Eight-scale tool for mapping cultural differences
Identifying typical behaviour in a group is sometimes necessary in business rather than focusing on the personal traits of an individual
Today, whether we work in Dusseldorf or Dubai, Brasilia or Beijing, New York or New Delhi, we are all part of a global network (real or virtual, physical or electronic) where success requires navigating through wildly different cultural realities. Unless we know how to decode other cultures and avoid easy-to-fall-into cultural traps, we are easy prey to misunderstanding, needless conflict and ultimate failure.
Unless we know how to decode other cultures we are easy prey to … ultimate failure
Yet, it is quite possible, even common, to work across cultures for decades and travel frequently for business while remaining unaware and uninformed about how culture impacts you. Millions work in global settings while viewing everything from their own cultural perspectives and assuming that all differences, controversy and misunderstanding are rooted in personality.
This is not out of laziness. Many well-intentioned people do not educate themselves about cultural differences because they believe if they focus on individual differences, that will be enough.
Often it is argued that speaking of cultural differences leads us to stereotype and therefore put individuals in boxes with "general traits". Instead of talking about culture, it is important to judge people as individuals, not just products of their environment, it is said.
At first, this argument sounds valid, even enlightened. Of course individuals, whatever their cultural origins, have varied personality traits. So why not just approach all people with an interest in getting to know them personally, and proceed from there? Unfortunately, this view has kept thousands of people from learning what they need to know to meet their objectives.
If you go into every interaction assuming that culture does not matter, your default mechanism will be to view others through your own cultural lens and to judge or misjudge accordingly.
Yes, every individual is different. And yes, when you work with people from other cultures, you should not make assumptions about individual traits based on where a person comes from. But this does not mean learning about cultural contexts is unnecessary.