Let me add my two cents to the conversations on how to hold productive virtual meetings these days. But it will not be about the logistics of that type of work – you can read more about that in another article on challenges of working in remote teams. There are certain cultural aspects of communication […]
Is it fair for everyone to get the same benefits, or is it fair to provide everyone with the benefits they specifically need? Are rules applicable to everyone, no exceptions, or is it ok to make exceptions for friends and family? Do all the commitments need to ideally be agreed in writing, or is it […]
Do you say things as they are, express requests and disagreement without beating around the bush? Or perhaps you soften the message, expressing your needs and opinions indirectly? Does a person need to understand the context to decode your message or what is being said is easily understood independent of the context? Another cultural dimension […]
Do you plan thoroughly for plan A, B and C or rather go with the flow? Do you like to follow explicit instructions and procedures or are you comfortable with dealing with matters without much clarity? Are written documents and contracts important and biding for you, or maybe a verbal declaration can be as strong […]
Can you talk directly to your manager’s boss? Can you make decisions autonomously? Is the boss always right (even if they’re not)? Can you challenge your manager’s ideas during a discussion? Can you express your opinions in a meeting freely? Those and many other responses may differ depending on which cultural background you are coming […]
When talking about cross-cultural communications, you’ve got to consider cultural values dimensions. They are an important piece helping us make sense of all the differences and similarities we are experiencing, as well as give us the language to discuss our challenges. As part of your cross-cultural learning, I would love to introduce you to some […]
Another year, more experiences, new learnings… and yet, some cultural myths are still prevalent in our thinking, and stop us from making the best out of our international teams, work and life. It’s time to bust them once and for all! Here are ten most common myths I hear from people about working across cultures. […]
If people are not yet convinced to the idea of growing the cultural intelligence, they often discard the research and intercultural tools. They may say things like: “I get it, there are differences between China and the US, but aren’t there also differences within the countries?”, or “Yes, there are differences between regions and countries, […]
I had a cold recently and I thought it fits into the topic of common sense perfectly. Any time someone found out about me having a cold and not feeling well, they had their own advice as to what I should be doing. “Oh, poor thing! Hang in there and drink lots of tea with […]
I bet that you could say that you want to feel respected, want to be trusted and trust your co-workers, or that you want to behave professionally and be a good leader. Many of us would have that in common. But do we mean the same things by trust, respect, professional behaviour, good manager? Building […]