COVID-19, COPING & CULTURE:

Cultures Cope Differently. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Keep Going. We are all trying to figure out, yet again, how to live our lives, run our businesses, and survive in another “new normal”, this time in a Covid-19 world. Having passed through the three initial stages of denial, anger and acceptance at the beginning of this crisis, we are now all faced with the question of how to keep going with socially distanced relationships, up-ended schedules and general uncertainty. Whether Covid-19 changes the globalization — or de-globalization — game in the future remains to be seen, but in the meantime, we need to stay in touch, perhaps more than ever, with our global contacts, friends, business associates. Here are some important cultural tips to keep in mind when interacting with colleagues and associates abroad during the Covid-19 crisis:

1. SOCIAL DISTANCING IS EASIER FOR SOME CULTURES THAN FOR OTHERS.

The degree to which people prefer to physically be close to other members of their group, team, or in-group is often culturally determined. For example, in many Latin, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, being physically close to someone, touching, “close-talking”, etc., is the norm. You can see it represented in how people greet (lots of touching, “air kissing”, arm-holding, etc.), how close they like to stand conversing with each other, how…