One of the biggest challenges when communicating across cultures is the tendency to say and think ‘be like me’.

This can cause all kinds of difficulties doing business in other countries and cultures like those of Asia – in negotiations, running meetings, expectations, approach to time and punctuality, speaking out of turn, openly voicing disagreement, and many other areas.

Being unwilling to deviate from your own set model of doing things is one of the main reasons that companies fall down in Asia.

This is true not only in Asia but also in a multicultural setting at home. A lack of cultural sensitivity is a major reason why businesses often fail to reach out to their customers, clients and partners in their home markets.

Culture influences the way we make decisions, our management style, and determines whether we’re going to get off on the right foot or the wrong foot when dealing with people from other cultures.

The key to successful cross-cultural business is adapting your own ways and expectations to those of counterparts who may well do things differently.

Often that is easier said than done. But if you learn how to show respect, to adapt your expectations and behavior to other customs and mindsets, you are well on the way to becoming one of the ‘in-group’ in your chosen market.

That means you will be forgiven for social and cultural mistakes that could otherwise be highly damaging to your business.

So how to avoid miscommunication  across cultures?

This is the topic of today’s expert interview when I had the opportunity of speaking with Phillip Khan-Panni, professional speaker, trainer in communication skills, and author of Communication Across Cultures, among other books.

Tune in as we chat about the inside tips and secrets to effective cross-cultural communication:

5 Secrets for Better Communication in Asian Business

Listen in as we discuss:

How to develop sensitivity, empathy and flexibility for other cultures

Why the Chinese have an expression for ‘one track Westerners’

Dealing with the colonial hangover in Asia

How national self-confidence is driving the ‘new’ Asian economies

Why mocking Asians for poor English can easily backfire!

And much more

Have you been confused or even lost an important deal because you or your teams simply didn’t adapt to another culture?

Would you add anything to Phillip’s excellent advice on how to communicate successfully across cultures?

Please leave your comments in the box below, and if you found this helpful, please share on the social media buttons.

PODCAST VIDEO

The post Is Poor Communication Damaging Your Asian Business? appeared first on David Clive Price.

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Many Westerners doing business in Asia – even those who have been there for a long time – complain that they still feel outsiders in the country where they are operating.

Some say that they expected to feel more at home and accepted in Country B when they moved from Country A, but nothing seemed to change.

Others remained hopeful that it was just a question of time and the local business people in Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan or South Korea would eventually come to accept them as they were – and they would become well respected and trusted.

This feeling of not being accepted can be highly damaging both to personal confidence and to the profile of the company you are representing or where you are working.

It can lead to loss of business deals, broken relationships and many missed opportunities. So how do you become accepted and trusted? How do you change from being a member of the out-group to a member of the in-group?

BECOMING A LEADER

It is perhaps easy to forget that one of the most essential ways to open doors, forge lasting business relationships and show Asia business leadership is personal branding.

That may sound strange, as if you have to become a Richard Branson or Steve Jobs to succeed. But it’s amazing how many people fall down when it comes to projecting themselves and their company.

Part of the challenge is clear communication: how to speak clearly and at a regular pace in a foreign culture without complicating your language. You have to make sure you’re understood in settings where English is perhaps a second or third language.

But there’s more to it than that.

PERSONAL BRANDING

Personal branding goes to the heart of what you are trying to sell or promote: You!

If you are walk though almost any Asian capital from Seoul to Beijing, from Tokyo to Singapore, from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur, you will be knocked out by the sheer amount of visual stimulus: stylish architecture, huge billboards with beautiful actors or actresses and singers, models, top-of-the-line cars, world-class cosmetics and fashion.

The various countries of Asia have youthful and dynamic cultures. The younger generation often form a majority of their populations. Their idols fill the airwaves and the TV channels. Everywhere, stylishness and modernity are on display.

Therefore, those who desire success in the marketplaces of Asia should sit up and take notice.

