A joyous and prosperous Lunar New Year to you! In this issue, we bring you a wealth of ideas and events to start you on a high note:
 

•	‘Do Not Miss!’ – According to today’s Business Times, 55% of Asia-Pacific CEOs surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) cited China as their preferred country to do business and 75% plan to enter the China market in the next three years.
	While there is no guaranteed formula for business success in China, you can learn to avoid the costly blunders of others by honing your cultural competence. Join us for this 2-hour Workshop on ‘Meeting Cultural Challenges of Doing Business in China’ specifically designed by our Chinese-American cross-cultural communication expert for busy professionals and business-people.
•	‘Our Expert Speaks’ – In Part 1 of his article on ‘Islamic Banking and Finance in South East Asia’, Dr Angelo Vernados discussed the fundamental tenets of Islamic banking. In Part 2, he brings us up-to-date on the developments in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore as well as explores the issues and challenges in the way of the growth and future of Islamic banking and finance.
•	‘Food for Thought’ – Culture is a complex concept, with many different definitions. It is central to what we see, how we make sense of what we see, and how we express ourselves and hence is often at the root of communication challenges. Even our cross-cultural communication expert has encountered these challenges. Hear her personal anecdotes on how she grappled with Western culture when she first moved to England as part of the pioneer batch of university scholarship students sent by the Chinese Government to study in the UK after the Cultural Revolution.
•	‘In a Nutshell’ – To many, burnout is the result of the pressures and pace of modern society and the incessant juggling of work and personal commitments. Yet, experts say burnout is not caused by our external circumstances but by how we choose to respond to them. Dr Benefiel shares 4 ways not just to avoid burnout but also to bring spirituality into our workplace.
•	‘What’s the Buzz?’ – For anyone who wants to negotiate more effectively, our foundational workshop ‘Negotiating for Success’ returns. Facilitated by experienced negotiators and trainers from Global Resolutions, this full-day workshop features their unique ‘Global Negotiation Method’ which combines the Harvard Negotiation Method with the Asian values such as ‘face’ and ‘guan xi’.

An exclusive deal for Intellitrainer readers!

Islamic Banking and Finance in South East Asia (Part 2) – Its Development and Future

At present, Islamic financial markets are highly segmented and differ considerably between nations. This has arisen out of divergent interpretations of the Shari’ah, differing domestic legal systems, and recourse to different financial instruments. However, globalisation is bringing about standardisation of financial products ... [read more]

Dr Angelo Venardos
Executive Director & Founder, Heritage Trust Group

Enjoyed our article ‘Islamic Banking and Finance in South East Asia’? Order the author’s book HERE!

The Trouble I Got with “Thank You”!

When we talk about learning Chinese, what often pops up in our heads is a long list of arduous tasks to conquer – the sound system, the tonal variations, the endless vocabularies, the symbols of sinogram, the complex grammar and the list can go on. What often slips out of this list is the crucial cultural aspect inherent in Chinese as in any other languages ... [read more]

Meeting Cultural Challenges of Doing Business in China

17 Feb 2006, 4-6pm, Intellitrain Pte Ltd, Singapore

Our Chinese-American expert in cross-cultural communication shares invaluable pointers and lessons, drawing upon her experiences as one of the first university scholarship students sent by the Chinese Government to study in the UK after the Cultural Revolution and from having lived in Europe and the USA for nearly 20 years.

This Workshop marries both theoretical cultural considerations with specific critical success factors of doing business in China, especially in dealing with the government, business environment, general public, management issues, employees and customers). Leave with practical strategies you can immediately apply to bring your business and other relationships in China to the next level. Limited to 30 places, so register early!
 

In today’s 24/7 business environment, burnout is a major problem among business executives. How much time and money is your company losing because of executive burnout? Do you know you can avoid burnout in your staff--and reap higher profits? Here are four things you can do this week to avoid business burnout now and in the future ... [read more]

Register for this event now!