Negotiating Effectively Between Cultures Part 1 - April 2015

Magician
&
Illusionist

March
2010

Jon Lavelle
International and cross-cultural negotiation specialist

1
Ten years ago, when I first started
running workshops on the subject of
cultural awareness and negotiating
across cultures, I made a big
mistake.
I decided that it would be helpful to
put together a series of about 30
individual ‘cultural profiles’, one for
each of the countries that my
participants were most likely to need
to interact with and negotiate. I did
most of my research from books and
the Internet.
I will never make that mistake again.
But why did my good intention
backfire?
Because, the Internet is both a great
source of information, and at the
same time, an abundant and
unlimited source of cultural
misinformation, half-truths and
misdirection. It also quickly becomes
out of date because cultures are
evolving and changing fast as the
world increasingly globalises. If you
do your research through books and
the Internet then please view what
you read through a critical lens.
2
Secondly, some commentators and
observers extrapolate a few
experiences into broad and unhelpful
generalisations that can mislead you
into making your own false
assumptions, sending you into a
minefield littered with stereotypes,
misinterpretations, traps and cultural
gaffes.
Finally, there is no such thing as a
trait that applies to all people from a
defined nation, country, region etc, as
we will discover when we explore the
multiple sub-dimensions of culture
below.
With such a vast, fascinating, complex
and rapidly evolving subject area
where do we start?
Well, if you are serious about
negotiating across cultures, or if more
broadly you simply have to work with
people from cultures different from
your own, even if they are sitting in
the same office as you, then the
subject is too important to neglect
and we have to start somewhere.
3
In part 1 of this 2-part article I have
endeavoured to distil some best
practice principles for working and
negotiating across cultures to help
you to succeed.
As mentioned above, I will not be
attempting to describe the
‘characteristics’ of different cultures.
Instead, I will bring together some of
the best thinking and ideas of
respected researchers, writers and
practitioners in the field, and I will
pepper this with some of my own
experiences of working and
negotiating internationally for more
than 25 years.
In part 2 we will explore 19 important
cultural sub-dimensions.
I trust you will find this subject as
fascinating as I do.
9

The Professional Negotiator

April 2015

Big
mistake

Current thinking, principles and practice in negotiating internationally

Fascinating,
complex
&

constantly
evolving

Negotiating

Effectively

Between

Cultures

Part 1 of 2

© Blue Ice Consulting Ltd. - 2015

4
The focus of this article is not about
‘negotiation skills, tools and
techniques’ per se – for that you
should attend a negotiation skills
workshop - but rather how
negotiations are contextualised within
the far broader, deeper and complex
subject of culture, cultural diversity,
values, beliefs, attitudes,
expectations, and behaviours.
It is the ‘behaviours’ that we see on
the surface, in terms of rites, rituals,
statements, individual’s conduct and
actions, which in broad terms can be
summarised as… ‘the way things are
done around here’.
An excellent, and well-regarded
metaphor for thinking about this is
the ‘Cultural Iceberg’ model, first
described by Edward T. Hall in 1976,
(see diagram on the right).
On the surface, above the ‘water
line’, we see important cues and
clues to culture in, for example:
• Environment; e.g. how offices and
other buildings and spaces are
designed
• Physical proximity; how close
people like to be to one another in
business and social settings
• Emotional closeness; how ‘open’
people are with one another in
terms of what they say
• Dress sense and degree of
formality
• Thinking style and attitudes in
relation to things such as time,
rules and hierarchy
• Specific behaviours that perhaps
appear different or ‘alien’ to our
own
For example, in Japan we may
observe rituals such as bowing,
presentation of business cards,
deferring to a more senior person, or
a reluctance to speak out and state
categorical personal views in a public
setting. These are the things that we
see and hear on the ‘surface’, but
they have their origins at a far
deeper level.
5
In Japanese society it is generally
accepted that deference to hierarchy,
formality and saving face are very
important. These are just three
examples, there will be many more,
but for the purposes of illustration
we can already see how these deep-
seated values, beliefs and
expectations are reflected above the
surface in the rites and rituals that
are commonly observed.
Bowing shows respect, and the depth
of the bow correlates with the degree
of respect being conferred to the
other person and to the difference in
status and/or hierarchy.
Presenting business cards, and the
‘rules’ that are associated with this,
such as presenting the card with two
hands, holding it so the writing is the
correct way up for the recipient, the
meticulous reading of its contents,
the polite comment about some
aspect of job title or education, and
the care taken with where the card is
then placed, are all surface indicators
of the deeper Japanese culture.
In my role as an international
negotiation skills trainer, when
working in Japan, I have personally
witnessed such things. Most starkly,
I observed the surface behaviour of
members of a group of participants
6
being reluctant (or even unable) to
speak out and state their personal
views in front of others, particularly
more senior members of staff.
There are of course ways of tactfully,
professionally and effectively dealing
with such situations; however, that is
not the purpose of this article. My
message is that it is only by being
curious about such things that a
deeper understanding can surface as
to why people are behaving in the
way that they do.
When you understand the reasons
behind what you may initially perceive
as ‘strange’ behaviours (strange to
you), you place yourself in a far more
empowered position to react and
respond appropriately, and therefore
more effectively.