Most manuals about business success in Asia miss out this one essential element. They tell you that Asians are much more ‘contextual’ in business interactions. They talk about ‘high context’ Asians versus ‘low context’ Westerners.

But beyond the basic rules of etiquette and recommending you dress conservatively, they don’t specify what this high context is.

IT’S WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE

To put it bluntly, it’s what you look like.

It’s the visual impression you give in what are increasingly smart, sophisticated, cosmopolitan and cultured Asian business circles.

Your face, your clothing, your body language, your speech and visual impression are all part of what an Asian counterpart will conclude about you.

This may sound like some Hollywood hang-up on image. It may strike you as nothing to do with someone who is selling widgets in Chongqing.

But in Asia the visual goes beyond simply image. The good (well educated, professional) impression you make is often the entry point for further conclusions about you, hence your business.

SHOWING LEADERSHIP VALUES

Being smart and respectful often indicates other promising values, such as truthfulness, diligence, kindness, intelligence and loyalty.

These values will form part of the impression a Korean or a Japanese, a Malaysian or a Chinese makes as to whether they can work with you. They will contribute to the feeling that an Asian has about you.

In almost every Asian country, this unspoken feeling is what cements the business relationship.

The image you project of stylishness will see you categorized into boxes labelled ‘social class’, ‘education’, ‘pote[...]

I often hear Western businesspeople, including my own clients, say that they have difficulties understanding the right communication style to adopt in Asia business meetings or with members of their company’s Asia team – for example, when videoconferencing.

There seem to be two major challenges: knowing when it’s your turn to speak, and knowing how to interpret the silences or long pauses with which the Asian team greets the lengthy comments, analyses and proposals of the Western team.

Both of these issues repay careful consideration, not least because they require reflection on your own communication style, which is not necessarily the same all over the world.

KNOW YOUR CULTURE FIRST

To understand how other cultures work, you must first know how your own culture works. Examining the kind of assumptions and habits that make who you are is the first step towards success. Without this self-knowledge you are unlikely to be able to adapt to other ways of doing things.

In most Western cultures, business meetings are run on the basis of certain rules. These include turn taking, who speaks and who doesn’t, and above all, when is the right moment to speak.

Team members in Western countries are expected not only to show cooperative and team skills, but also independent and creative thinking. If a senior executive is present, they will often try to impress their boss and in the process have an impact on decision-making.

Each individual usually has a right to speak in a Western business meeting and gives a subtle cue when he or she is finishing. The next individual can then speak without leaving a pause, but also without interrupting the previous speaker.

Such a meeting style allows team members to assert themselves and ‘make a difference’ without being either too thrusting or too passive. This is how everyone contributes to a lively and fairly seamless discussion.

BUT WHY DON’T THEY RESPOND?

However, in many East Asian cultures, the rules for turn taking in meetings are much more influenced by notions of harmony, face and hierarchy.

Deferring to an elder or more senior person often means not interrupting, allowing for longer pauses at the end of comments, and perhaps even total silence.

This means that a Japanese team may respond to a detailed proposal with an ominous silence, or even appear to fall asleep. A Singaporean team, despite speaking fluent English, may seem reluctant to comment at the end of your careful and very detailed presentation.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Western teams react to these scenarios with bafflement. They feel threatened by what they see as a lack of participation.

AVOIDING BAD MANNERS

In fact, these pauses and silences indicate respect and careful thought – rather than any rush to fill the gap or respond to questions that demand immediate answers as in more individualist Western countries.

In Asia Pacific, those with lower status only contribute to discussion when invited to do so. Team players do not draw attention to them selves or show pride in their independent or out-of-the-box thinking.

A consensus is often found in East Asia before a meeting, taking into account the views of different teams within the organization. Discussing in the Western style, with short pauses and high volubility, can seem rude to Asians or even bullying.

Westerners who then fill in these pauses with repetitions, paraphrases and intensive explanation heighten the clash of communication styles and reinforce the Asian team’s impression of bad manners.

