50 Activities for Achieving Cultural Competence

Whattimeisit?

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Reproducedfrom50ActivitiesforAchievingCulturalCompetence,byJonamayLambert,

SelmaMyers,andGeorgeSimons,editors.Amherst,MA:HRDPress,2000,2008

[Handout3]

U.S. Manager

Group Assignment Instructions

The purpose of this activity is to contrast cultural differences related to time. To demonstrate

this, you are to keep your group on task. Once the facilitator calls time, you are to stop your

group from working, regardless of whether or not you have completed the task.

Solutions International is going to bid on a large international contract. It requires input from the

U.S. and South American marketing groups. Your group has one week to prepare a proposal.

You have been assigned to keep your group on task. In your culture, time is monochronic (time

is very important, punctuality is expected). Your group knows that this proposal is important and

that task schedules need to be met.

Your group has finished on time and the South American group has not. In fact, they refuse to

stop after time has been called. Complain to the facilitator that time is of the essence and that

your group needs the South American proposal to meet Solutions International’s time frame.

Whattimeisit?



Reproducedfrom50ActivitiesforAchievingCulturalCompetence,byJonamayLambert,

SelmaMyers,andGeorgeSimons,editors.Amherst,MA:HRDPress,2000,2008

[Handout4]

Timely Thoughts

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Timeisup.

Theclockisrunning.

Timeismoney.

Watchtheclock.

You’rewastingtime.

Timeisprecious.

You’reonmytime.

Timeislimited.

You’reoutoftime.

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Timeisariver.

Timelessness.

Wehaveallthetimeintheworld.

Takeyourtime.

Timehealsallwounds.

Mañana

Timeisonmyside.

There’salwa

ystomorrow.

Theclockstoodstill.