You have all heard of business consultants, right? They are the ones you engage with to assess the weaknesses in your company, and use their experience and expertise in marketing, HR, management and finance to make improvements and hopefully create more success. But have you heard of a cultural consultant?
It may seem like a glorified name for a tour guide, but this is not the case. A cultural consultant takes a company, an individual, or an official, and guides them through the cultural setting they are interested in. This doesn’t mean taking clients to the most popular tourist destinations, or the most fancy bars and restaurants, although that may be included.
In order to make informed and successful decisions, it is important that investors and officials feel and understand fully the society they will be investing or working within. Often, when investors reach their destination they are driven to their exclusive hotel, to their investment proposition, back to the hotel and then out of the country again. Even if there is a chance to visit some of the tourist sites, this does not give much of a chance to learn and feel what makes the society tick.
Your consultant must have an intimate understanding of the variety of cultures that permeate through the society. That doesn’t just mean an understanding of business, it means understanding rural and urban life, from the market stalls to the political class and beyond. It is understanding society as fully as possible that enables you to make the right decision.
A cultural consultant enables their client to get a feel for the society in the shortest possible time, by enabling interaction with as many elements of society as possible, and facilitating experiences within “ordinary life”. But this is not the only benefit of having a cultural consultant with you on your business trip to Africa. Polley Consulting will assist with all aspects of your trip. This includes sitting in on meetings, facilitating dialogue, and enabling comprehension of nuanced language and body language.
There are many missed investment opportunities within Africa simply because a trusted partner on the ground was not available for whatever reason. Polley Consulting offers a cultural bridge, so you can be assured that the decision you are making is best for you. We will advise you on your investment proposition and partners, and give your recommendations as to whether to go forward with your plans or not.
If you are interested in learning more about Ghana, cultural consultancy and how it may benefit you, get in contact via email on