ctivnan
02/24/09, 02:21 PM
:Fish Smiley 6068:Presentations :Fish Smiley 6068:
Critical Incident
Read the following text and think about what might be happening here. Then read our comments.
The US presenter was struggling with his international audience. He complained afterwards that they were “like zombies.” German colleagues found the presentation entertaining but lacking in detail. When it was time for the German to speak, the Americans found it boring. A British speaker started his presentation by saying, “I don’t know why they invited me – I’m only just beginning to get into the topic.” The audience looked puzzled, as they had been told that they would be hearing a talk by a leading expert in the field.
____________
Comments
1. Presentation style vary across cultures:
- Presenters from the United States often like to stress the “big picture” before going into detail, and appreciate interaction with the audience.
- More detailed presentations from low-context cultures can seem dull to people who want to be convinced by the main point before going into depth.
- The self-deprecating understatement of the British speaker can easily be misunderstood by people from outside the UK.
2. Most aspects of communication style need to be considered when speaking to international audiences. Be aware of the effect of your gestures and body language might have on the audience; bear in mind that cultures that are more person-oriented will often appreciate being involved more in the presentation; make sure even technical presentations include pictures of people (such as members of your team).
3. When thinking about what to stress, bear in mind that attitudes to the relative importance of past, present, and future differ. While future-oriented cultures (typically the United States) may stress the potentials benefits to the customer of a product, those with a stronger past orientation may seek to gain credibility by focusing on past achievements (typically in some presentations from India and China).
4. Speakers from countries with high uncertainty avoidance (e.g. Germany) may feel uneasy about being interrupted during their presentation and prefer to take questions afterwards, while those with a lower uncertainty avoidance may welcome the unexpected.
5. For high-power distance cultures, such as China, who is at the presentation may be more important than what they say. A sign of the importance of the presentation might be how high up the presenters are in the hierarchy.
TIP:
Know as much as possible about your topic but also try to find out as much ass you can about your audience and the presentation style that is best for them.
Related Post: Cultural Dimensions (http://english-coffee.com/showthread.php?t=5979)
Source: Business Spotlight The Essential Series: Successful Intercultural Communication, 2008 by Robert Gibson
Critical Incident
Read the following text and think about what might be happening here. Then read our comments.
The US presenter was struggling with his international audience. He complained afterwards that they were “like zombies.” German colleagues found the presentation entertaining but lacking in detail. When it was time for the German to speak, the Americans found it boring. A British speaker started his presentation by saying, “I don’t know why they invited me – I’m only just beginning to get into the topic.” The audience looked puzzled, as they had been told that they would be hearing a talk by a leading expert in the field.
____________
Comments
1. Presentation style vary across cultures:
- Presenters from the United States often like to stress the “big picture” before going into detail, and appreciate interaction with the audience.
- More detailed presentations from low-context cultures can seem dull to people who want to be convinced by the main point before going into depth.
- The self-deprecating understatement of the British speaker can easily be misunderstood by people from outside the UK.
2. Most aspects of communication style need to be considered when speaking to international audiences. Be aware of the effect of your gestures and body language might have on the audience; bear in mind that cultures that are more person-oriented will often appreciate being involved more in the presentation; make sure even technical presentations include pictures of people (such as members of your team).
3. When thinking about what to stress, bear in mind that attitudes to the relative importance of past, present, and future differ. While future-oriented cultures (typically the United States) may stress the potentials benefits to the customer of a product, those with a stronger past orientation may seek to gain credibility by focusing on past achievements (typically in some presentations from India and China).
4. Speakers from countries with high uncertainty avoidance (e.g. Germany) may feel uneasy about being interrupted during their presentation and prefer to take questions afterwards, while those with a lower uncertainty avoidance may welcome the unexpected.
5. For high-power distance cultures, such as China, who is at the presentation may be more important than what they say. A sign of the importance of the presentation might be how high up the presenters are in the hierarchy.
TIP:
Know as much as possible about your topic but also try to find out as much ass you can about your audience and the presentation style that is best for them.
Related Post: Cultural Dimensions (http://english-coffee.com/showthread.php?t=5979)
Source: Business Spotlight The Essential Series: Successful Intercultural Communication, 2008 by Robert Gibson