NEW - Workshops on Culture and Diversity

Creating a Culture of Connectedness
In a world where a click of a button creates global business opportunities forward-thinking professionals understand that tapping into what business people all over the world have in common is the first step to improving business communication and overcoming demographic obstacles. Recognizing that we are all ultimately focused on the business priority and making efforts to connect in a human, high-touch way, builds long-lasting business relationships. 

Making Contact: Greetings and Introductions
What do you do when you meet someone new? How often have you found yourself smiling uncomfortably at the person across from you a in a business or social setting; too nervous to speak, not sure whether to make eye contact and  wishing you could make a quick exit? In today’s multi-cultural communities and diverse workplaces understanding the nuances of meeting and greeting people of various cultural backgrounds, different generations and opposite genders can boost your confidence and help you exhibit courtesy and respect. 

Corporate and Personal Gift Giving
“Thank you”, these are two simple words that carry a great deal of meaning. In our busy, tired, stressful world, simply taking the time to say thank you or to give a well-thought out gift can communicate respect and emotion that words cannot. In our complex, diverse workplaces and communities however, well-intentioned gestures can sometimes result in misunderstandings and hard feelings. This session covers courteous gestures and tips for showing appreciation wherever you are in the world. 

World-wide Business Dining: Tips and Techniques
Many perfectly capable, intelligent, confident professionals lose their nerve in dining settings. Worse yet, many otherwise polite, professional business people whose reputations were intact prior to dining in public, leave the dinner table embarrassed, or having presented themselves less than confidently. If you travel for business or entertain clients from other cultures and countries, understanding the nuances of dining etiquette, eating exotic foods, and social protocols can help you present yourself in a confident, credible way. 

Interacting in Meetings and Nuances of Communication
Board meetings, lunch meetings, budget meetings, staff meetings…the reasons for meetings are endless. And when you gather together business people who are tired, busy, and stressed, each with his/her own agenda, it’s no wonder meetings are often enormous time-wasters. Throw some cultural or diversity issues, some tight deadlines, and a few egos into the mix and it’s not surprising that meetings of almost any type end up including miscommunication. 

Appropriate Business Dress and Decorum Around the Globe
Would you wear your swimsuit on the golf course at the private club? Probably not, so why would you wear your beach clothes to the office? Most people understand that there are appropriate clothes for certain situations. In spite of this knowledge however, many business professionals risk forfeiting their hard-earned reputations by dressing in ways that undermine their credibility and competence. This session details modern guidelines for professional dress and decorum around the world. 

Diversity in the Workplace and Other Sensitive Issues
The world is changing at a rapid pace. Whether it is trying to keep up with technology, adjusting to a new boss, or trying to manage changes in your personal life, almost everyone is impacted by change in some way or another every day. The world is changing too. Communities and workplaces are more diverse and we all must adapt to increased diversity in the gender, generation, experience, culture, and religion if we hope to build successful personal and professional relationships. Join Canada’s Etiquette Experts and learn how to cope with diversity and manage change.

Diversity is….
Diversity is a form of individualism, unique characteristics, beliefs and values. Amongst humans, particularly in a social context, the term diversity refers to the presence in one population of a (wide) variety of

• Cultures,
• Ethnic groups
• Languages
• Generational diversity
• Physical features, especially if they are recognized by members of that population to constitute characteristics of a race - (see also human variability)
• Socio-economic backgrounds
• Opinions
• Religious beliefs
• Sexuality
• Gender identity
• Neurology

At the international level, diversity refers to the existence of many peoples contributing their unique experiences to humanity's culture. The preservation of our planet's formidable linguistic and cultural diversity in the context of world-wide economic integration is the object of great concern to many people at the turn of the 21st century.