As the world becomes more accessible in terms of international trading opportunities, so the need for multi cultural awareness grows as we witness evermore business communication and travel to countries far removed from one’straditional vacation choice. In the last decade business travel has really takenoff with significantly increased numbers of people participating in meetings,negotiations, presentations and entering into contracts with countries and continents about whom they were previously unaware.

Whilst this vastly expanding trend is, of course, a positive one in terms ofincreased commercial opportunity, it does, however, mean we need to be alertto avoiding any faux pas if we are to have maximum success. It was WinstonBrembeck, author of “Persuasion: A Means of Social Influence”, who quite aptlywrote: “To know another’s language but not his culture is a good way to makea fluent fool of oneself”.The point he was making was that the emphasis has over the years indeedonly seemed to lie in the acquisition of a few meagre phrases of the language spoken in the target business country with little attention being paid to the culture. Being familiar with the culture is paramount to good relationships and in turn to business relations as a few token phrases without the accompanying cultural understanding would, indeed, render one a fool.Upon arrival in any new country, and without having undergone any formalcultural awareness training, we can easily identify the food eaten there, the climate, the language spoken and the business attire of our counterparts.

However, were this topic to be an iceberg, the afore-mentioned themes wouldbe the visible part on the surface and the greater part hidden under the water- and therefore far more dangerous - would contain areas not obvious to thenewly-arrived business traveller such as communication style, values, beliefs,attitudes and perceptions.It is within these “more hidden” topics that the minefield for the unacquaintedlies if they have not taken the time to familiarise themselves with these areas.Do we know, for example, whether our host cultures are polychronic ormonochromic, i.e are they able to multi-task or do they focus on one taskat a time? What is the preferred communication style of our partners? Is itthe Anglo Saxon model whereby as one person finishes speaking the otherbegins, or do they follow a more Latin pattern whereby the norm dictatesthat people may well speak simultaneously? Is the country with which youare now conducting business a nation of direct speakers who are inclined tospeak as they find, or do they tend to favour a more indirect approach, failingto address the issue head on, and so may result in appearing misleading to those participants of the business meeting unfamiliar with such speech?

What about emotions? Are they, as Gert Hofstede: world renowned experton culturawareness would say, Neutral or Affective, i.e. do they showeffusive emotions willingly or are they somewhat reticent and reservedthereby not giving much away in terms of what they are really thinking.It is critical to understand how different mindsets interpret situations and areaffected by the same set of circumstances. If, for example, we gave our pointof view in a direct manner, to some that may appear rude and abrasive andtherefore unwelcome without that ever having been our intended outcome.If we were to phone a multi-tasking nation asking for a specific report andwe ourselves only ever handle one report at any given time, then we may befrustrated when our counterpart cannot lay his fingers on that specific onein an instant. If one of our values is punctuality and we have not consideredwhether this is a feature of the others’ culture or not then we may findourselves extremely upset when our partner’s team arrive hours late for an appointment.

These are just are a few examples highlighting the necessity toundergo training in the culture of your target country. As with any ofthe examples given, if one remains ignorant of the ways of others withwhom we wish to have success in business then surely our chancesof successful outcomes are seriously diminished. Working, meeting,entertaining, negotiating and corresponding with colleagues orclients from different cultures has the potential to be fraught withobstacles.One wrong movement or basic misunderstanding could ruin or delay months of work. Improved cultural appreciation will reduce tensions which inhibit progress.

So it may be seen that high regard should be given to the studyof another’s culture before we embark on any business ventureif we are to enjoy the success and rewards that come with a wellequippedknowledge of the target culture. When we take the timeto understand and show a willingness to compromise then wewill be so much better received by our hosts which can only serveus well both in terms of business as well as personal relations.As a manager, investment in Cultural Awareness trainingis considered business critical in the current economic situation. It will help you maximise the potential of allparticipants in your team through developing cultural awareness, create harmony and goodwill throughout yourorganisation and break down existing barriers created by cultural misunderstandings both witin your team and also with business partners.