Alchemy

CQ Themes Ac.on Plan

MSOD 615 Founda0ons of Globaliza0on & Culture Dr. Miriam Lacey Shefali Ana Natalie Dawnet Lacey Carol Marco Discussion results on shared themes for CQ Ac.on Plan assignment: Recalling the project descrip0on, learning groups are to discuss and capture 2 or 3 major shared themes and subsequently develop an ac0on plan to upgrade CQ of group members in France. 1. We discussed that a strong point contribu0ng towards a specic ac0on plan (AP) is our shared belief that CQ strategy and awareness can be improved. 2. We all disagreed with certain aspects; we can consider how to approach these in our AP. 3. Most of us expressed some lack of credibility in the deni0on / descrip0on of CQ and its scoring system. In order to have an AP Zng all of us, we can rst dene what we as LG understand, for purposes of this ac0vity, as CQ. Three themes iden.ed: 1. Strategizing before a culturally diverse encounter / becoming more inten0onal *including awareness of assump0ons and biases 2. Increasing awareness of French verbal / nonverbal cues 3. Increasing knowledge of French customs, especially related to business systems Culture Intelligence: Rather than a survival kit, we recommend the development of a Thriving Kit. The kit will include the elements necessary to thrive condently as we embark on naviga0ng a new culture. The rst step would be building a checklist of business cultural nuances and norms for France. A 0meline leading up to departure will also be built to allow enough 0me and ensure be`er prepara0on with knowledge and insights necessary for success.
100" 90" 80" 70" 60" 50" 40" 30" 20" 10" 0" CQ"Drive" CQ"Knowledge" CQ"Strategy" CQ"Ac@on" Ana" Carol" Dawnet" Lacey" Marco" Natalie" Shefali"

Alchemy CQ Scores

 We recommend collec0ng digital and book reference tools to help with prac0cing the language before travel and abroad. Since mul0ple learning modali0es (visual + audio + reading) enhance learning and YouTube is the 3rd most used search engine, we can make use of the many videos and/or slide presenta0ons available. We will plan 0me for weekly prac0ce leading up to departure (individually or in pairs), and once abroad our group will also check in with one another regarding assimila0on and adjustment. GeZng real life informa0on on cultural news and norms is the next step. Connected to the MSOD program we have the poten0al of asking Xi Prime students and/or members of the MSOD alumni community about their experiences in France. We will set up several professional life line resources in advance of our travel, which we may call upon if needed once abroad. We may also ask Dr. Miriam for details regarding our specic client engagement (i.e., corpora0on vs. small business, or government / nonprot / for prot sectors, etc.). This informa0on will allow us to develop a clearer picture of our ensuing experience so that we may share the same mental model of what lies ahead; it will also draw out addi0onal ques0ons or topics of interest that will serve our next step in pre-France prepara0on. By iden0fying current business contacts and scheduling calls to speak directly with those that are in or have recently worked in France, we will ensure that the informa0on we are gathering is accurate, up to date, and will truly serve us. Addi0onally, crea0ng Google alerts and RSS feeds to keep abreast of recent poli0cal, nancial, and cultural news and informa0on will connect us with the topics that are most pressing in the county, province, and municipality we will visit. We will ne-tune our checklist to add other relevant ac0ons; it will also be valuable to allow 0me for reec0on and feedback for our group, both in prepara0on for departure and once abroad. In addi0on to re-watching Dr. Miriams voice thread, Lets Go To France, we will schedule prac0ce sessions en franais of common phrases, food, gree0ngs, direc0ons, etc. to improve our CQ condence. We have also iden0ed the poten0al benet of crea0ng either dedicated or revolving roles and responsibili0es during our prac0cum. We will have one person track and help with poten0al individual arrival issues; another will address mobile and technology needs abroad; another will be dedicated to leading ground naviga0on to/from client engagements in Lyon; and lastly, one or two of us can learn enough of the language to fully introduce our learning group in French.

