Hello from the other side of summer! I took a brief and very fruitful pause last month, something I can’t recommend enough to my individual clients and companies. This summer hiatus allowed me to have space to be creative and imaginative, to brainstorm new ideas and re-energize for the fall season. Taking time away from my daily routine, emails, tasks and to-dos allowed me the space to then come up with new offerings, including new offsites for companies which I’ve provided more detail on below.

This month, we dive back into the world of cultural prisms to focus on the theme of the “Unwritten Rules of Global Business”, a topic I had a chance to explore back in June with global business leaders during a virtual seminar. Our conversation focused on how our perceptions of one another are based on cultural prisms. There is one’s own culture, there is a country's culture, and then there's an organizational culture. The unwritten rules of global business lie within these cultural prisms. During our conversation, we discussed each person’s individual experience and challenges. We also discussed how we can overcome the negative perceptions others have about us, how we can adjust our communication styleto account for cultural prisms, and educate others on our own personal communication style - via peer coaching and open dialogue. By building trusted relationships with individuals from other cultures, we start to see the one common denominator - everyone has faced various challenges in their life and it is in overcoming these challenges, often alone, that help shape the person. These challenges encourage us to grow our cultural and emotional intelligence, as well as connect with one another on a deeper level.

Below are a few excerpts from our conversation.

Elsie, a consulting partner in financial services, shared her experience in Asia: “I have been on the Board of Directors for financial institutions headquartered in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Mainland China. They all have extremely different cultures. In Korea and Japan, I found I was the only woman presenting in the room, while it was very different in Taiwan, Mainland China and Singapore, where almost half of the participant directors were female. Korea and Japan have a very male dominated business world. The directors assumed I was Korean or Japanese, however I was born and raised in China and speak Chinese. Once the directors learned that I was a partner specializing in this area of business, their behaviors changed. Also, age is a big matter. Usually Asian women appear younger than their real age. When they heard I have 18 years of experience advising global firms, some directors would raise their heads and give me a look that I will never forget.”

A global business leader at a Swiss bank, Sanji came up against cultural prisms regarding gender roles in Europe: “The leaders in the organization were expats from Switzerland and Germany and their wives were typically stay at home caregivers. Their views on female progression, from a career standpoint, were quite limited. Also, I dealt with some people that have never traveled anywhere outside of their cities. It was a challenge to have global discussions with senior leaders who had been in the same role for 35 years. I really questioned - how do I get my point across diplomatically?”

Veronica, a global CIO for a global advertising agency, shared an analogy that is relatable to one’s perception when trying to find a solution to these cultural issues: “People may not have ever left the state or traveled internationally, but they're serving people internationally. They don't know time zones and sometimes people don't speak English well. There has to be a bigger picture to help include someone, say in a small city in the Midwest, into what you’re experiencing. By offering another experience with analogies and examples that are relatable and by reiterating things in a way that are not scary, there is an ability for people to expand. They may not fully embrace or understand, but they can take the time to appreciate multiculturalism worldwide. It is helpful to try to find those points where you can make connections. Make bridges and that makes the gaps smaller.”

I would love to hear your thoughts about how the unwritten rules of global business affect the perceptions others have of you and the perceptions you have of others. Feel free to drop me a note. And read on about how we can find ways to collaborate this fall.

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