WAIT TO BE INVITED

Business meetings in Asia Pacific often turn on the principle of being invited to speak. This is particularly true in industries or sectors controlled by the government or in meetings with local government officials.

Moreover, the Western style of taking turns by passing the ‘speaking baton’ does not apply in the more face-conscious, collectivist and hierarchical societies of East Asia.

Even in English-speaking Asian societies, where English is probably a s[...]

For many people, adapting to another culture and lifestyle and way of doing business is often a challenge. And yet for the fortunate few, the ability to perform well in an international or multicultural role seems to come naturally.

Why is this? Why do some people struggle with adapting to situations where their tried and tested ways of operating do not have the same outcomes as at home? Why do many top performers in their home markets fail to be so effective in international markets?

This is a vital question – both for those entering the Asia marketplace for the first time, and for those that have been there for a while but have failed to make the necessary cultural adjustment.

EXPATRIATE MANAGERS OFTEN DON’T ADAPT

Some surveys suggest that as many as 50% of expatriate managers in Asia do not reach an acceptable level of management effectiveness after a year or more in the Asia Pacific region.

One of the reasons given is that their companies gave them very little cultural training or preparation. Many of those interviewed talked about ‘going at alone’ in markets like Japan and South Korea, or Indonesia and Thailand.

Others talked about researching their country by surfing the internet. Others said they had some cultural training for their posts but it was very minimal.

This lack of preparation has ongoing negative effects for many companies, and can lead to serious financial losses in failed deals or broken relationships.

But it is even more serious if the expatriate manager continues in the position regardless, rather than returning home, thereby inflicting long-term damage on the company’s brand or reputation.

LOST IN THE FOREST

Operating in the rich and very diverse cultures of Asia can sometimes seem like wandering in a forest without a map. You can’t read the usual signs. You don’t recognize any signposts or markers. You don’t understand the rules of survival or how to be a self-sufficient ‘trekker’. You’re lost.

But is is precisely when people feel most lost that some of them show a surprising aptitude for finding the right way.

It could be instinct. It could be curiosity. It could be a natural disposition to read signs and listen and empathize – not talk all the time. It could be some combination or all of these, along with what seems to be the most common characteristic of those who succeed in Asian business: resilience.

The ability to pick your self up and bounce back from social or cultural mistakes, to learn from failure, and to continue to grow in your Asia role, is the determining factor for the success of Western businesspeople in Asia Pacific.

EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE

This emotional resilience is usually connected to adaptability and flexibility in the workplace, an ability to connect with people in teams with different cultural backgrounds, and previous experience of travel or other cultures.

It is natural to feel frustration or puzzlement or even anger and fear when experiencing another culture for the first time. You’re being pulled out of your comfort zone.

You’re being asked to look at yourself more, overcome discomfort and try to fit into a new environment without losing your authenticity.

For many people, the process without guidance or training can be painful. But even for those with training and guidance, the transition to full confidence in a new cultural setting can take time and patience, and will not be in a straight line.

However, for the lucky few who have an innate disposition to say yes to other cultures, who perhaps love languages, or who are endlessly inquisitive and excited by the unfamiliar, a posting to new markets like those of Asia can seem like a rich opportunity for learning.

That’s a powerful recipe for success.

Do you have what it takes to be successful in Asia? Are you one of the lucky ones or do you have to work hard at it?

Please add your comments to the box, and if you found this inspiring feel free to share on the social media buttons below.

PODCAST VIDEO

The post Do Y[...]

There is a common myth among Westerners that all Asian countries share the same ‘Asian values’, attitudes and approach to business.

In past decades Asian politicians like Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singapore, or Dr. Mahathir of Malaysia have supported this myth by drawing attention to the ‘decadence’ of Western individualism and by declaring that the economic strength of their countries is due to a strong collectivist culture based on Confucian family values (derived from China) such as order, respect, hierarchy and harmony.

‘Too much democracy’ is cited as the reason for social instability in the West, freedom of speech as the generator of cultural weakness, unfettered individualism as the cause of the breakdown of group and family consciousness.

