𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀

You probably started working in your country with a team whose members share the same cultural background. So, more or less, you've understood others very well. Yet, if you start to work in international teams with people from other countries or even continents, things become a bit more complicated.

In his book "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗽: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business," Erin Meyer guides navigating the complexities of cross-cultural communication.

Here are the main points from the book:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Meyer explains that communication varies from explicit to implicit along a scale. In explicit cultures (like the US or Germany), communication is precise, simple, and straightforward. In contrast, more implicit cultures (like Japan or Korea) rely heavily on context, and understanding comes from reading between the lines.

𝟮. 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

This scale ranges from direct negative feedback (found in cultures such as Russia or France) to indirect negative feedback (typical in cultures such as Japan or Thailand). Understanding this helps deliver or interpret criticism constructively.

𝟯. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Cultures differ in how they are persuaded. Some cultures are principle-first (they need to understand the why before the what - common in Russia or Italy), and others are application-first (prefer practical case evidence first - more common in the US or Canada).

𝟰. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Leadership can be hierarchical (a transparent chain of command, like in China or India) or egalitarian (a flat structure, like in Denmark or Sweden). It's essential to understand these differences to avoid clashes in team dynamics.

𝟱. 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

Cultures have different decision-making processes: some are consensual (like Japan or Sweden), where decisions are made in groups and may take longer, and some are top-down (like in China or Nigeria), which are faster but may not involve everyone.

𝟲. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

In some cultures, trust is task-based (it's built through business-related activities, like in the US or UK), while in others, it's relationship-based (it's created through sharing meals, evening drinks, and visits to your home, like in China or Brazil).

𝟳. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴

Cultures expressing disagreement range from confrontational (more common in cultures like France or Israel, where open disagreement is seen as positive) to avoidance of confrontation (as in Japan or Indonesia, where harmony is crucial).