April 2015

Cultural
Iceberg
model

Surface
Things, rituals, statements
and behaviours...
the ‘what’ that we see
Mind
Values, attitudes, thinking and
expectations...
Deep Assumptions
Tradition, upbringing, national identity,
views of the world and beliefs
Water line
Cultural Iceberg - Edward T. Hall; 1976.

7
You can use the cultural iceberg
model to help you to understand how
a behaviour that you have observed
in a culture different from your own
translates to a deep assumption or
value. You can also use it the other
way around, bottom up, and choose a
deep assumption or value that you
think is generally applicable to a
certain culture, and work out how
that translates into behaviours that
you see on the surface.
The arrangement of office space,
furniture, doors and windows in
China, for example, is a surface
reflection of the deep beliefs in
patterns of Yin and Yang and the flow
of energies (Chi) that can have
positive or negative effects. Deep
values and beliefs of the role of men
and women in society feed through to
what we see on the surface in terms
of the division of labour in
organisations and the percentage of
women in leadership positions in
business.
When you can connect surface
behaviours with deeper beliefs,
values, attitudes and expectations
you are far closer to having a true
understanding of what is important to
that culture and why people behave
the way they do. You are also far less
likely to make inaccurate and
unhelpful assumptions, and so more
likely to become a better negotiator
as a result.
Stereotyping is crass, naive and
disrespectful. It only serves to reveal
you as an ignorant person who
badges people with unhelpful, and
probably wrong labels. Not all
‘Germans’ lack a sense of humour, for
example, not all Australian men are
chauvinistic, not all Americans are
loud mouths and not all Chinese
suffer from lactose intolerance.
You will notice from just these four
examples that in each case the
stereotype is of a negative nature i.e.
either undesirable or critical. Of
course positive stereotypes also exist,
8
however these can be equally
dangerous. Not everyone in Sweden
treats women as equals, not all
English people are polite, not all black
people are good at physical sports
and not all gay people are sensitive.
We also need to be aware of how we
can unconsciously use selective
perception and filter the information
we see around us. If we meet one
person who seems to fit a cultural
stereotype, it reinforces those ideas,
while we tend to ignore others in the
same group who do not fit the
stereotype, as well as people in
different groups that do fit that
stereotype.
So if we must avoid stereotyping,
what can we do? Do we simply
approach every cross-cultural
interaction or negotiation with a
totally blank sheet of paper and
maybe a blank mind?
No. There are some ‘generalisations’
that can be helpful. Generalisations
are based upon commonly agreed
characteristics and behaviours of a
culture. Generalisations give you a
starting point from which to explore
further. For example, most people
would agree that relationships and
family are important to Brazilians and
many people in the Middle East, most
Germans do have a strong respect for
punctuality, and Nordic states do
tend to place far more emphasis on
the importance and position of
women in society.
Stereotypes are overgeneralisations;
they are blunt and often involve
assuming a person has certain
characteristics based on unfounded
9
assumptions. Stereotypes lump
everyone together, labelling them all
with a characteristic that is given
little thought and which is not open
to debate. We typically stereotype
those whom we do not understand or
about whom we have no knowledge.
Stereotypes can easily lead to
prejudice and result in some forms of
discrimination.
Generalisations, however, are not set
in stone, and they do give us a good
place to start our curious exploration
from. If you are going to meet and
negotiate with a German business
person, for example, you would be
wise to start with the assumption that
structure, process and punctuality are
likely to be more important to this
individual than to a person from a
Greek island.
Horatio Falcao, Professor of Decision
Sciences at INSEAD, has some useful
insights to offer us on the subject of
inter-cultural negotiations, including
the danger of making assumptions,
and how a person can both
underestimate the dangers of cross-
cultural negotiation, and at the same
time over-estimate cross-cultural
negotiation.
How can this paradox of both
underestimating and overestimating
cross-cultural negotiations exist, at
the same time, and within the same
person?
11


