ICS - Culture wheel exercise PDF

Preview

Summary

Task...

Description

Intercultural Communication Skills 2018-19 Exercise session 1 pre-work: Wheel of Intercultural Skills

Exercise brief First read through the PowerPoints of the first lessons again and pay specific attention to the description of intercultural competence and what it can consist of. Follow the instructions outlined in this brief. You have to use the template (see below, scroll down) for this exercise. Why this task? To give you a more concrete view on the abstract competence descriptions – to show you how the ICS course can be of use in future job applications – to take a kind of initial measure of your intercultural communication skills. This exercise will be used in class (exercise session 1) to get to know each other’s current intercultural skills and to gain an insight in possible steps to develop more skills for future intercultural jobs.

Objectives -

Students can describe their own skills in terms of Intercultural competences Students can illustrate the different aspects of experience with relevant personal examples Students can evaluate their current skill level Students can reflect on gaps in their skill areas with regard to future jobs Students can take a critical look at what is needed to perform well in a profession, interculturally, and can draw up a realistic action plan with regard to these skills and competences.

Deadline Bring your preparation to exercise session 1 (see course outline for the exact date). Students who have not completed the pre-work for the activity will be asked to leave the class.

Source Deardorff, D., & Berardo, K. (2012). Building Cultural Competence. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Exercise Description & Instructions Use the template (see below) and copy your filled in worksheet into a Word document. Bring a paper or electronic version to class for group activity.

Part 1: Make a current intercultural skills inventory The Wheel of Intercultural Skills can help you identify the specific intercultural skills you have on offer. It is a great tool to keep and add to in your second and third year and once you are looking for a job. Use the template below to answer all the questions!

Step 1: Write down (in text) the intercultural experiences you have had that contribute to your expertise in the following areas: 1. Formal education: What is your formal training and education? What relevant courses have you taken or subjects have you studied that can be linked to intercultural competence? How can you demonstrate your understanding of the research and theories in the intercultural field? 2. Life experience: What intercultural experiences have already shaped you and will constitute your own experiences working across cultures later, such as time living abroad, working in holidays abroad, being in an intercultural relationship, having intercultural friendships, having a diverse cultural background, daily intercultural interactions, etc. 3. Work experience (if any): What is your relevant experience working with people from other cultures, working in different sectors? (This could also be experience through volunteering or in summer jobs.) 4. Personal qualities: What talents and strengths do you have that help you ‘walk the talk’ and demonstrate skills you need interculturally, what character traits help you most? 5. Application areas: What are the topics and areas that interest you most and that you have experience with interculturally (e.g. working in team, studying, gaming, leading people, practising sports, youth movement…) 6. Methods skills: What methods and approaches will you use to carry out future intercultural work, which ones have you already used (e.g. teambuilding, training and helping other people, advising, socialising, helping, negotiating, …) List associations

you belong to or certificates you have received, multicultural interest groups you belong to…

Tip: Once you have completed a Skills inventory for the Wheel of Intercultural skills, you can share and compare your profile with others. You can use the wheel to help you when you write or update your CV or bio (see exercise in 2IBM – International Business Communication B). It will help you present your intercultural skills.

Step 2: Rate Your Current Skills level What score would you give your current skills level in each of the 6 areas? Mark your level of expertise 1 being low and 6 being high (mind: a score of 6 will be ‘expert’, and can only be achieved after an entire career). Colour in the levels for each of the areas. For each of the scores, explain in text why you give yourself this score: Formal education: Management degree Life experience: Volunteering in a foreign country, experience abroad Work experience: Pervious experiences as manager, Marketing experience Personal qualities: Communication skills and respect Application areas: Charities, Advice, Advocacy, Children, Fundraising, Human rights, International, Marketing & PR, Conferences & events, Fundraising, Market research Methods: Socialising, networking to build internal and external relationships

Complete part 2:

Are certain skills more important than others? Did you agree on that? Work experience is very important as it can make the work easier to handle and process, Your personal qualities as communication skills, respect for the different cultures, teamwork and other can have a very big impact on the output

What would be the minimum type of experience needed? For sure experience in bran marketing to deliver and clear view of UNICEF. Developing and rolling-out out brand strategies, motivating people. Experience in leadership.