These stereotypes have taken root in the way that Westerners think about Chinese business and culture. To a certain extent they have some basis in reality but they are by no means the whole truth. They obscure significant differences of culture between, say, China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

1. CONFUCIANISM AND PROSPERITY

It is true that participatory democracy is almost entirely absent in China. It is also true that the emphasis on group and family collectivism, authority and hierarchy, respect and paternalism have led to serious distortions of business ethics in the country such as government and local government corruption, the encouragement of cronyism, favoured treatment for financial loans and family nepotism.

But corruption exists to a certain extent in all societies. The revelations since 2008 of what has transpired in the financial markets of the West suggest that the more individualist West’s tendency to allow workers greater freedom to operate on their own has encouraged a widespread culture of insider trading, manipulation of markets and inter-bank collusion.

Whatever their relative merits or drawbacks, Chinese Confucian values have proved extremely beneficial for building the foundations of the country’s prosperity, especially when competent economists and technocrats (many of them educated in the West) have been allowed to guide team-conscious and highly trained people.

Confucian values could be said to have fostered high savings rates and hence substantial capital for economic growth. The average savings rate in China is around 50 per cent as a percentage of income, one of the highest in the world.

The Chinese passion for education has produced an almost unlimited supply of educated labour and high-quality engineers. In addition, the stricter regime imposed by society and schools, as well as compulsory military service, have produced disciplined workers that respond well to clearly defined routines and working in a team.

2. CONFUCIANISM AND THE INNER CIRCLE

The downside of Confucian values derives from the attitude that the interests of family and close friends – the in-group – must be protected at all costs and placed before the public interest.

‘Family’ can be interpreted to include the inner circle or loyal subordinate or even government officers. The relationship of trust that these ‘family’ members have developed means that major transactions are sometimes executed without legal due diligence and the usual commercial procedures.

This tradition derives from the ‘gentlemen’s agreements’ prevalent in Chinese business circles in the past and that still characterize the approach to contracts and decisions in China today.

Although some deference is paid to legal and corporate governance requirements, the overwhelming factor determining the outcome of business negotiations in China is usually trust and the length of the relationship.

It is therefore essential to have a clear understanding of the nuances of Chinese social and business culture before entering into negotiations with a Chinese partner or beginning business operations in China.

3. CONFUCIAN RELATIONSHIPS

To succeed in China business, you have to understand the positive and negati[...]

The number of Chinese students attending UK and US schools and colleges has risen dramatically over the past few years. Prestigious Western universities and schools have also formed strong partnerships with Chinese institutions, providing a platform for more and more Western students to study in China.

So what can we learn from this two-way educational exchange? How can it help East and West to understand each other’s rich and diverse cultures?

What specifically are the criteria by which Chinese students and their families choose Western college and schools, such as those of the UK?

These are among the questions I asked Susan Fang in a recent interview in the Asia Business Network Expert Series.

Susan is the Co-Founder and CEO of Academic Powerhouse, the world’s leading educational consultancy which provides independent and professional advice on all aspects of UK education as well as all aspects of China and Far East education

In response to my questions, Susan cited return on investment and value for money as being the most important for Chinese choosing a school or college. But she also drew attention to another factor that has great drawing power for the Chinese in both education and business – status.

In a society in which notions of face play such an important part, as well as the visible signs of status, choosing a college or school with a famous name (such as Oxford or Cambridge, Harvard or Princeton) is considered as important as ROI.

Equally important is the city name, which must be known and recognizable in China – cities such as Manchester, Liverpool or London. And rankings also play a significant role, particularly in a culture that has the Imperial Civil Service Exams hard-wired into its historical DNA.

So what are the main cross-cultural challenges for attracting Chines students to study in Western schools and colleges?

Lean in as we discuss the ways in which Chinese students and families have to adjust to an unfamiliar Western culture, just as Western students have to adjust to Chinese life and culture.

