Cross-Cultural Training for Global Business

According to Forbes Traveler, 63.7 million Americans traveled internationally in 2006, and a number of other studies show that the weakening economy and fear of terrorism have small to negligible effects on foreign travel numbers.

Although Forbes did not clarify how many of those overseas travelers went for business and how many for pleasure, it is probable that more than half of them had business as at least part of their reason for traveling. And international business travel requires a new kind of business communication: cultural competence.

Culture Is Communication

"Culture" has many meanings, but basically it's all about communication. Does it matter to business travelers, who really just want to concentrate on making a deal that will benefit both parties? Well, consider that you can offend a business partner in Japan just by taking off your jacket before getting down to serious negotiation. In France, you’ll put them off by making light conversation and asking them if they have kids. In Nepal, they’ll be insulted if you hand them papers with your left hand instead of your right. You can’t memorize all the “tips and tricks” for all the countries you may ever visit, but you can master the skills of cross-cultural communication that will allow you to observe and analyze small cues that alert you to the possibility of a culture clash and enable you to cross-check with your partners that your communication is coming through clear on their channels.

Multicultural Communication Competence

Dave Evans is a middle manager in a rapidly globalizing corporation. He's a rising star in the company, and his boss has marked him out for bigger things. The next step is a foreign assignment. Dave is confident that he knows the business and the needs of the subsidiary in the Philippines. So why don't the Filipino employees react favorably to his leadership? At home, Dave is considered a good supervisor, with a highly productive unit. Overseas, nothing seems to come together.

Lillian Parker owns a gift shop, and last month when she was traveling in Mexico she met a supplier of handwoven baskets that she loves for her Christmas displays. The manufacturer assured her that they could supply all her requirements. Now, here he is, promising to make a deal, but never getting down to brass tacks. He seems to spend all his time "schmoozing". Where's the deal?

Many North Americans lack the awareness that there are different ways to do business, believing that "my way is the right way." They tend to rush through, believing that "time is money" and they devalue interpersonal relationships that other cultures see as a critical foundation for business. With greater cross-cultural awareness comes the skill of observing an interaction and noting potential culture clashes before they grow. Skilled cross-cultural communicators also know how to ask questions that uncover hidden assumptions that can become critical data for business deals.

So what’s the best way to learn these vital skills? Some possible sources of training are the many consultancies that offer business-specific, culture-specific, or general training. Online courses may be appropriate for those working from home, and many excellent books are available on the subject, such as David C. Thomas and Kerr Inkson’s Cultural Intelligence: People Skills for Global Business. (San Francisco, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc. 2004.)

Like anything else, cross-cultural communication skills improve with practice. But taking time to step back, mull over one’s own approaches and other approaches experienced, and then study the myriad of other perspectives taken by people around the world can certainly help stretch your mind and prepare for those vital moments when closing another deal in Riyadh, Rome or Rio de Janeiro.

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