Our Services.
Specific to Reviewing Sister City Relationships
- Stakeholder engagement
- Analysis of past performance against best practice benchmarks and stakeholder expectations
- Analysis of past performance against Council’s current and future direction (e.g. economic development strategy)
- Frameworks for identifying, assessing, prioritising and resourcing new sister city opportunities
- Recommendations to resource and fully leverage sister city relationships
Related services
- International Diplomacy Coaching for government officials and business leaders who plan, host and attend international delegations & trade missions
- Country-specific protocols and etiquette
- Intercultural Coaching for staff on international postings or assignments
- Intercultural Coaching & Advice: Cross-Cultural Business Essentials for International Trade & Investment
- Cultural Awareness Scorecards / Checklists
About.
Craig Shim
Queensland’s only qualified intercultural business consultant providing specialised advice on international diplomacy.
- Over two decades of global experience
- 14 years based in Asia
- Director of Alphacrane Intercultural Specialists – an Australian, Queensland-based consultancy specialising in cross-cultural business and communication skills
- Consults to foreign diplomats as well as government agencies at the Federal, State and Local levels
- International diplomacy coaching for government officials
- Intercultural business coaching for executives on international postings or assignments
- Review of Sister City Relationships
- Provides specialist cross-cultural advice on business negotiations
- Advisor to government officials, business owners and executives of global corporations
- Speaking Engagements on cross-cultural negotiations: Food Leaders Australia, Regional Development Australia (RDA), Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)
- Intercultural Business Coach to corporate clients: Air New Zealand, Boeing, BP, Nike, PepsiCo, Mastercard. Caterpillar, Biogen Swiss etc
Country-specific insights on:
- Local business mindset
- Local business etiquette & protocols
- Cultural attitudes and behaviours
- Relationship building
- When to speak, when to be silent, and how to interpret non-verbal cues
- Using translators
- Pitching
- Negotiating
- Accepting and rejecting invitations
- Navigating cultural minefields of International Trade
- Managing Virtual and Global Teams
- Cross-Cultural Customer Service
- Organising and Hosting International Delegations
- Decision-making
- Leading & handling change
- Air New Zealand, Boeing, BP, Nike, PepsiCo, Mastercard. Caterpillar, Biogen Swiss etc
- Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning (Hons), University of Queensland
- Certified Intercultural Coach, Cartus Intercultural Academy
- Qualified Facilitator, Cross-Cultural Negotiations, TACK International
- Qualified Problem Based Learning Facilitator, RVi Institute / Singapore Republic Polytechnic
- Qualified Professional Training Consultant, RVi Institute
- Co-Founder of Project Global Citizen, a cultural competency accelerator program for international students
- Executive Committee Member and Chairperson, Cultural Inclusiveness Committee, Hills & Districts Chamber of Commerce
- Committee Member, gen[in], a Queensland Government-sponsored initiative to build the entrepreneurial mindset and skills of international and globally-minded young people
- Alumni Member, Queensland Leaders
- Member, Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism (MBRIT)
- Member, SIETAR Australasia (The Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research)
Risk.
Do These Risks Apply to You?
Through my experience leveraging sister city relationships, I’ve observed five key risks.
Do any of these risk indicators apply to you? If so, let’s chat.
Misaligned cultural expectations between:
- existing sister city partners
- owner of the sister city relationship (e.g. local government) and its community
- prospective sister city partners
- Artificial harmony and diplomacy
- Lack of tangible outcomes that align with current and future strategy (e.g. the city’s economic development strategy)
At best, we superficially read underlying issues, motives, interest and positions. At worst, the relationship deteriorates.
Miscommunication, erosion of credibility and lack of clarity around how tangible outcomes can be achieved
Missed opportunity to fulfil unmet needs or even reach future agreement
About Alphacrane Intercultural Specialists.
We are an Australian, Queensland-based consultancy specialising in cross-cultural business and communication skills.
Our mission is to help our clients apply Cultural Intelligence (CQ) as an essential business tool for addressing barriers to peak business performance.
Our consultancy services include intercultural business coaching, training and advice.
Our offering specific to reviewing sister city relationships includes:
- Stakeholder engagement
- Analysis of past performance against best practice benchmarks and stakeholder expectations
- Analysis of past performance against Council’s current and future direction (e.g. economic development strategy)
- Frameworks for identifying, assessing, prioritising and resourcing new sister city opportunities
- Recommendations to resource and fully leverage sister city relationships
Our clients are professionals who lead international teams, manage change for international Merger & Acquisitions, manage global mobility, conduct international trade and investment attraction, and who operate in international education, tourism, healthcare and other global industries.
Our international sister city clients:
- Local governments
We believe that Cultural Intelligence is often the missing link to peak business performance that organisations often overlook.
We focus on helping clients understand deep-rooted cross-cultural differences between business mindsets, communication styles, values and attitudes – all of which can make or break meaningful relationships and business deals.
Our signature Scenario-Based Learning methodology results in deeper and longer-lasting understanding among coaching and training participants as they delve into real-life challenges.