3 Meeting with people from other cultures
With business becoming ‘global’ and increasing numbers of international mergers and acquisitions taking place, it probably won’t be long before you find yourself holding meetings with people from other cultures. Going abroad to seek new customers or business partners is the obvious example, but receiving potential clients or suppliers from overseas or even doing business with other parts of your own company— if it’s multinational—will involve you in cross-cultural negotiations.
Remember that it’s not up to the other person to adapt to you; not attempting to understand and take account of the other party’s cultural background may be received as an insult. On the other hand, most people will notice if you make the effort and give you generous credit for it.
The best way to prepare for cross-cultural meetings is by living in the other culture, or by finding a reliable local mentor or partner. Clearly this isn’t always possible, but there are things that you can do to improve the probability of success and minimise the risk of mistakes. Careful planning and attention will pay dividends.
Step one: Investigate social conventions
Wherever you’re travelling to on your business trip, finding out more about the social conventions of a country or region is invaluable.
Obvious differences in cultural style are easy to spot, but it’s the more subtle distinctions that usually cause problems. For example, unintended rudeness or failure to observe little politenesses can quickly make negotiations awkward. These subtleties usually occur in a small number of general situations, so observe these carefully when you’re in the country, and investigate them as much as you can beforehand.
1 Meeting and greeting procedures
Watch how these work. For example, you need to think about:
who introduces whom
whether gestures such as bowing are appropriate
whether you’re expected to shake hands and, if so, how
whether women shake hands
whether there are set greetings and responses
As a general rule, hold back. It’s wise to be guided by your hosts and avoid any physical contact until you’re sure it’s acceptable. Also, don’t be too enthusiastic in adopting local customs—it may make some people suspect that you’re mimicking them, rather than trying to match your approach to fit theirs.
Watch your (body) language!
Remember that a lot of the non-verbal clues we give to colleagues or friends when we communicate with them don’t always travel very well to other countries. While a smile can rarely go wrong, bear in mind that some cultures:
find the ‘ok’ sign offensive (that is, thumb and forefinger closed together to make a circle)
find the ‘thumbs up’ sign offensive
use a nod of the head to mean ‘no’ and a shake of the head to mean ‘yes’
think that standing with hands on hips means that someone is angry
are less offended by a lack of personal space than others—for example, people may stand right up close while talking to you; disconcerting if you’re not expecting it
prefer a kiss on both cheeks to a handshake
value silence more than people do in the West—in Japan, for example, silences during a conversation are important and designate ‘thinking time’. Talking too much during a negotiation is thus a bad move; say only what you really need to
are reluctant to make eye contact—in some Latin American and African countries, particularly, this can be seen as insulting
get to the point more quickly than others—in some countries, long, circular discussions may all be part of negotiations. These may drive you mad if you’re in a rush; you need to be patient and adjust to a different pace of life—avoid arranging back-to-back meetings in these cultures
are offended by people who chew gum or keep their hands in their pockets during conversations
are much more tactile than others
won’t sit with their legs crossed, as this may mean that the sole of their shoe is pointing at someone, which can be considered extremely rude
2 Ideas about time
Observe local customs about timing of meetings, particularly:
The rules about appointments: do you turn up on time (Europe); before time (China); or a little after time (Africa)?
How time is used, rigidly or flexibly: does a half-hour appointment mean exactly 30 minutes, or anything up to an hour?
How your host will indicate that your time is up: how and when can you politely take your leave?
3 The role of women
Some cultures have embraced the role of women in business more than others, and may have very clear conventions governing gender relationships. You need to know:
how women’s role is defined in the country you’re visiting. Don’t comment on this, whatever your views may be
what roles women play in business
any ‘rules’ covering relationships between men and women at work and socially
4 Eating and drinking etiquette
In many cultures, eating with others has symbolism and rituals that can be culturally very sensitive. Sometimes these are based on religion, sometimes on historical tradition. If you’re invited to a meal, find out beforehand from a reliable source what the etiquette is, particularly:
what form the meal will take, that is, whether it’s formal or informal
customs such as washing, which hand to use when eating, formal ceremonies, if there are prayers before meals, and so on
what people normally drink with their food, that is, whether alcohol is permissible or not
whether it is polite to eat/drink everything, or whether you should leave something on your plate
whether business is discussed over meals
any dress conventions
TOP TIP
Watch what others do and be guided by them. Don’t be offended if people lean over and help themselves from your plate— this is polite in some cultures!
