General Etiquette > All In A Day's Work

I have a fun new project that could use some input

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BatCity:
Since I've opted to work through the holidays, I've been able to pick up a little project to work on that I think will be a lot of fun!  I'll be putting together an informal presentation on international business etiquette!  This will be for our consultants, who go out on projects all over the world...these are people who more technical than business oriented.

I have a copy of a book called "Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands", by Morrison and Conaway, and a head full of opinions, but rather than focus on individual countries I'd like to spend more time on general rules of conduct which will keep your head above water no matter where they go.  I thought it would be fun to get some input from the rest of you!

Here are some of my thoughts:

-Cover some general etiquette, maybe even have a "handshake" exercise
-Refer the consultants to some books and websites to do a little research on the country you're heading to
-Cover how to deal with (or avoid) "sticky" subjects such as past wars and political disagreement
-Maybe cover basic etiquette for two or three countries in which we have clients, pointing out the things to watch out for: for example, where it's okay to present a bottle of wine as a gift and where it's not.

What do you all think?  Anyone want to add their opinion? 

Clara Bow:
Tell people to research carefully the customs of any country that they go to. Don't assume that etiquette in China holds true for Vietnam just because they're both Oriental countries. Every country is different.
It's also smart to know a smidge about the country's history in case you are taken to see something important. It makes you look courteous and interested to have done a little Googling so you know what you're seeing and what it means without having to be told.

Nekolove:
As someone who has traveled overseas, I think you have a great start.

One thing you may want to think about is the difference in opinions about personal space in other cultures.
Americans and the British have the biggest personal space (acceptable distance we like to keep between people, especially those we don't know very well), while other Europeans, some Asians, etc. have much smaller personal spaces. This can cause some discomfort for Americans in these other cultures when you interact with someone who seems right in your face, when they are actually just acting quite normal. You may want to reaserch and comment on that specifically.

Good luck, sounds like a great project

cheyne:
What a fun project!  One of the things you could include is the different personal customs in the countries where you have clients.  What I mean is the differences in drinking, eating, smoking etc...  We in the US tend to think the entire world has the same opinions on alcohol, tobacco and food that our popular culture crams down our throats.  I can assure you this is not true.  I have lived in Japan, Europe and Central America, and their ideas on meals, social drinking and smoking are very different than those in the US.  It could save one of your people from making a horrible faux pas in a bar, pub, or restaurant, and possibly embarassing/alienating their hosts.

Slartibartfast:
Ooh, if I were you, I would include a "demonstration" (may just be a slide or two out of your presentation) where you present a scenario and you ask people to think about what they do.  For example, offering a gift in a country that has different gift-giving customs than ours.  Okay, I can't think of any great examples, but something where everyone's instinctive idea of what to do would be offensive or wrong.  Just to illustrate the importance of learning about the etiquette before you go.

Don't overlook basic guidelines, either - be willing to take on some minor discomforts for the sake of your hosts/guests, when in doubt follow someone else's lead, that sort of thing.  Believe it or not, these aren't obvious to everyone.

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