5 Helpful Tips for International People Skills Month
The month of June is “International People Skills Month” (also recognized by some during the month of September). But seriously, good people skills should be practiced year round, whether greeting a foreign guest in your homeland or while traveling to another country.
Domestic people skills are easier to master since you’ve grown up with them and continue to encounter them on a daily basis. But what kind of manners do you exercise when you encounter a person from a different culture?
Whether you are traveling to a foreign location or if a foreign person is visiting your turf, consider the following tips.
- Respect other cultures. – Step out of your comfort zone to gain fresh knowledge, meet new people and learn other cultures.
- Do your homework. – Before traveling internationally or engaging in conversation with a foreign guest, develop cultural intelligence by learning some of their culture and customs.
- Learn the language. – If you are visiting another country, learn at least a little of their language before your trip.
- Be on your “guest” behavior. – In someone else’s country, behave like a guest. If a foreign person is visiting your country, treat them as a guest.
- Be humble and humorous. – Every culture is different, so maintain humility and humor and hopefully any faux pas you make will be forgiven relatively quickly.
