"Weaving strength from differences"
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Experiential Learning for Intercultural Effectiveness This article originally appeared in Japan-Related , May-June 1995 Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Nipporica Associates
Gary, an American living in Japan, loves to talk nearly as much as he loves to laugh, and he does both loudly and frequently. He doesn't meet many of the stereotypical prescriptions for success in Japan, yet in two years he has tripled sales for his product line and made lasting personal friendships. His Japanese colleagues report that their attitudes and behavior have expanded through knowing Gary. We at Nipporica believe this is because Gary has found his own way of being effective in his adopted environment. The belief that there is no standard prescription for success overseas has lead us to develop PIPE: a Personal Intercultural Portfolio for Effectiveness, and it is the premise upon which all of our work is based. Such a core philosophy requires that each consulting or training endeavor be customized and that the consultants or trainers be fully present with the participants on a process of cultural exploration, self-discovery, and growth. The facilitator must provide sufficient guidance to participants while allowing time for reflection and experimentation. Full attention on and connection with the client are key to project success. The process we use during a training program is the STADIApproach to Intercultural Learning (see diagram), which ensures an integrated learning cycle. One of our goals at Nipporica, therefore, is to utilize proven training formats that are both structured and flexible, ensuring that trainers cover crucial content areas while tailoring learnings to the uniqueness of client needs and individual situations. Experiential learning (role plays, exercises, simulations and real-time interactions) is central to our training sessions. We create customized experiential activities based on each participant's situation, and analyze the interaction for what actually occurred. Let's say that Gary, described above, needs to be able to obtain information from his Japanese colleagues. After gaining fundamental knowledge about Japanese values and practices regarding information sharing, he participates in a role play in which he's asked to obtain sensitive information from a colleague. Gary makes a few jokes and laughs quite a bit during the exchange. The Nipporica facilitator knows that giving him pat advice about leaving his humor at home would make him extremely uncomfortable; it would be asking him to change his personality. Gary's laughter in a mutually engaging manner, however, could ease the tension of the situation, making the conversation seem less business-oriented and more friendly. The debriefing, therefore, would help Gary explore methods for adapting his humor to achieve the desired affect with his Japanese colleagues. Another advantage of experiential exercises is that they allow participants not only to watch and learn from, but to empathize with others. For example, after a recent second language simulation, a woman observed that her partner, when speaking in Redundancía , "Was so jerky. He was hard to follow and lacked confidence. I figured the language was not that hard. We learned it in two minutes. I knew I could do it. Yet, when I tried it, I couldn't do it, either." Experiential learning can be extremely effective, but the danger is that it can also be incredibly threatening. Clients tend to come to us at times when they are already stressed: they are about to make a major international move, are in the midst of a global project critical to career or business success. The last thing they need is more stress. Structured learning tools can provide participants an enjoyable diversion, a journey of discovery which builds their confidence and reduces stress, rather than a treacherous, confrontational voyage. They also allow participants to experiment with new behaviors, like trying on a new suit of clothes. For example, when people play Ecotonos, a multicultural problem-solving simulation, they divide into groups and create cultures based upon cards they draw. A card might instruct them to be time-oriented or laid back, to be intuitive or logical. The rule cards are randomly drawn, so one time Ecotonos may have a time-oriented/logical group, and the next time a laid-back/logical group. The differing combinations teach participants that each culture has its own inherent logic. Because there are thirty different sets of rule cards, the game can be played again and again with new learnings and a novel experience each time it is played. After participants draw their cards and create their cultures, they work on solving a problem together. The problem might be in the form of a case study, or a physical task such as building a bridge. They begin to solve the problem monoculturally. After a short time, international experts are exchanged and the problem is tackled multiculturally: by a majority/minority group, by a diverse mix of all three cultures, and by an evenly balanced joint venture group. Problem-solving skills, strategies and methods are then analyzed and compared. In a recent experience with Ecotonos, one group drew a rule card which told them to hold up two fingers to indicate disagreement, and another which told them to be active and assertive. This group decided that the two-fingered gesture would be like a cobra striking, and they turned it into a two-fingered twisting hand gesture, delivered aggressively and with much venom. They controlled the entire group discussion and intimidated other players. Did this indicate that these participants were themselves inherently aggressive, since they behaved in such a way when told to be assertive? We don't think so. But during the debriefing they reported that they recognized the power they had over other participants. They were shocked at how easily and unconsciously their behavior had excluded the input and contribution of other participants. The trainer didn't have to proselytize and the participants learned a very important lesson about culture and power dynamics that they will retain for a long time. Our philosophy at Nipporica, therefore, is to facilitate learning events which enable participants to ask the questions and discover the answers they need to be effective. Answers gained from personal experience are more meaningful and longer-lasting, and, when facilitated in a structured and supportive training environment, minimize pain and add enjoyment. Experiential learning is an extremely valuable tool for enhancing motivation and productivity among people working in diverse cultural environments. |
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