All Around the World: Becoming a Top Cross-Cultural Training Specialist

Cross-cultural training is a rapidly-expanding field. Companies and organizations sending employees abroad need help to prepare their executives for cultural differences in the international business environment which can derail positive working situations.

So, what does it take to be a leader in this exciting field? I recently spoke with Peter Fordos, an intercultural expert who develops global leadership programs and designs cross-cultural trainings, to find out.

Peter says it was by sheer coincidence that he got involved in the cross-cultural training profession. Born in Czechoslovakia to a Hungarian family, in a region characterized by a mixture of ethnic groups under Communist control, he interacted with various cultures. This allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of different cultural points of view, and to understand that much could be done to make relations between different groups smoother.

After spending time in various Central and Eastern European countries, Peter moved to the United Kingdom to study, then worked for several years on a cruise ship. This gave him the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world and to learn firsthand what kinds of misunderstandings often arise when foreigners come in contact with one another.

After moving to the United States and taking a class in cross-cultural training, a light went on and Peter realized his life experiences had perfectly prepared him for this vocation.  Over the past decade, Peter has consulted for Fortune 500 companies including Nestle, GM, Honeywell, Dell, Valero, 3M, and Audi, as well as trained the US Navy Seals.

Most of us don't have backgrounds nearly as fascinating as Peter's. Fortunately, you don't have to have lived on several continents, visited more than 50 countries and/or speak five languages to successfully collaborate with individuals from other cultures. However, you do need specialized training if you are to make the most of an international opportunity.

Peter explains that the growing interconnection between individuals all over the world continues to increase the need for this type of training. As Peter says, "Today, there are more people traveling and relocating than ever before. You can't stop globalization."