5 Gifts
This can be a sensitive area: some cultures will tend to perceive a gift as a bribe, others as an embarrassment. Therefore, find out:
what is the attitude to gifts—are they accepted or expected?
the type of gift that is appropriate. Be particularly careful about gifts to your host or hostess if invited to someone’s home
customs for receiving gifts yourself
This is one of those areas where no-one will notice if you get it right, but everyone will be aware if you get something wrong!
6 Humour
Don’t make jokes until you are sure you understand the jokes made by the people you’re with! Be aware that irony and sarcasm often aren’t recognised easily by people who don’t share your first language, so don’t take refuge in either of them too much.
If the worst comes to the worst and you feel you’ve made a gaffe, don’t try to ‘rescue’ the situation by making another joke. It’s best just to move on and pick up the threads of your earlier conversation, or start a new one.
Step two: Understand business practices
Although there’s increasingly a common core to ways of doing business internationally, there are certain important conventions and habits that distinguish one culture’s way of doing business from another. If you’re working in new markets, you must be able to answer the questions below. Get help or advice if you can’t: guesswork isn’t recommended.
1 National characteristics
Since the end of the Cold War, many new countries have been created and new markets opened up for business. Some of these countries have no recent history of dealing with overseas clients and little experience of international trade, so doing business there can be tough. But forewarned is forearmed: find out what you can about cultural attitudes in the country you are visiting and be ready to deal with them patiently. Look particularly at:
the country’s understanding and acceptance of outsiders
who controls business and how it works
how decisions are made: is the culture one where compromise is sought, or is it more competitive?
how the country’s legal, technical, and financial systems differ from your own; are there any special conditions that will have to be met?
whether support systems (transport, banking arrangements, and so on) are adequate to deliver the deal, and whether the party you’re doing business with has reasonable control of them
2 Language
If your meeting is more of a negotiation than a straightforward ‘getting to know you’ session, negotiate in your own language if you can. Fluency gives power, but be aware that the other side has already made a concession to you!
Don’t underestimate the dangers of missing subtle points when you have to work in another language. Use this to your advantage: slow things down and ask for clarification frequently.
In most cultures you will ‘gain points’ for speaking their language—but many will be less forgiving of ‘cultural errors’ if you do. You might decide not to disclose your knowledge of their language if it isn’t fluent.
Confirm all concessions: check for accidental misunderstandings.
If you work in your own language, check regularly that the other party has understood you properly. Use questions or summaries to do this.
3 Working with an interpreter
If you feel it’s appropriate, employ an interpreter. Make sure that he or she:
is professionally neutral and properly skilled
understands what negotiating is about and what the objectives are
can translate not just words but also meanings through gestures, tone, and so on
Rehearse with your interpreter to create familiarity with likely scenarios.
Don’t accept the other party’s interpreter if the negotiation is an important one.
Plan plenty of breaks: long negotiations in a foreign setting are very tiring.
Remember to summarise any points that are agreed before moving onto new topics for discussion.
Step three: Keep the basics in mind
Don’t be in too much of a hurry. Give yourself plenty of time to deal with the unexpected, to recover from travel, to get used to the climate, and so on.
Decide under whose law contracts will be drawn up (preferably your own). If you have to accept the other party’s law, check out the implications carefully.
Be sure that technical, professional, safety, and environmental standards accord with the other party’s national standards, and are acceptable to your own organisation.
Make sure you’ve established a good line of communication with your home base.
Don’t try to take on the style of the other culture. Be aware of it, but retain your own (cultural) style and play to your strengths.
Common mistakes
You think you can wing it
Taking the time to find out more about another culture may seem like a bind, but any preparation you do will come in very useful. Imagine how embarrassed you’d be if a negotiation came to nothing because of a gauche remark or gesture you made. Courtesy is essential in business: you would expect it of others, and they will expect it of you.
You try to cover uncertainty with jokes
Remember that some jokes just won’t work when translated into another language, and may make things worse if a situation is getting heated. Everything may be fine if you know your opposite party well, but err on the side of caution if you’re meeting someone for the first time, or if the negotiation is particularly fraught.
STEPS TO SUCCESS
If you’re negotiating abroad or with others from a different culture, find out as much as you can about their way of doing things beforehand, or find someone who can help you.
Observe meeting and greeting conventions.
Watch your body language as well as your verbal communication.
Investigate eating and drinking etiquette in case you’re invited for a meal.
Be very careful if offering a gift to the other party.
Negotiate in your own first language if you can. If not, hire an impartial interpreter.
Useful links
BusinessCulture.com:
Business Know-How:
www.businessknowhow.com/growth/body-language.htm
ExecutivePlanet.com: