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Interculturality as Viewed by American Executives Abroad

By helen@bannigan.com • March 22, 2014 • business, Culture
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Nice article in INSPIRE-D Magazine, taken from interview with Helen Bannigan, CEO of Bannigan Communications LLC (aka – “me”) and Nicholas Nesson, General Manager of Corporate Communications of KBL epb.

It’s a discussion about “interculturality” or “transculturality” and how companies like KBL (and their subsidiaries such as VITIS LIFE) effectively navigate the sometimes tricky cross-cultural waters, while successfully serving clients around the world.

“…. The ideal is a balance. It is important to adapt to the host country; to respect people and their culture. But knowing how to keep your own cultural identity is also important…. Ultimately, the best way to build a long-term relationship regardless of location or technology is to base it on mutually respectful dialogue.”

http://www.bannigan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/VL-Interview-Helen1.pdf

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About the Author

helen@bannigan.com

2 Comments

  • Reply camilla March 26, 2014 at 6:08 pm

    reminds me of how Karen Blixen stroke the differences between travelers and tourists, whereby only travelers show respect and step into another culture in silence, observing, ensuring not to break unknown rules. Thanks for making this concept modern and up to date, Helen, in a world where travelling has never been easier and common.

    • Reply helen@bannigan.com March 26, 2014 at 7:06 pm

      Oh, I just love her. One of my favorite quotes of hers: “Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever.”
      ― Karen Blixen

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WELCOME HOME.

WELCOME HOME.
Seven countries. Forty-odd years of packing boxes, learning new currencies and languages, getting things gloriously wrong, and figuring it out anyway. After all that, I've come to believe that home isn't a place — it's a feeling you learn to carry with you, and occasionally stumble into somewhere unexpected. Consider this one of those places. This blog is where I think out loud about culture, identity, leadership, and the endlessly entertaining business of being human across borders. Pull up a chair. Put your feet up. Disagree with me. Share what resonates. That's the whole point. And if somewhere along the way you find yourself wondering whether I might be useful to you — whether that's helping your team actually work across cultures rather than just survive them, speaking at your next leadership event, or joining us for something altogether different at our 17th-century palazzo in the Sabine Hills of Italy — the door is open. It usually is. No hard sell. Just a warm welcome. And perhaps a cup of tea. Come find me: helen@bannigan.com · bannigan.com Curious what Executive Cultural Coaching actually means in practice? Scroll down — I promise it's more interesting than it sounds.
Helen Bannigan

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Executive Cultural Coaching

At Bannigan Communications, we work with global leaders who are smart, experienced, and occasionally baffled by why something that works perfectly well at home lands completely flat somewhere else.

That’s not a failure of intelligence. It’s a gap in cultural fluency — and it’s entirely fixable.

Our workshops (in-person and virtual) give executives and their teams the self-awareness, practical tools, and genuine understanding of other cultures needed to build trust, communicate effectively, and lead with confidence across borders. Less theory, more “here’s what to actually do on Monday morning.”

Participants leave with actionable frameworks they can use immediately — whether they’re relocating, managing a global team, or simply trying to understand why their counterpart in Tokyo keeps saying yes and meaning something else entirely.

Curious? I’d love to talk. helen@bannigan.com · bannigan.com

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