Cross-Cultural Communication

I don’t expect my team to work during my time. (10 things I do expect from them) My team is in the Philippines. That’s a 15-hour time difference. If I asked them to work my hours, it would mean  starting at 11 p.m. and ending at 8 a.m. their time. I don’t want them: burnt out exhausted sleep-deprived I want the opposite. But here are my non-negotiables: Tell Me What’s Going On ↳ If you’re stuck, tell me early. ↳ Problems are fine. Silence isn’t. Be Mindful of Actions Impacting Others ↳ What you delay, someone else waits on. ↳ You’re part of a chain. Keep it moving. Stick to Deadlines You Commit To ↳ If you say Friday, I expect Friday. ↳ Reliability builds trust faster than skills. Ask Questions When You’re Unclear ↳ Clarify now, avoid rework later. ↳ Asking shows you care about doing it right. Take Ownership of Mistakes ↳ Own it fast—no blame game. ↳ Fix it, learn from it, and move forward. Work During Time Overlap ↳ Be available for meetings and quick feedback. ↳ Real-time collaboration solves problems faster. Notify When You’re Away ↳ We all have a personal life—just keep me posted. ↳ Silence creates doubt. Communication builds trust. Deliver More Than Expected ↳ Add value I didn’t ask for. ↳ Impress clients by going the extra 1%. Keep Learning New Skills ↳ Today’s tools are outdated tomorrow. ↳ Learning makes you future-proof. Be Proactive, Not Just Reactive ↳ Spot problems and suggest 2-3 solutions. ↳ Take the lead on improvements. What makes us successful isn’t when we work. It’s how we work. It’s how we communicate. It’s how we show up for each other. Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more.

Transformation is often measured in tools, timelines, and revenue. But there's another layer one that doesn't show up in dashboards: cultural transformation. 🌏 When people from different parts of the world come together to work as one team, misalignment isn’t just possible, it’s inevitable. Communication styles, expectations, and norms don’t always line up. And sometimes, even a simple question can spark unexpected tension. Take this example: A quick check-in like "What’s the update on this?" Or a straight forward question on client escalation, might feel completely routine in one culture but come across as confrontational in another. Intentions get lost, feelings get hurt, and frustration builds.  No one is wrong. But everyone feels it.  So, what can be done? ✅We built cultural bridges, placing individuals who understood the nuances of both sides to interpret tone, context, and intent. These weren’t just translators; they were empathy amplifiers. ✅We swapped roles, encouraging team members to shadow each other, experience different workflows, and gain perspective from the other side. Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes changes everything. ✅We invested in immersion, allowing team members to experience working in another location. What once felt confusing over email started to make perfect sense in person. These efforts didn’t erase differences, and that’s not the goal. The goal is understanding. Because trust isn’t automatic in distributed teams, it’s earned through openness, patience, and genuine curiosity. And here’s the truth: There may never be a single fix. Cultural tension is part of the package when building global teams. The win isn’t in eliminating friction but in learning to navigate it gracefully. When teams move from blame to curiosity, from assumptions to questions, that’s where the magic happens. So whether you're an executive or an implementer, I encourage you to approach hard conversations head-on, to listen a little deeper, and to build teams that don’t just span time zones but truly connect across them. 🤝 What’s helped your team bridge the cultural gap? #leadership #culture #empathy #trust #respect

Bridging U.S.-Russia Negotiation Styles: The Power of Strategy and Allies. Negotiating across cultures isn’t just about the deal—it’s about the people, the process, and the power dynamics in the room. Understanding key differences can turn challenges into opportunities when people of different cultural backgrounds negotiate. As a dual Finnish-US citizen, I notice that Americans tend to favor direct, fast-paced, and deal-driven negotiations, while decision-makers east from Finland often take a relationship-first, strategic, and hierarchical approach with drama, concessions, and lock-steps involved. The preference is for the other to act, and like in chess, plan several moves ahead to benefit as much as possible of the endgame. In these times of hardship, there is a strong urge for peace on both sides of the Atlantic — to navigate negotiations effectively, some key strategies to consider: 1. Build trust before pushing for a deal. Relationships matter. ☑️ 2. Show strength and strategic patience. Russians respect firm, confident leadership. Quick concessions can be seen as a weakness, so stand your ground while keeping the discussion open. 3. Anticipate a long, tactical game. Russians often use patience, silence, and last-minute changes as strategic tools. Stay composed and adaptable. 5. Balance flexibility with structured agreements. While Americans prefer clear contracts early on, Russians may want informal alignment before formalizing terms, and will prolong discussions as long as feasible for themselves. 6. Leverage global partnerships. Collaborating with European allies is likely to add legitimacy, broaden influence, and actually help navigate regulatory and diplomatic complexities both in the short and long term. A strong, united front prevents divide-and-conquer tactics. Successful negotiations require cultural awareness, strategic alignment, and the right partnerships. For instance, Finland has a long legacy of approaching Russians with mutual respect and a well-prepared strategy, and over the years, these discussions have led to sustained independence and a pragmatic relationship among neighbors. Europeans can help the US reach its goals, but we need a seat at the table, as is natural among allies. Below is an Illustration inspired by Richard D. Lewis on National Communication Patterns: While a strong generalization, this illustration also reminds us of the stark differences between tactics as we witness them in these unfolding historical days. What’s your experience in navigating complex, cross-cultural negotiations? Let’s discuss it! #GlobalBusiness #Negotiation #CrossCulturalLeadership #InternationalStrategy

