Risk, Rules, and Red Tape: Why Global Teams Move at Different Speeds

Course Overview

Risk, Rules, and Red Tape: Why Global Teams Move at Different Speeds is an intermediate-level course that helps professionals understand why timelines and decision-making can vary widely across global teams. This course explores how different cultures approach bureaucracy, risk tolerance, and trust - and how these differences impact the pace of collaboration.

Using real-world scenarios and a practical 'Respect and Redirect' framework, you'll learn how to work within formal processes without getting stuck in them. Whether you're navigating approvals in rule-oriented cultures or building trust in relationship-based ones, this course gives you the tools to reduce friction, avoid delays, and keep your projects moving forward.

Learning Objectives:

By completing this course, you will:

• Distinguish between rule-oriented and relationship-oriented cultural norms
• Apply the 'Respect and Redirect' strategy to handle bureaucratic delays
• Identify respectful ways to suggest process improvements across cultures
• Develop solutions that balance urgency with cultural expectations

Target Audience

Anyone with English Level Advanced Intermediate (B2) - Nearly Native (C2)