Bilans d’évènement
Multicultural Leadership Skills: FKCCI's HRD Training Thursday Empowers Global Leaders in Korea
On April 10th, the FKCCI hosted its inaugural HRD training seminar of 2025, in collaboration with the KGCCI (Korean German Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and the Austcham (Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea). Over 20 global business managers with diverse experience in Korea came together to explore effective communication strategies with multicultural teams, under the theme “How to Lead and Steer Korean Teams within a Multinational.” The event attracted a larger audience than previous years, highlighting a growing interest in intercultural management.
The seminar was conducted by Mr. Simon Bureau, CEO of Vectis, a seasoned coach with 35 years of international business and development experience, including two decades in Korea. Mr. Bureau shared valuable insights on cross-cultural differences and leadership styles, helping expatriate managers gain a better understanding of their Korean teams and implement practical strategies in their workplaces.
The seminar focused on the common challenges expatriate managers face when leading Korean teams, especially the lack of two-way communication in the workplace. Through a cross-cultural lens, the session explored the reasons behind silence in Korean corporate culture such as fear of judgment, loss of face, and respect for hierarchy, while contrasting Western approaches of communication and leadership.
Participants learned how high-context cultural norms in Korea influence team dynamics, and how concepts like 눈치 noonchi (emotional intelligence) and 이심전심 eshimjeonshim (nonverbal communication) are key to navigating conversations. The training also addressed the growing gap between generations, particularly how the “MZ generation” (Millennials + Gen Z) is reshaping expectations around leadership, communication, and work-life balance.
Finally, practical techniques were shared to build psychological safety, foster trust, and encourage feedback, from adjusting meeting formats and using one-on-one conversations to shifting from feedback to “feedforward.”
Participants highly valued the open discussion format, which allowed for real-world examples and peer learning. They also found the tips on running productive team meetings particularly useful and gained a deeper understanding of their Korean teams by seeing things from their perspective.
