How can short-term assignees and business travellers build cultural intelligence?

Recently I attended a global mobility event focusing on short-term assignments. 

The range of issues that mobility and IHR professionals need to be watching for in this area is considerable.  The migration issues, the tax implications, the policy and package options are varied and do not necessarily align.  A short-term assignment, as defined by the tax office in Australia, may be quite different to the definitions in other tax jurisdictions, and different again to the migration law definition.  All are potential headaches for the global mobility function.

One of the powerful implications from the data presented by the guest speaker, Deborah de Cerff, was the increasing popularity of these assignments.  Short-term policies for the first time headed the list of the most commonly used policy types. 

This has been reflected in my work over the past year as I’ve delivered a growing number of cultural training sessions for people who are on short-term assignments or frequent business travellers. 

The challenges of learning about the culture, managing responses and adapting are often greater for these assignees.  The time span is short and often the workload while in-country is greater, leaving little opportunity for contact with the broader community and exploring of the country beyond the workplace and home-base.  Many probably receive little or no training as they may be determined not to need it due to the short length of the assignment.

We all know how wrong that can be.  Those in country for a short time are just as likely to miscommunicate, make incorrect assumptions and offend as those who arrive for a long-term assignment. 

So what can these travellers do to increase their skills? 

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