TOP TEN TIPS FOR WORKING ACROSS GLOBAL CULTURES.
HERE ARE THE TOP TEN ISSUES YOU NEED TO MANAGE WHEN WORKING ACROSS CULTURES…ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
In over 30 years of intercultural consulting, I’ve often been asked, “what is the single MOST important tip you would tell someone about working across cultures?”, or “what’s the ONE thing someone working across cultures needs to know…no matter what culture they are in?” Good question! While the differences that exist between cultures can be so complex that even a top ten list for just one culture can be a challenge, it is possible to highlight a few of the major cultural concerns that anyone who works globally needs to look-out for. So with this in mind, here are my Top Ten Topics that need to be understood by anyone working across cultures…no matter where in the world they are:
#10: Learn the Communication Style: Some cultures are direct, explicit and put all the important information into the words they use; other cultures are indirect, implicit and disguise important facts inside contextual code. This affects your ability to understand what is “meant”, and how to positively respond, whether virtually or face-to-face.
#9: Learn the Negotiation Style: In business, everything is a negotiation, but some cultures believe negotiations are win-lose, zero-sum games, while others see negotiations as needing to be win-win, expanding-the-pie opportunities. This affects how you plan and execute your negotiation strategy.
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