Compare own skills: In my skills I mentioned that I’m social and can hold a conversation with people easily and think this is important for this job PutoKilian: Formal education: I don’t have any degree, just one semester of IBM and basic knowledge about marketing and management. Life experience: I lived in 3 totally different countries (culturally and economically) Spain, Chile, Belgium Personal qualities: I have respect and social skills Work experience: I worked in different enviroments, in small jobs, not in something related with marketing or management

Tip: You can use this wheel again when wanting to weigh in professional development opportunities and job applications. It will allow you to see in which areas you can work on your intercultural development and which jobs will help you develop new expertise. Don’t throw this sheet away if you are an IBM student. You will need to produce a CV for your internship application in Year 2/3 too.

Step 3: Visualize step 1 and 2 in the wheel of intercultural skills In the template you find an empty wheel of intercultural skills. You can print the wheel, add all the information, then scan it or take a picture of it and include the .jpg in the template. See the end of the template.

Part 2: Skills for an intercultural job (In-class group activity) Each group will receive a job ad that asks for intercultural skills and/or requires a person to work with individuals from other cultures. The group will need to look at the job advertisement, map what types of experiences, qualifications, traits and expertise would be needed to prepare someone for this role. Answer the following questions: 1. As you mapped these skills, were there some that the group believes are more important for this role than others? Was there agreement in the group? What were the differences? 2. What would be the minimum type of experience needed in each of the ‘cultural wheel’ areas for the role/job to qualify someone to apply for this position? Write down what you learnt from the job ad and anything else the group thinks is needed to do this intercultural job well.

Part 3: Comparison of your own current skills inventory with the job requirements (In-class individual activity) Compare the skills profile of this intercultural job with your own current skills inventory. 1. How does this list of needed skills compare to your own skills in current skills inventory? What similarities and differences do you notice between your current skills and this ‘job profile’

Part 4: Action plan (In-class group activity) Step 1: Brainstorm

Spend a few minutes brainstorming all the ways you and your classmates can further develop in each area. Write down your ideas for each area of the wheel (in bullets). Be creative. Consider traditional and unconventional ways in which you can develop skills.

Step 2: Evaluate Now return to your list of brainstormed development opportunities. Ask yourself: 1. Which of these will help me advance the most in the field? (Mark them with a star ) 2. Which of these can I realistically act on within the next 5 years? (Mark them with a check mark √.)

Step 3: Make an action plan Make an action plan for your development in intercultural competences within the next 3 years. Write down what you will do (in bullets). Don’t give general statements but concrete, practical steps.

Template Part 1: current intercultural skills 1) Write down (in text) the intercultural experiences you have had that contribute to your expertise in the following areas: Formal education: Life experience: Work experience (if any): Personal qualities: Application areas: Methods skills:

2) Rate your current skills level in each of the 6 areas and explain why you give yourself this score (in text). Formal education: Life experience: Work experience: Personal qualities: Application areas: Methods skills:

3) Visualize step 1 and 2 in the wheel of intercultural skills. (You can print the wheel, add all the information, then scan it or take a picture of it and include the .jpg below. See the end of the template)

Part 2: Skill requirements for an international job (In-class activity) See above

Part 3: Comparison of your own current skills inventory with the job requirements (In-class activity) See above

Part 4: Create an action plan

1) Brainstorm: write down your ideas for each area of the wheel (in bullets). Formal education: Life experience: Work experience: Personal qualities: Application areas: Methods skills:

2) Evaluate: return to your list of brainstormed development opportunities and evaluate them. Copy them and ask yourself: Which of these will help me advance the most in the field? (Mark them with a star ) Which of these can I realistically act on within the next 5 years? (Mark them with a check mark √.) Formal education: Life experience: Work experience: Personal qualities: Application areas: Methods skills: 3) Action plan: make an action plan for your development in intercultural competencies within the next 3 years. Write down what you will do (in bullets). Don’t give general statements but concrete, practical steps....