April 2015

Perceptions,
filtering,

stereotyping
&

generalising

Underestimating
&

overestimating
culture


12
issues and opportunities, and so run
the risk of not making the best of
the negotiation with the
consequence that we both ‘leave
money on the table’. I try not to do
this.
On the same participant list I may
see people from cultures with which
I have not interacted very much, for
example Chile, South Korea,
Turkmenistan or Cuba. With these
other cultures I am likely to have
‘big eyes and big ears’; by which I
mean I am going to be ultra careful
that I pick up as many signals as
possible and pay attention to as
many details as I can. In this case,
paradoxically, I run less of a
negotiation risk as the anticipated
and actual differences make me
work harder at the table.
First, we have to ‘put aside the
flags’; or at least expand our
thinking about what we mean by
culture, by broadening and
deepening the definition of culture
beyond purely thinking about
national origin, and to include
multiple sub-dimensions.
10
How we underestimate the
importance of culture
When we fall into the trap of
stereotyping, or ‘lumping together’
people from a certain national
culture, disregarding the wide range
of cultural dimensions that go way
beyond just national culture, then we
are severely underestimating the
importance of culture.
To use one of Falcao’s examples,
when people say… “How do I
negotiate with the Chinese?” they
grossly underestimate the depth and
complexity of culture by simply
labelling a massive group of people,
or just one individual, as simply being
‘Chinese’.
Is there such a thing as a ‘typical
Chinese’ person?
Not if you dig deeper - and it does
not have to be that deep either. It
can simply be a case of considering
whether your counter-party is a
young Chinese person or a far older
one; did they grow up in the city or
the countryside; if the city, was it
somewhere like Beijing (the
administrative and government
centre of the country), or the far
more commercial environment of
Shanghai, are they male or female,
did they study abroad, have they
travelled or never left China, poor,
rich or part of the rapidly rising
middle classes?… the list goes on.
The point is that there are many
different cultures that go beyond just
being Chinese.
As professional negotiators we need
to be aware of the many sub-
elements of culture so that we can
stand a reasonable chance of
understanding how the person thinks
and communicates, and hence, to be
able to negotiate with and persuade
that person better.
If we don't take these sub-
dimensions of culture into account
then we are ‘underestimating’ the
role of culture in life, in business and
in cross-cultural negotiations.
Later in this article we will explore
many different sub-dimensions of
culture that go beyond life
experiences, upbringing, gender, age,
11
education, religion etc, but for now,
let’s take a look at how we can
paradoxically, at the same time as
underestimating the importance of
culture, we can also overestimate it.
How we overestimate the
importance of culture
An example of overestimating the
importance of culture is when you fall
into the trap of assuming too much
because you share a national culture
with another person.
In my own professional field I am
often faced with a mix of workshop
participants from a wide range of
cultures; sometimes I can have a
group of 12 people, each from a
different home country. If I were to
look down the list and spot someone
who also originates in and lives in the
UK, where I come from, then the
mistake I risk making is to
immediately jump to the conclusion
that we will be so alike, we will think
the same way, understand each
other and get on well. If I fall into
this trap I risk overestimating our
cultural proximity, making sweeping
assumptions, and in so doing I
underestimate the risk.
In terms of negotiating with this
person I may fail to think about,
mention and explore the full range of
12


April 2015

What
is
a
cross-‐cultural

negotiation?

