch researcher Geert Hoofstede. Geert Hoofstede published research using the methodology, scienctific background, and results of a true researcher. Fernando Lanzer, on the other hand, teaches us how to use the science and apply it in our interactions with costumers, whether we are negotiating a contract or trying to get training across to students without them also having to deal with too much disturbing noise. Geert Hoofstede’s research is interesting. Vips has read all of Hofsteedes books. However, it took a fair amount of time and effort to make it through the pages. As with most hard science litterature, it was dry, tart and complex to read. Fernando’s books, on the other hand, are quite readable by the layman. They are good for an airplane ride, entertaining, easy to digest, and very applicable.

CULTURE IN PRAXIS

Vips assists with classes, talks, and coaching “survival skills” while traveling abroad.

One thing is theory, another is praxis. Having spent nearly 7 years of accumulated time in countries other than Denmark or the US, Vips has picked up some tips and tricks.  She has given several classes and podium talks in international forums centered on designing training events for students who are not from a western hemisphere country.

We are a product of the environment in which we grew up and how we learned in school. At its core, the essence of training is communication. As communicators, we need to take responsibility for whether our message is received. Consequently, bridging between training styles and methodologies is often necessary.

CULTURE COMPASS

YES – of course there is an App for that. It is called “Culture compass”. However, Vips do recommend reading the books first. They are easy to read, entertaining, and very informative. We have not yet met anybody who did not, at some point, say: “Ahhh – THAT’s why that happened!”. The app comes in as a great reminder, but give the books a chance to explain first.