CAREER ADVICE. Cont'd.

THE KEY COMPONENTS

Respect for other people and cultures is critical if businesses are to flourish in the global marketplace. Anything less puts interactions at risk of seeming insincere, condescending and manipulatory. Executives who approach their international counterparts as equals, and expend the effort to learn all they can about their cultures, will find the commitment pays off in more comfortable and profitable business relationships.

GLOBETROTTING ESSENTIALS

These tools will help boost confidence, whether traveling or hosting:

* Contact the Embassy for the country to which you are traveling. For addressees and phone numbers, call the country's embassy in Washington, D.C. Available on The Internet

* ECHO: EuroDicautom. The EuroDicautom is a translating dictionary. Type in a word in one language and it will automatically be translated into another language. A product of the European Union, it translates between European languages. Access: http//www.unifrankfurt.de/~felix/eurodictautom.html

* Calendar Creator. This Web page will prepare a year-long calendar for a selected country and year. The program is based in Norway and uses Java(TM) technology for information transmission. Access: http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~steffent/applets/calendar/

* Local Times around The World. This provides a listing of the standard local times for the world's countries and islands. Access: http://www.aud.net/times/

* Maps and Information. This web site provides maps, yellow pages, weather and a concierge approach to many cities worldwide. Access: http://www.vtourist.com/vt/

BOOKS. IMPORTANT REFERENCES:

* Do's and Taboos of Hosting International Visitors, Roger E. Axtell
* Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How To Do Business in 60 Countries, Wayne A. Conaway
* Multicultural Manners: New Roles Etiquette for a Changing Society, Norine Dresser
* Going International: How To Make Friends and Deal Effectively in The Global Marketplace, Lennie Copeland, Lewis Griggs
* The International Book of World Etiquette, Protocol and Refined Manners, Jean-Maximillien de Lafayette
* International Business Etiquette and Protocol: For Entrepreneurs and Managers, Livia Fysher

The most universal quality is diversity. Montaigne, 1580

Ronna Archbold consults on Business and Sales Protocol and is a sales specialist for EBSCO Publishing. Mary Harmon is associate editor of The Five O'Clock News.(c) Copyright 1999 The Five O'Clock Club. All rights reserved. You may print a copy of this article for your personal viewing. However, no other use of this article is allowed without prior written permission of the copyright holder.Publication source: This article was published with permission of the copyright holder at the Internet Career Connection (www.iccweb.com) website. E-mail: info@fiveoclockclub.com