And discover why Susan believes passion and a desire to help others lie at the heart of building a successful East-West educational consultancy and East-West cultural exchanges in general:

5 Tips For Creating Successful East-West Educational Exchanges

Listen in as Susan shares:

Why Chinese choice of studies will gradually shift centre from business to arts, design and humanities

The reason that BA and MA courses are more popular than MBAs

How to choose a good agent in China

The 4 main areas of interest in the educational landscape in China

Convincing Chinese parents that a ‘housemaster’ or ‘housemistress’ is not a ‘matron’! And much more…

Susan was born in Taiwan. Discover how Taiwanese students differ from their Mainland Chinese counterparts in choice of studies.

Do you have a story of studying in Asia or China to share? Or of Asian students adapting to the culture of Western countries?

Would you add anything to Susan’s great advice on how to create successful East-West educational exchanges? Please add your comments in the box below and if you found this helpful, share on the social media buttons.

PODCAST VIDEO

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In this first part of this 2-part series, we looked at When Is Gift Giving Bribery In China Business? In this part, we look at the kind of gifts that are appropriate to give in a Chinese setting.

The Chinese do not usually accept a gift, invitation or favour when it is first presented, but will politely refuse two or three times to reflect modesty and humility. Accepting something in haste makes a person look aggressive and greedy, as does opening it in front of the giver.

When or if a gift is given, it should be offered with two hands. Any gift offered with two hands should always be received with two hands.  It’s traditional to bring a gift when invited to someone’s home. Fresh flowers or fruit are recommended, and it is a good idea to bring eight, rather than the typical Western dozen. Eight is a lucky number.

The more expensive the gift, the more respectful, but don’t go over the top or you will embarrass your hosts, who may feel the need to go out of their way to return your generosity.

RECIPROCITY AND GIFTS

Reciprocity, showing respect and ‘face’ saving are very important in Chinese (and Asian) culture. It is likely that your gift will not be opened in front of you as your hosts do not want to appear greedy or ungrateful.

Be sure to be fair with your gift giving: don’t give something better to the secretary in the office than to the wife of your Chinese partner, and don’t give gifts to one group of employees and not another – they will soon know!

Often, it’s better to give something that can be shared, like cookies or chocolate. Never give a clock as a gift. Traditional superstitions regard this as counting the seconds to the recipient’s death.

Also avoid giving fans. The word for fan in Chinese is related to the expression for splitting up. Never give a man a green hat. The Chinese expression ‘wearing a green hat’ means that someone’s wife is unfaithful.

Gifts from your own country are always welcome and very much appreciated. Don’t wrap any gifts from home before arriving in China, as they may be unwrapped in Customs. 

COLOURS AND WRAPPINGS

If possible, have your gifts wrapped in red paper, which is considered a lucky colour. Pink, gold and silver are also acceptable colours for gift-wrap. Gifts wrapped in yellow paper with black writing are given only to the dead.

Also, check on the regional variations of colour meanings – a safe colour in Beijing could get you in trouble in Shenzhen. Your safest option is to entrust the task of gift-wrapping to a store or hotel that offers this service.

Most Chinese I have dealt with are kind and sensitive with a great desire to learn and better themselves. They also generally show great respect to foreigners.

Return that respect by working with them and never treat them as less than equals. Help them to achieve your mutually beneficial goals.  Show integrity in your dealings and it is more often than not reciprocated.

The ability to form strong friendships despite difficulties is a very satisfying aspect of cross-cultural business dealings, and it is these relationships that will ultimately form the strongest future ethical platform for your business.

Have you ever had a problem with giving a gift to a Chinese person, or simply couldn’t think of the right gift to give? Please feel free to share in the comments box below.

If you want to know more about the kind of gifts to give, and also to not give, as well as the etiquette of gift giving in China, see How to Give Business Gifts in Asia and When Is Gift Giving Bribery in China Business? at DavidClivePrice.com.