Thriving Kit - Resources for cultural immersion: 1. Create checklist incorpora0ng what we need to know into 0meline (see sample below); 2. Transla0on tools: Phrase books, hard copies, 2-way transla0on apps, and conversion charts; 3. Info sessions: Seek out and schedule calls with business contacts connected to France (listed below) to learn more about business norms, cultural, mores, values, and nuances: a. Dr. Palombit, OD Consultant b. Francois, CFO French company c. Cedrik Ayuda, Sales rep. RRD, France; 4. Current events: Create Google alerts and/or RSS feeds for news related to Lyon / France; 5. Reec0on (included in 0meline): Create opportuni0es to provide feedback formally and informally (emergent) or ajer specic units of work, which closes our strategic loop. Sample .meline: April: Prepare Thriving Kit of resources Get language tools Con=nue building checklist May: Schedule info sessions Set up Google alerts & RSS feeds Finalize checklist June: Reec=on / feedback on checklist Review Lets Go To France French conversa0onal session Finalize roles during Prac0cum French verbal / nonverbal cues: According to the Cultural Intelligence Center, the CQ-Ac0on is the extent to which an individual can act appropriately in mul0cultural situa0ons. It includes the exibility in verbal and non-verbal behaviors and the ability to adapt to dierent cultural norms (retrieved from report). The CQ- Ac0on verbal/non-verbal component was the second theme we iden0ed for improvement of our cultural awareness prior to France. Below are the recommended ac0on items: 1. Verbal: Complete the basic French module oered in the Pepperdine University Language Learning Center (powered by MANGO languages). a. Mango Basic will help us learn simple skills for common, polite conversa0on situa0ons; b. Courses will help us develop an apprecia0on for cultural nuance and real-world applica0on of vocabulary, pronuncia0on, grammar, and culture; c. Audio and voice recording func0ons will allow us to compare pronuncia0on to the narrators to learn more accurate pronuncia0ons of the French language;

2. Nonverbal: To the aforemen0oned video conference calls, we will add elements related to nonverbal communica0on, which includes cues that can be interpreted beyond verbal language, such as how we dress, handshake, walk, and our use of gestures, eye movements, silence, etc. Incorpora0ng both American and French perspec0ves into our conference calls with our LG members will increase awareness of both perspec0ves as well as recogni0on of when nonverbal interac0ons are taking place. Our goals will be to understand the following: How to iden0fy and overcome areas of conict; How to iden0fy areas of harmony or agreement; Expecta0ons on the parts of both cultures; and What has historically worked establishing trust in French-American working rela0onships? One of our interviewees will be an American business person working abroad in a French company; the second will be the reverse scenario. The Director of Sustainable Development for Areva (Global leader for nuclear and renewable energy) has agreed to par0cipate; an op0on for a highly successful French professional here in the US is Carols Rosario, entertainment industry Fashion Design Stylist (X2, TRON: Legacy, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, etc.). Conference calls will include topics considered important in helping with our pre-ight prepara0on, with our prac0cal func0on and assimila0on abroad, and with our capacity to successfully engage our French clients. Pre-planning strategies for French customs, especially related to business systems: An0cipa0ng interac0on with French colleagues, our LG members agreed that pre-planning and strategy were important areas requiring addi0onal a`en0on for study. To increase knowledge around business cultural norms and other socio-economic and demographic factors that shape these norms, the following nal addi0ons to the aforemen0oned ac0on plan are proposed: 1. Create and translate list of 10+ phrases used in a common business seZngs to demonstrate our willingness to immerse ourselves in French culture; review varia0on in meanings between French and American business terminology; 2. Learn how to introduce ourselves in French; 3. Create a cheat sheet conversion tool for measurements, i.e. $, C F, km mi; 4. Review the work provided by the four cultural teams and create a cheat sheet overview of American and French cultural dierences; and 5. Create a cheat sheet of current economic, poli0cal, religious, and social issues to ensure we are collec0vely up-to-date on the latest topics on the minds of our French clients.