When you do business with people from another culture — whether you’re managing a global team or negotiating a contract — your success depends on your ability to bridge cultural differences. This means clearly understanding how your cultures differ. For example, assess whether you’re working in an individual or collective culture: Do your global colleagues identify themselves primarily as independent operators or as members of a larger group? Do people often celebrate individual achievements? Are there stars who have bigger offices and get more attention? Do people feel comfortable with open disagreement? If so, that’s an individualistic culture. You’ll want to acknowledge people’s quantifiable results. In primarily collective cultures, you’ll find hidden influencers instead of obvious stars. People often eat lunch together and are uncomfortable disagreeing with each other. To adapt, focus on the team as a whole and speak to the group’s achievements.
Adapted from
“Bridging Two Kinds of Cultural Differences,” by Blythe McGarvie.
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