Intercultural communication teamwork and leadership/Communicating across difference/Video signpost: US peace corps
View video – US Peace Corps: Cultural Gaffes Beyond Your Borders [8:15 min.] This video illustrates how easy it can be to miscommunicate or offend people in intercultural communication when you are unprepared. To increase your cultural intelligence, learn as much as you can by reading, talking with people from diverse cultures, and maintaining awareness of how your communication is affecting others. As you view this video, remember there is a great deal of diversity within cultures, and the communication role-play examples given do not represent everyone, or even a majority of people in any of the countries discussed. Note that this video was made over five years ago. Do you think any cultural patterns shown are inaccurate or significantly changed since then, and if so, in what ways?
Read – Anne Fisher’s 2011 brief article in Fortune “Should you take an overseas job?”, Fisher affirms that international experience can be a career booster – if you consider your opportunities thoughtfully. She offers advice on assessment of personal strengths and weaknesses, career goals, and expatriate employment contracts before you decide to pack your belongings and go.
