Faux Pas…or Failed Partners?

The Real Cost of Cultural Ignorance.

I’ve been saying for a long time now that there is no wiggle room for cultural ignorance. The world is too big, too interconnected, too global (yes, globalization, even in this moment of political de-globalization — and it is only a moment — will vigorously continue) for any individual, organization or nation to expect to survive without an understanding of how culture affects the behavior of their associates “abroad”. Those who get culture right will thrive; those who don’t will simply fade away. As someone once said, “Culture will eat your lunch”, and until you deal with it, it will trump every other aspect of your work. In the 21st century, culture is on your plate, like it or not. Ignore it at your peril: sooner or later, you will have a “come-to-culture” meeting. Might as well face it before the costs of ignoring culture become so high, and the pain so great, that you or your organization (or your country!) are dragged kicking and screaming into the room. It doesn’t have to be that way.

In my article last week, “The Most Embarrassing, Horrible, ***, Cultural Faux Pas I Ever Made”, I made the point that the real value of knowing about another culture is not in avoiding those pesky faux pas that inevitably pop up when encountering culture-based behaviors that you don’t understand; rather, the real value of culture lies in your ability to understand how your own culture blinds you from seeing and respecting those aspects of the “other” that are different from your own…