Cultural Awareness

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the most important point in cultural awareness - simply be aware and do some research!

The internet is a great source for relevant information on different cultures and you can find out some really interesting facts as well!

Learning new information about different cultures can be a great talking point as well - whether you’re with multi-cultural co-workers or working alongside an international business. Remember that asking questions about someone’s culture is nothing to be uncomfortable about, just imagine what it would be like if someone asked you about your culture. You would simply answer them and do your best to help them understand!

Listen

The ability to listen is a great business trait to have. Listen actively during negotiations, show positive body language and affirm points with them. By listening properly and effectively you will be able to read between the lines - paying attention to what people say and asking if anything isn’t clear.

Everyone likes being listened to, especially over something that is important to them. It’s especially important to be a good listener if the person talking is not speaking in their native language, or if there is a translator involved in negotiations

It’s all about your attitude

Going back to the degrees of cultural awareness that we talked about earlier in the blog it is essential for good business relationships that you leave behind any ‘our way is the best and only way’ thinking.

Your international counterparts will sense a poor attitude immediately and relationships will soon sour if that is the case.

Remember, going into any situation with an open and welcoming attitude means that a few etiquette mistakes are likely to be forgiven or used as a source of gentle amusement. If you have a bad attitude and make mistakes through lack of caring or thought you can harm any business relationships.

What is the goal?

It is always worth being aware that different cultures may view the purpose of negotiations differently.

Some cultures see the end goal as the signed contract. For them that is the most important part of anything business related.

Some other cultures, like Asia for example, tend to see the most important part of negotiation in the relationship that is built and developed when the meetings and negotiations are taking place. They tend to prefer to take their time and put more effort into the preliminaries of the business relationship.

For business purposes in the global market it is important to determine how your international executives see the purpose of the negotiations

For example, if you recognise that the other party are just happy with a contract as the end goal it may be a waste of your energy and time attempting to build a good relationship. Similarly if your counterparts believe in business relationships above the signed contract you will want to impart to them the importance you place on spending time building a rewarding relationship.

It’s all in the style

Style is very personal, it’s the way that someone talks to others, dresses and how they interact with other people.

A person’s culture can have a huge impacts and influence on their personal style within business. Each culture has their own formalities and ways of dealing with things when it comes to business.

It is normally safer to err on the side of caution and adopt a more formal attitude which can then move to informality if the situation allows it. It can be tricky if an informal stance is adopted too quickly.

Timekeeping - or lack of it!

If you’ve not done much international business before, or not travelled a lot, it may come as a surprise to you that different cultures can have very different concepts of time. Always be aware that every culture has its own sense of pace of life and businesses tend to work according to that.

It is always worth checking to ascertain whether a scheduled meeting time is set in stone or is flexible. Will the business deal be harmed by your late arrival or will you be left sat waiting for hours if your counterpart doesn’t realise the time is definite, thinking it to be more of a guideline!

For example, in Germany timekeeping and punctuality is a well known cultural trait. In a lot of African countries however scheduled appointments are rarely kept to, the time that is set is treated as a general guideline!

If there is no way to find out about these cultural differences always err on the side of caution and arrive early! You can eventually adopt a more relaxed attitude to punctuality if you find that to be the general case.

Organisation of the team

In any business negotiation - culturally diverse or otherwise - it is important to understand the organisation of the business. Who holds the authority? Who makes the decisions?

In terms of culture, some cultures value individual management whilst others prefer group consensus and organisation. If a team follows a single leader / manager they may, for example, have a smaller team in the negotiations. It’s not unusual for businesses who prefer group decisions to turn up with a large team.

Stereotypes

Stereotyping (assumptions) and preconceived ideas can be difficult to overcome. It is well worth putting the effort in though. By educating yourself about different cultures and listening to others you will find that your thinking about the array of cultures in the world will become more positive as opposed to the negativity that normally underpins stereotypes.

Everywhere you go

It’s also important to keep in mind some guidelines apply to all cultures and by following them you will make a good impression in workplaces all over the world.

Dress appropriately

Be well prepared

Be clear. It’s always worth making sure everyone is on the same page. Even if you’re all from the same cultural background people may be unclear or confused about certain things.

Treat everyone as individuals!