Ewa Ginalska – certified trainer and management consultant, project manager, author of publications on management and consulting, guest of industry conferences and long-term university lecturer, associated with business since 2001. It operates on the Polish and Scandinavian market. Currently, it connects the markets – Polish and Danish, training and advising on how to cooperate effectively despite intercultural differences. During her trainings, she explains in a clear and concise way the intricacies of intercultural differences using examples from her own professional experience and everyday life in Denmark and Poland. As a business practitioner and experienced trainer, he efficiently copes with challenges in the training room, training Participants at various levels of competence, both in Polish and in English. He works with Polish and Danish companies. He has implemented and upgraded organizational changes, hundreds of trainings and many thousands of hours of consulting.

Objectives

• awareness of how to build effective collaboration through cross-cultural differences,
and not only despite differences
• building Participants’ self-confidence in business situations with Danes (presentations, meetings, e-mails, etc.)
• identification and awareness of intercultural similarities and differences and how to use them to build understanding and effective cooperation
• learning the facts and myths about Danish culture crucial for the work with Danes

Methodology

Mini-lectures and presentations, games and drills, discussions, case stories including
the Participants’ case stories

Merit agenda

1. Introduction – to understand a culture, you need to know its context:
• model of culture and intercultural differences
• cultural relativism
• The Kingdom of Denmark – myths and facts
• key concepts relating to Danish culture.

2. Scandinavian Culture as a Viking Legacy.
“Noble Vikings Virtues” as a key to understanding cross-cultural differences.
Denmark vs. Poland – similarities and differences

3. A self-portrait of Danes:
• Jantelov as the foundation for modern society
• fælleskabe and “vi er danskerne”
• hygge & lykke
• Danish sense of humour.

4. Every Dane has their own Málaga and … Århus
• searching for new experiences and inspirations
• Denmark as the happiest country in the world and the best place to live?

5. How Danes see other cultures:
• knowing and classifying other cultures
• immigration policy of the Kingdom of Denmark
• how Danish media show other cultures
• Danish language as a bastion of culture and beyond.

6. Danish language vs. Danish people’s manner and way of expressing themselves in English.
Most common challenges (compliments, e-mail correspondence, feedback, etc.)

7. Polish People through the Danish lens – ”more American than Americans”
• stereotypes, myths
• ”invisible” immigrants and subject experts
• what Danes like about Polish people
• Danish language as a vehicle of experience at the crossroads of the Polish and Danish culture

8. Most common mistakes made by Polish people when communicating and collaborating
with Danes:
• Polish and Danish perspective.

9. “Danske arbajdsmarked uskreven regel” – unwritten rules of work in Denmark.
10. Danish work culture:
• transparency vs. business priorities
• planning as a national trait
• modesty and self-confidence
• problems, emotions and confrontational approach.

11. How to draw the attention and win the sympathy of a Danish speaker.
• small talk
• common courtesy
• attentiveness.

12. Danish style of conducting presentations, business meetings and discussions.

13. Danish boss (male or female) – how to build trust and partnership-based relationship?
• perceiving roles: manager – subordinate
• what to say and do and what to avoid
• how to build one’s personal brand
• how to cooperate within a team.

14. Dimensions of Danish and Polish cultures. Post-workshop comparative perspective.

15. Final conclusions.

16. Training summary.