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 Understanding your audience is the cornerstone of effective communication. While you deliver your presentation,  focus on your audience’s needs and interests. This approach captures their attention and builds a strong emotional connection.  You may have heard me say, “If there’s one secret to a powerful presentation, it’s that your subject should interest your audience.” This means you need to find the connection between your message and your listeners. There are two types of connections to make: intellectual and emotional. While intellectual connections come from your content’s logic, emotional connections are often easier to establish and more powerful. 𝐓𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: You-Focused Language: Shift the focus from yourself to your audience. Replace phrases like “I am going to talk about…” with “You will learn…” or “In your experience…” This makes your audience feel involved and valued. Tailor Your Message: Adapt your presentation for different audiences. Ask yourself, “Why would they care?”  You audience needs to know you understand who you are talking to. You may know your subject. Do you know who they are? Make necessary adjustments to ensure your message resonates with each specific audience. Include Audience Stories: When addressing a group, incorporate stories of their everyday heroes. This highlights their achievements and demonstrates you understand a high level overview of their world. For instance, when I delivered presentations in Taiwan, I made an effort to learn key phrases in Chinese. Despite needing an interpreter, the audience appreciated my attempts to connect with them. This effort was recognized and valued, proving that small gestures can significantly impact emotional connections. #presentationskillsexpert #keynotespeaker #publicspeaking #frippvt

If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing. For destinations to truly cater to culturally diverse visitors, stepping out of your comfort zone needs to be the norm. During my first visit to Toronto, I made a few stops—from CN Tower to Casa Loma. While planning and during the trip, I noticed something interesting. Some brands felt inclusive and respectful, while others, er...not so much. So, what did the inclusive brands get right? They offered: → Multilingual Content Websites, promo materials, and customer support in multiple languages beyond English and French was a breath of fresh air (I try to practice my limited Spanish when I can 😉). → Local Partnerships Brands collaborating with local guides to educate travelers on cultural nuances made a big difference in guests’ etiquette. → Food and Beverage Options Dining options catered to various dietary preferences, including halal, kosher, vegetarian, and vegan. → Inclusive Marketing Promo materials featured people from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures, making everyone feel seen. → Cultural Holidays and Festivals Offering activities and packages tied to holidays from around the world added a special touch. Yes, travelers should adapt to the places they visit, but destinations and brands can make it easier for them to do so. It’s a two-way street. 👉🏾 What other ways do you think brands and destinations can be more inclusive? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi, I’m Sarah 🙋🏾♀️ I share: ✨ Actionable brand strategies to help travel, hospitality, & culture entrepreneurs attract their dream tribe. ✨ Tips for creative solopreneurs looking to grow their businesses. ❤️ this post? Follow and hit the 🔔 for more! 📸 Canadians (or Canadians at heart 😉 ), any recommendations for my next trip? Preferably outside of any major cities for some variety.