Horatio Falcao, Professor of Decision Sciences at INSEAD


13
I live in the south of the UK, and even
though I inhabit a relatively small
island, I am different in many
respects to my follow UK residents.
For a start I only share the same
gender with 49% of the UK
population, and if you want to explore
cultural differences then just think
about the differences between how
men and women think and behave,
what is important to them and so
forth. I risk over-simplifying here, but
many readers will be able to identify
with this as a useful starting point – a
generalisation.
I am also 50, which poses certain
‘challenges’ when it comes to
negotiating with people from different
generations – most notably, with my
children or elderly parents. If you
think it’s difficult negotiating in
business then you only need to ask a
parent of young children which they
would find easier!
In terms of personality profile we are
all different. Admittedly, it is possible
to categorise people into certain
broad personality ‘types’, but even
then, the differences in thinking style,
communications preferences,
extroversion/introversion and
expectations about how quickly things
should happen can vary wildly; and
these are only four dimensions!
So, the point is we need to think
beyond the confines of national
identity and consider all of the sub-
dimensions of what it means to
negotiate across cultures.
We also need to approach every
encounter and negotiation as though
it is a cross-cultural negotiation.
Leading academics and researchers,
e.g. Geert Hofstede and Fons
Trompenaars, have attempted to
codify culture in terms of a number of
dimensions.
Their work has been widely quoted in
literature, business periodicals and is
often referred to as part of cross
cultural negotiation workshops and
business in general.
13


April 2015

14
However, the world is moving on,
and as cultures evolve we find
that it is not sufficient to simply
rely upon five, six or seven
cultural dimensions. Some of the
original research is now 40 years
old; some dimensions have
become less meaningful or
important and others have risen
to the surface. As an example, I
would cite ‘the treatment of
women in society’ as a very
important cultural dimension in
2015 that was not so prominent
in the work of cultural researchers
20-30 years ago.
We only have to look at the vast
differences in the way women are
regarded and treated in different
cultures across the world to see
that this is a cultural dimension
that refuses to be ignored. One
only has to watch or listen to the
news to uncover differences in
values, expectations, attitudes
and behaviours that are quite
literally poles apart.
In business there are many
examples of how women are
treated with less respect and
regard in some cultures. Even
when a visiting negotiating team
from another country, the
Netherlands or US for example, is
led by a woman, it is not
uncommon in some countries for
the host nation to continue to
primarily address the lower
ranking men in the room.
On a lighter note, what about the
cultural dimension about use of
personal space?
When preparing for your business
meeting or negotiation you may
15
not consider thinking about what
expectations your counter party
has with regards to what
constitutes an appropriate
personal distance between you.
However, you only have to break
this rule once to immediately get a
sense that ‘something is wrong’.
If you make the other person feel
uncomfortable by invading their
personal space (getting too close
to them and/or engaging in
unwelcome physical contact), or
conversely, creating too much
‘distance’ by standing or sitting
too far away for their comfort, or
by sub-consciously backing off
when they approach, then you
may have the best business
proposition on the planet yet still
not clinch the deal.
So, to ‘expand the pie’ in relation
to the range of cultural sub-
dimensions that are important in
cross-cultural negotiations,
consider the expanded model
overleaf.
The model does not pretend to be
fully inclusive. However it takes
findings from a wider range of
researchers in an attempt to
provide a more complete model to
work from in 2015 and beyond.
Most of these sub-dimensions of
culture are self-explanatory.
However, I have chosen the two
dimensions of ‘Control over the
environment vs. fatalism’, and
‘Explicit vs. implicit
communication’ to illustrate.
The remaining 19 sub-dimensions
are explored in part 2 of this
article.
What
are
the
sub-‐
dimensions
of
culture?