PODCAST VIDEO

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Corporate Cultural Diplomacy (CCD) is not a phrase that trips easily off the tongue. It sounds very weighty and serious. But in fact, it’s a simple but sophisticated business tool that companies and organisations both large and small can use to manage their international relationships.

Much as governments use ‘soft power’ to extend their influence and networks overseas (for example by organizing cultural events through their embassies), Corporate Cultural Diplomacy is a tool that companies use to raise their brand profile and build relationships across cultures.

This may mean creating bridges within their own country to minorities such as the aborigines in Australia, or launching joint cultural events in new markets such as concerts in China with both Western and Chinese orchestras.

…But does that mean Corporate Cultural Diplomacy is Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR in disguise?

The answer is both yes – both disciplines focus on social, charitable and cultural dimensions – and no.

When used correctly, Corporate Cultural Diplomacy, is a very specialized branch of CSR that is best expressed by the acronym M.A.G.I.C.

Here are the 5 basic M.A.G.I.C. ingredients of Corporate Cultural Diplomacy:

M. Meets corporate objectives

A. Abroad or across cultures (including a multicultural workplace)

G. Gains influence

I. Initiative driven

C. Culturally centred

If used intelligently, all these elements work together in a highly targeted and coherent programme of cultural events that raise brand awareness, build relationships, extend networks and ultimately help to maximize profits in new and dynamic markets like those of Asia.

…So what are the characteristics of a successful Corporate Cultural Diplomacy campaign?

This is the topic of the interview I hosted in the Asia Business Network Expert Series with Grant Hall, Founder of a new business called League Cultural Diplomacy, an international event management and consulting firm that specialises in Corporate Cultural Diplomacy.

Grant is from South Australia but is currently based in a seaside town in Vietnam. Grant has been managing arts and cultural events for over 20 years and has coordinated hundreds of events, including orchestral concert tours and critically acclaimed arts festivals in Australia and the rest of Asia Pacific.

So he’s just the person to give companies advice and assistance on this aspect of corporate ‘soft power’. Tune in as we get into the nitty-gritty of how a CCD campaign can help companies succeed in Asia business:

8 Must Knows To Create An Asian Cultural Diplomacy Campaign

Listen in as we discuss:

How an Australian mining company built good relations with the aboriginal population

A unique approach to solving serious problems with Asian suppliers

Extending trade links and contacts with local governments in China

Creating TRUST with immersive cultural experiences and a mutually enjoyable environment

Mitigating cultural mistakes and social blunders

Leveraging reciprocal obligations and cultural understanding

Who you need to influence, why, and at what level

How sound cultural competence can create winning campaigns

Grant directs his programmes from his base in Vietnam. Discover what he loves best about living there. It’s more than living in shorts and T-shirts!

Have you or your company thought of trying cultural diplomacy to build long term relationships in Asia?

Would you add anything to Grant’s great advice on how to create a Corporate Cultural Diplomacy strategy? Please add your thoughts in the comments box and share this blog with friends or colleagues on the social media buttons below.

 

PODCAST VIDEO

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Many Western businessmen new to China are advised of the importance of gift giving to Chinese culture, business or otherwise. But why is this so important to Chinese people? And how is giving a gift different to corruption or bribery?

China’s culture is steeped in Confucianism, which is based largely on respect, relationships and rituals with the intent of maintaining social and family harmony.

To maintain their relationships with their family, friends and co-workers, Chinese feel the need to demonstrate their care and respect. This can take the form of giving a gift when invited to someone’s house or company, as well as picking up the bill when dining with friends or business colleagues.

Additionally, outside of one’s immediate circle of friends and family, this practice is also used as a way of requesting or giving thanks for favours done.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GIFT AND A BRIBE

Giving a gift also has a strong connection with giving someone ‘face’. When dining with friends or business contacts, the act of picking up the bill allows a person to demonstrate their respect and enthusiasm. This not only creates ‘face’, but also acts to strengthen the relationship between the two or more parties.

There is a key difference between this type of gift giving and the traditional bribe. The goal of a regular gift is to demonstrate your respect for an individual and your commitment to creating or maintaining a relationship with them.

