A team from the Clingendael Academy just returned from the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA), Montenegro, after successfully implementing a three day highly intensive seminar on effective communication in different cultural environments.

The seminar aimed to create a shared understanding of how cultural differences impact upon communications between administrations in the region and with the EU. Therefore it commenced with defining culture, exploring different cultural classification systems and dimensions. Then it proceeded with exploring the impact of those different cultural elements on:

-Effective communication;
-Lobbying;
-Negotiations.

The highly intensive nature of the seminar is reflected by the fact that participants had many opportunities to practice their skills in different simulations and case studies. Acknowledging that not all participants  wanted to divulge their own cultural or communication characteristics, the trainers provided a range of self-assessment exercises enabling participants to better understand their own approaches and areas of potential focus for development both within the program and upon their return to their workplace. Participants had the opportunity to discuss the results from the self-assessment individually with the trainers. The seminar assisted participants in further developing their professional skill set and personal competencies and enabled them to be key change agents in inter-cultural communications in their own office environment.

The Clingendael team existed of Wilbur Perlot, Tony Bass and Siniša Vuković.