©Cyanide&Happiness

14


April 2015

16
Perceived control over the
environment vs. fatalism
Fatalism is a belief that events are
determined by fate. People who
subscribe to fatalism believe that
they have to accept the outcome
of events, and that they cannot do
anything that will change the
outcome, because events are
determined by something over
which they have no control – a
higher power, for example.
Cultures that tend to adopt a more
fatalistic view of the world include
those from the Middle East, India
and Pakistan. It is common in
Pakistan, for example, to believe
that a person's time of death is
fixed and cannot be avoided. This
can lead to the idea there is no
point taking steps to avoid death
because it will come at the
appointed time, no matter what
you do.
Cultural Dimensions – Jon Lavelle 2015

17
Fatalism can portray itself in
business and negotiations by
apparent apathy and/or
avoidance.
In the Middle East I have
personally struggled to hold career
advancement conversations with
individual managers because of
the prevalence of the belief in
“Insha’Allah”, which means "God
willing" or "if Allah wills".
This perceived lack of ability to
influence events even extended
further in a discussion when I
asked one gentleman if he would
apply for his boss’ job if it became
available. His response… “There’s
no point, his brother will get it
anyway!” which adds a further
cultural sub-dimension not
included in the model above,
about the degree of nepotism and
corruption in some societies.
In contrast, the North American
18
culture tends to believe that it is
possible to influence events, or
even if outcomes and results
cannot be changed, there still
exists the freedom to choose
how to respond, without being
compelled to react in a certain
way by forces beyond their
control.
I remember witnessing a North
American’s frustration when at
the end of day 1 of a lengthy
negotiation he said to his Saudi
counterpart… “OK let’s meet
again tomorrow at 9am”. The
response of “Insha’Allah” left him
wondering all night long if the
meeting would occur the next
day. It did happen, though it did
not start until 10:30, and of
course the negotiation was
interrupted periodically for
prayers and accompanying
ablution rituals.


April 2015

19
Explicit vs. implicit
communication
Implicit communication focuses on
the ambiguous areas of gestures,
vocal tones, actions, and sometimes
what is not said rather than what is.
Implicit communication can be hard
to interpret, or even misinterpreted,
as the recipient can be left confused
about the message intended.
Explicit communication on the other
hand deals with what a person
writes or says directly. It can be
very clear, direct and
straightforward such as in… “No, I
am sorry, but I am not going to do
that.” A person who favoured
implicit communication may instead
say… “That would be difficult”,
“Maybe” or “I’ll try.” A Chinese
participant on one of my Advanced
Negotiation Skills workshops a few
weeks ago told me that in her
experience in China, “Yes” means
“Maybe” and “Maybe” means “No”.
Implicit communication occurs more
often in what are referred to as
‘high-context cultures’, in which
people leave many things unsaid.
The context, made up of the
environment, the situation, and the
parties involved, carries messages
that complement the spoken word
and make up for the things that are
left unsaid. Indian culture is a high-
context culture, as are the cultures
of many Asian and Arab nations.
In low-context cultures, such as the
US and much of Europe,
communication is more explicit and
so things are often spelled out more
clearly and directly. To negotiators
from high context cultures, overt
statements might be perceived to
be a little ‘blunt’, and questions too
penetrating and direct. There is
much room for misunderstanding
and frustration within negotiations
and business in general if attention
is not paid to this very important
cultural sub-dimension.
In a related sub-dimension, it is
common in the Nordic culture to
want to avoid conflict. This is in
stark contrasts with the Dutch, for
example, for whom direct and
assertive communication is not only
displayed, but also expected from
others.
20
To work and negotiate successfully with people from different cultures
use the expanded range of cultural dimensions in the following way:
1. Taking each in turn, consider in very broad terms where you think
the culture ‘stands’ with regards to that dimension – some will be
easier to identify than others, as illustrated by the examples above
2. Talk with others who have had experience working with people
from that culture and ask them which of the cultural dimensions
they have generally found to be most important and relevant when
negotiating in that context
3. Especially talk with others who originate from that culture or who
have spent time living and working within it in recent years, and
who can also ‘view’ the culture from the perspective of your own
4. Beyond national cultures, consider, and make a few notes about
the culture of the organisation that you will be negotiating or
communicating with; consult others who have had dealings with
the people in the counter-party’s organisation
5. Find out as much as possible about the specific person or persons
with whom you will be negotiating; what information do you or
others already have, what is their background, their personality
style and communication preferences etc…
6. Taking all of the above into account, plan your approach
accordingly
7. Have ‘big eyes and big ears’ during your meetings and other
interactions
8. Reflect on what happens and adjust your approach (if required)
appropriately for the next interaction
9. Learn and have fun in the process!
We conclude with 10 top tips to further improve your cultural
awareness.
Remember, to also read part 2 of this article (see link at the end of
page 17) to explore the remaining 19 cultural sub-dimensions.
How
to
use
the
model

