"How
can I build better working relationships with colleagues located in other
countries?"
This blog will feature questions (ranging from leadership and diversity to culture-specific communication, global team-building, and the nuances of business and social protocol in different countries and cultures) raised by working, adult students in higher education. You are invited to share your insights and perspectives based on your own personal work experiences. See "Welcome . . . more about this blog" for additional information about the blog's history and purpose.
One good strategy is to understand how cultural nuance drives their perception of value in business transaction. Ultimately, good working relationships will require some degree of cultural compromise from both sides.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Frank. Understanding cultural nuances is key to developing successful working relationships across cultures. Yet, in today's fast-paced, culturally diverse workplaces, the importance of developing a strategy "to understand how cultural nuance drives perception of value in a business transaction" is often undervalued and overlooked.
ReplyDeleteAn important concept, among the first to be introduced to students in all of my courses, is the understanding and application of the Adaptation Strategies:
1) Cultural Due Diligence -- assessing and preparing . . . in other words, taking the time to understand the differences that will possibly occur in dealing with a culture different from one's own
2) Style-Switching -- using a different behavioral approach to accomplishing one's goals . . . in other words, recognizing one's own culture-based values, beliefs, preferences, and behaviors, and then shifting to view the culturally-different interaction through the lens of the cultural other
3) Cultural Dialogue -- negotiating cultural differences through conversation . . . in other words, if through "due diligence" and "style-shifting" the situation continues to remain unclear, ask the question, "Help me understand . . ."
4) Cultural Mentoring -- helping others with cultural adaptation and integration.
The Adaptation Strategies are four specific skills that contribute to building relationships through cultural competence . . . skills are based upon recognizing and appreciating the impact of culture.
Think back to a time when you successfully connected (or failed to connect) with someone from a different culture in your workplace.. What were the circumstances? What was your mindset? What was it you did or failed to do to engage the other party? You are encouraged to share your stories.