What almost cost me $1 Million dollars??? In the interconnected world of global business, the nuances of cultural communication can make or break significant deals. Here’s a firsthand experience that underscored this reality for me, involving a well-known brand and a valuable lesson learned. 🌐 The Cultural Miscommunication I was working with a prestigious client, a brand familiar to most. My CTO, a brilliant mind from our DC office and originally from India, was the central figure in this narrative. In many cultures, including Indian English, "no worries" is a common phrase used to reassure and convey that everything is under control. However, in this high-stakes situation, when our client expressed stress over urgent website issues, my CTO responded with a well-intentioned "no worries." 🚨 The Impact of Two Words To the client, this response didn't convey urgency or empathy but rather indifference to a critical issue. This simple miscommunication almost cost us a million-dollar account. It was a stark reminder of how different cultures perceive words and expressions differently. 📚 The Valuable Lesson This incident taught us the importance of understanding and respecting cultural differences in business settings. It's not just about knowing your client's language but understanding how cultural contexts shape the interpretation of that language. 💡 Actionable Steps for Business Leaders Cultural Training: Invest in cultural competence training for your team. It’s crucial for anyone in a client-facing role to understand the different ways communication styles vary by culture. Clarify Communications: Encourage your team to seek clarification when in doubt about a client's responses or when communicating critical information. Lead with Empathy: Always tailor communication to reflect understanding and empathy. Ensure your team understands the gravity of the words they choose. 🤝 Embrace Cultural Diversity Understanding and leveraging cultural diversity can enhance your company’s relational dynamics and lead to more successful business outcomes. Let’s turn cultural differences into our competitive advantage. Have you ever faced a similar challenge in your business dealings? How did you navigate it? Share your stories below. #BusinessCommunication #CulturalDiversity #Leadership #GlobalBusiness

Feedback – often seen as a necessary evil, sometimes more evil than necessary. Laden with potential pitfalls, it can create anxiety, damage relationships, and even leave seasoned managers with a pit in their stomach. 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬— 💥 The "sandwich" that layers the good and the bad, leaving a mixed taste. 💥 "Three glows and a grow," which often becomes a forgettable pat on the back. 💥 The too gentle touch that fails to make an impact, and the harsh word that wounds instead of healing. 𝐍𝐨𝐰, 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐬- 🇺🇸 The U.S. values directness, where clear, straightforward communication is the norm. 🇨🇳 Eastern cultures, in pursuit of harmony, often wrap feedback in layers of subtlety. 🇩🇪 High-context societies communicate volumes in silence, whereas low-context cultures expect the unsaid to be plainly spoken. 🇲🇽 And the dance of hierarchy in feedback varies globally—from strictly top-down to a more democratic, all-voices-heard approach... Effective feedback is not about choosing from a menu but understanding the diner. Knowledge of cultural sensitivities and best practices can turn feedback from a feared interaction into a #leadership #superpower. 𝐒𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤: ✴️ Private, Respectful, Empathetic: Protect dignity at all costs. Be considerate of cultural nuances that might otherwise lead to miscommunication. ✴️ Clear and Specific: Vague comments like "polish the report" serve no one. Be precise to be powerful. ✴️ Timely: Feedback should be fresh, not a stale recap of past performances. ✴️ Balanced: Recognize the good as readily as you suggest improvements. And my TOP FAVORITE: ✴️ Future-Focused: Turn #feedback into #feedforward —pivot the conversation to next steps, future-oriented solutions and continued success: 🌟 "In future projects, try to actively seek input from your colleagues during the planning phase to enhance team collaboration." 🌟 Leaders, it's time to ask: How is your feedback nurturing your team's development? Our leadership development program empowers leaders with practical and real human-centric and culturally attuned leadership skills for today’s diverse workforce. Let's talk: https://lnkd.in/d-DkRnaP #leadershipdevelopment #latinaleader #sisepuede #alwayslearning #leadershipcoaching #feedback #superpower #inclusiveleadership #respect #itstime

Is 2024 the end of remote companies? Recently, Deel wrote that 89% of all its global hiring contracts in 2022 were for remote roles. Every week, I talk to business owners and founders about hiring remote staff — from software engineers to virtual assistants. So maybe not. In my last company, I led remote product teams with people sitting in Singapore, US, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam. Here’s three key lessons on building remote teams: 𝟭/ 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Ever had communication problems in a remote, cross-country team? Welcome to the club. Culture Map by Erin Meyer has an excellent eight-scale framework (below) that shows how cultures vary along the spectrum for each key area. For example, I learned to adapt to high-context, indirect communication. If I wanted honest critical feedback, I would seek it in Slack DMs or 1:1s, not a meeting with dozens of people. 𝟮/ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Clear writing is underrated, especially in the age of AI-assisted writing. When you write clear documentation, you can answer customer questions faster and onboard new staff quicker. When you write clear businesses cases and product specs, you can get buy-in from other partners faster. It feels like a cheat code. While business is done very face-to-face in Asia, it’s not an excuse. I saw that it’s possible to cultivate a writing culture in this context. 𝟯/ 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 Let’s be honest. For many people, they find it easier to trust someone they can get to know as a person. This looks like scheduling offline meet-ups every 6 months, working from the office 1-3 days/week, or hosting regular (virtual) lunches. It’s really any opportunity to get people sharing experiences with each other and getting to know one another on a human level. After these meet-ups, I’ve observed teams gel easier and move faster together. What tips do you have for running a remote business?