15

22
pushing yourself out of your
‘comfort zone’; yet, that is where
learning occurs, and rather than
seeing it as inconvenient or
uncomfortable, re-frame it as
exciting or an adventure, and you
are more likely to get a more
genuine impression of the real
culture.
3. Learn
Before visiting a country or
interacting with people from a
culture different to your own read
up about the nation’s history,
heritage and traditions (which do
not change), its values and
behavioural norms. Talk to people
who have visited, worked in or
worked with people from that
culture to learn what works and
what doesn’t– remembering to
keep an open mind.
4. Don’t take everything at face
value and don’t assume
Just because the ‘foreign’
immigration officer speaks to you
by saying, for example, “Give me
your passport” or “I need
documents” (without any softening
pleasantries such as “Please” or
“Thank you”), it does not mean
she is being rude, it may just be
that she has only a functional
grasp of the English language
and/or she works in a culture that
values explicit communication.
5. Consider whether you are
going to tolerate or accept
differences
You may find yourself tolerating
differences in the thinking and
behaviour of others, but that is not
the same as accepting those
differences. When we move to
21
Reading and researching about
culture and its various dimensions is
important. However, putting it into
practice is different. So, what
practically can you do to further
broaden your cultural awareness,
understanding and effectiveness?
By following my top ten tips below,
some of which repeat and reinforce
messages conveyed above, you are
less likely to find yourself feeling
like a fish out of water or
committing cultural gaffs and
blunders during your negotiations.
1. Develop an unquenchable
attitude of curiosity
When you see behaviour that
appears unusual, meaningless or
even bizarre to you, do not
immediately judge or reject it. Find
out why that person is behaving in
that way, what is behind the
behaviour, and what they’re trying
to achieve. If you aren’t curious
then it leads to disinterest, which
could then be perceived by others
as disrespect. Also, remind yourself
of how boring the world would be if
we all had one global, uniform
culture!
However, in negotiation situations
some people do consciously behave
in certain ways in order to achieve
an effect or some sort of advantage.
For example, pretending to get
angry or deliberately playing ‘poker
face’ to keep information and their
reactions from you and to keep you
guessing. These are negotiation
tactics and are not related to
cultural understanding – contact me
separately if you want information
on how to counter such negotiation
tactics.
2. Expose yourself
At a practical level you can do this
by travelling extensively, engaging
with local people outside of hotels,
eating in local cafes, bars and
restaurants, walking the streets,
taking public transport rather than
taxis, and getting off the ‘tourist
trail’. This may feel uncomfortable
at times, because you are actively

10
tips
for
improving

cultural
awareness


April 2015

23
acceptance we are deepening our
understanding, feeding our
motivation to learn, and moving
more towards equality, respect
and effective collaboration.
However, in some situations it
can be difficult even to tolerate
some behaviour e.g. people who
regularly spit in the street or
belch loudly after a meal. Whilst
spitting in public is ‘normal’
behaviour in countries such as
China or Turkey, in some
societies it is regarded as a
gruesome, disgusting anti-social
behaviour that can spread
disease.
True tolerance and acceptance
works both ways, and so those
who, for example, spit in the
street in their own country
should accept that when visiting
countries that are significantly
culturally different they should
adapt their behaviour and
understand why it is important to
do so. They will also avoid
creating difficulties for
themselves and so it is in their
interests to do so.
6. Look for similarities
It is human nature to notice
things that are different, whereas
things that are familiar or similar
can just pass us by. If you look
for ways in which you and a
person from another culture are
similar, aligned in your thinking
or simply share the same passion
for something, then this can form
the basis of resolving differences
and building greater mutual
understanding.

