Poor communication is a symptom, not a cause

Americans frequently come across as blunt, rude, and inappropriate in much of the world. We have a reputation for being close-minded and difficult to get along with. This is news to most Americans.

About a decade ago I wrote a book about successfully working in cross-cultural, international projects. I’m posting this chapter as I feel it’s especially relevant today, with so many of us working in multinational, distributed teams. This is part one from the chapter on communication. I hope you enjoy it.

How different cultures communicate

Germans, the Swiss, and other Westernized people such as the English have their own cultural reputation. Even so, I think it’s worse for Americans. American culture is very closed off and self-centric. At least European natives have the advantage of more diverse cultural exposure.

This chapter explores the role communication plays in multinational teams. Let’s start with a short story, about Jack, a Texan businessman visiting Thailand for the first time.

Jack and his host, Gan, conclude a few days of negotiations on a contract. There were a few missteps and mistakes, but Gan was tolerant and did his best to ignore his guest’s loud, boisterous manner an…