Speaking business and artist - this is one of the hardest parts of working in the creator economy. All day, we talk about ROAS, KPIs, SLAs, etc., and then we have to translate this for an artist (i.e., a creator) to carry out an action. This is not an easy thing to do! Before I send anything over to a creator (or most people, for that matter), I ask myself if my eight-year-old daughter could understand this brief if she read it. If the answer is yes, you've done your job well. If not, go back and simplify. 90% of the issues I see in campaigns today stem from simple communication errors and not stepping out of our shoes and into someone else's to ensure the message is clear. A few examples: 🗓 Timelines: We know when content is going to go live - we have a busy schedule and hit timelines. In the mind of an artist, time is subjective. When communicating, make sure you build in a few days' buffer. Content is due Friday? Ask for it on Tuesday... you'll most likely get it on Friday 🙃 (I know this doesn't apply to everyone, don't come at me hehe). 🗝 KPIs: Instead of saying, "Our primary KPI is to have an above industry standard CTR and ER," you can say, "We're looking for big wins here with your content - drive as many link clicks as possible and ensure the content is engaging to increase likes, comments, and shares." This helps break it down easier. Avoid acronyms! 👥 Audience: "We have contextualized your audience to know that they behave in X, Y, and Z ways - so make sure your content does A, B, C." Instead, empower them with, "You know what works well and doesn't for your audience, how do you suggest we integrate A, B, and C to ensure it is engaging and what they are looking for?" This takes a lot of time and practice. Am I missing anything? Other thoughts? LMK!

Sadly, most Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training programs fail to produce change. $8 Billion US Dollars annually goes towards training that is remarkably ineffective. Unacceptable. We take a different approach, and I would like to share a few tips and tactics that we have discovered produce real results. First, we need to understand WHY typical programs fail. 1. Shame/Guilt - These produce powerful psychological defense mechanisms that cause people to go on the defensive, or worse yet, on the offensive. 2. Ego/Identity - Resistance and rejection follow if people feel their identity or ego is threatened. 3. Missing Steps—Participants are often not given adequate steps or actions to mitigate bias. 4. Short-Term Memory - Without commitment or accountability, training produces only short-term impacts on attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. Here is how we work to overcome this: 1. Acknowledging my own bias and privilege as a white, heteronormative, cisgender, American male and sharing examples of how these inherited intersections have provided me advantages. I don't approach this from shame. I use the following analogy: If you gave me performance enhancers, I would still not be able to hit a ball out of Fenway Park. Give them to a professional who has worked hard and practices daily, and they break records. Privilege is a hack that you didn't ask for. The key to accepting privilege is to avoid making it feel like the ONLY reason that someone is successful. That produces guilt or shame which leads to rejection. Accepting my privilege makes it safe for others to consider their own. 2. Focus on the science, not the people—Unconscious bias is a naturally occurring human condition. It's a survival function deeply rooted in our brain, making it impossible to eliminate, only mitigate. The science makes it impersonal. Reducing guilt or shame by exploring it through science creates space for reflection rather than rejection. 3. Focus on Behavior—We provide easy, actionable steps. We don't overwhelm them with EVERYTHING we need to do; we encourage them to start small and actually do it. Too many options and our brain shuts down. We normalize habits. Here are some examples: 🤝 Add 10 minutes to team meetings focused on discussing bias. We provide a list of topics to get started. ⌨ Use a behavioral script to address microaggressions (If I witness X, Then I will act with Y). We provide actions using best practices from bystander intervention. 💰 Review wage or leadership gaps. List all employees and their hiring/current salaries (or roles) and evaluate disparities. We provide a template. Simplicity is essential to create change. 4. Commitment/Accountability—We ask, "What will you start tomorrow, and how will you keep it going?" We have them write down one or two tactics and ask how they want to be held accountable. I hope this helps! We need to do better. What will you commit to? #BehaveIntelligently #DEI #Training