16


Jon Lavelle is a respected author, trainer and facilitator in mid-advanced level negotiation skills,
intercultural negotiations, communications and influence.
He has also published practical toolkits on negotiation, advanced negotiation and strategic leadership.
For further information visit: http://www.managertoolkits.co.uk

Jon

Lavelle

24
In negotiations, it could be
something as simple as you both
agree that you want to reach a
mutually acceptable deal. By
starting with that shared objective
then you will stand a better chance
of achieving it as you both want the
same outcome.
7. Whenever possible work and
negotiate face-to-face
In-person face-to-face meetings are
hugely important in effective cross-
cultural collaboration and in building
trust between two or more parties.
This is not always possible, though
with the prevalence of video
conferencing, Skype and other
video-based technological
communication tools we can get
close to it. Telephone conversations
are better than email. However,
without the visual clues and cues a
lot of meaning and information can
be lost between parties if they rely
only on audio.
8. Adapt your language and
content
Avoid using slang or colloquialisms
or expressions peculiar to your own
culture, and be aware that words
can mean different things to
different cultures. For example, and
please excuse me for using some
rather ‘robust’ examples in this list…
“pants”, “pissed”, “fanny pack”,
“fag”, “gas”, “trunk”, “hood”, “flat”
and “yard” mean very different
things to Americans vs. the British.
Equally, watch out for inappropriate
jokes or humour. As a Brit’ I
particularly have to be careful that I
don’t slip into the trap of using
irony (saying the exact opposite of
17

25
what I really mean, as in…
“Hmmm that’s an ‘interesting’ shirt
and tie combination”), using
double meaning such as… “Your
proposal is outstanding”), double
entendre and innuendo– all of
which are common British habits.
Humour can assist in oiling the
wheels of interpersonal
communications, so don’t eliminate
it, just be extra careful when using
it in cross-cultural situations.
When working with people for
whom your language is not their
native tongue, speak slower, user
shorter sentences, re-phrase if you
think you are not being understood
and use examples to illustrate the
meaning of what you are trying to
convey.
Finally, on the subject of language,
be aware that natural topics of
conversation to you may be
meaningless, or even a turn-off to
people from other cultures. Not
everyone is fanatical about
football, and in Singapore talking
about the weather is meaningless
as it’s pretty constant all year
round.
9. Be forgiving of others’
behaviour
In 99% of cases people commit
cultural blunders unwittingly. They
do not set out to offend. Therefore,
the best thing you can do in such
circumstances is not to take
unacceptable actions as an insult,
but rather to use the occasion to
educate the other person so that
they don’t make the same mistake
twice. If roles were reversed, and
you were confused in another
culture, you would probably
26
appreciate someone taking the
time and trouble to tip you off
about what is and what is not
‘done around here’!
Don’t beat yourself up if you
make the occasional blunder.
Learn from it, be determined not
to repeat it, and use your own
sense of humour to retain a
sense of perspective.
10. Explore multiple cultural
dimensions
Use the ‘cultural dimension
model’ to identify those sub-
dimensions that are most
important and relevant to the
situation you face. In particular,
in business and negotiation, focus
on communication styles, how
information is shared, different
perceptions of time, the
importance of relationships,
power and hierarchy structures,
the degree of formality and how
decisions are made.
If you enjoyed reading this article
and would like to receive part 2,
which explores the remaining 19
cultural sub-dimensions, free of
charge, please email the author
at:
jon@blueiceconsulting.co.uk
Also, feel free to forward this
article or the link below to others
who you think will appreciate it:
http://www.managertoolkits.co.uk/
MT_Free_Valuable_Resources_000.
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April 2015

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