Giving the gift will not show that a deal has been struck. However, not presenting a gift may make you appear impolite and uncultured. In contrast, a bribe in China is often a specific sum of hard currency within a red envelope.

Other common forms of bribery within China take the form of company stock, cuts of profits, and expensive gifts, such as cars, luxury watches and high-end electronics. In the case of an actual bribe, an individual may demand (directly or indirectly) that something be given in order to ensure a certain outcome.

However, the exact difference between a ‘gift’ and a ‘bribe’ can remain unclear within the rather oblique Chinese business environment, and it is not uncommon for companies to set limits on the value of gifts that can be given or received.

RECIPROCAL GIFTS AS OBLIGATION

There is also the potential for the concepts of gift giving to cause worry and stress for the Chinese themselves, and even damage relationships. This is because of the tradition of guanxi (trusting relationships) and obligation.

When someone is treated to dinner, it is expected that the kindness will be returned at some point in the future. When a Chinese couple receives a gift from a friend for their child, not only will they feel compelled to buy a gift for their friend’s child, but they will also take care to give a gift of at least an equal value to the one received.

If a business client feels that they have not received an appropriate gift, or if no gift is given, then this has the potential to damage the relationship.

For the Westerner doing business in China, while it is not necessary to observe these practices as strictly as the local Chinese, it is recommended to pay more attention to close Chinese friends, important business contacts, and anyone within the government bureaucracy that has the power to make your life or business difficult.

Remember, giving a gift it not always a bribe. Often it is a method for building and maintaining a strong and mutually beneficial relationship.

Sometimes, due to the official policy tightening the rules on gift giving, there may be times when a gift will not be accepted. Should you find yourself in this situation, graciously say you understand and withdraw the gift. Smaller, less expensive items will not be seen as a bribe.

GIFTS AND FESTIVALS

This is especially true of gifts associated with festivities in the Chinese lunar calendar, such as Chinese New Year. Participation in festivals, partnership or project launches (with a traditional Lion Dance), Lan[...]

One of the key aspects of doing business in other cultures, like those of Asia, is to know how to communicate well. It’s not only a question of language. It’s more like reading a different alphabet.

Instead of relying on the way things are done in our Western countries, we meet customs and traditions and social and business behaviors that are all different to what we are used to.

This can make us lose our bearings and become impatient. However, there is a plus side to being thrown out of our usual gears and habits. We have to step back, listen more, and read different signs – or else we will miss them.

…So what are we listening and waiting for when we step back from our usual business habits and expectations in Asia?

First: How to be less direct and less expecting of fast, rational, quick decisions – in short, less logical.

That is not to say that Asian businesspeople are illogical. The point is that they have their own logic, which is sometimes much less deductive and more based on emotion and context than our more ‘Anglo’ ways.

In Asian cultures, the family and the collective are also much more important than the individual. This makes relationships far more significant than in Western cultures.

So how can you READ your Asian business counterparts or audiences when doing business in Asia? What alphabet must you learn?

This is the topic of the interview I hosted in the Asia Business Network Expert Series with Katja Schleicher, founder and MD of IMPACT Communication Coaching, a pan-European training bureau specializing in communications, media and public speaking training.

Tune in as we chat about the curious byways and inside secrets to effective communication in East-West business:

7 Pillars of Successful Asian Business Communication

Listen in as we discuss:

Why doing business in Japan is like the tea ceremony

National mindsets and missions in Korea, Thailand, Vietnam

How to READ an Asian audience and prepare

Discovering your Asian counterparts networks & ‘spider webs’

Why business relationships are more personal than playing golf

Thinking beyond the contract (or the deal)

How infinite patience creates infinite respect – and lucrative partnerships

Have you found it difficult to understand what’s going on when doing business in Asia and how did you overcome the problem?

Would you add anything to Katja’s excellent advice on how to create an effective communications strategy for Asia business?

PODCAST VIDEO

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