Read some caveats about the procedure we used.
Review a list of sample criteria used for rating the tips.
175. BE PATIENT, WITH YOURSELF AND WITH OTHERS. Working across cultures provides many *opportunities* to make mistakes, be unintentionally offensive, and react in surprising and inappropriate ways. Be patient with yourself, and with others, and move past these occurrences as quickly as possible. (ME)
174. LAY GROUND RULES. Start off with common understandings and goals. Let rules come from group, but ensure that expectation are clear. eg: punctuality is not equally important in all cultures. If you should have any strong measures in this regard, make sure they are clear. (DS)
228. DON’T GET ANGRY — ASK QUESTIONS. Recognize that unexpected behaviors and strong emotional reactions are often signs of language and culture barriers. Put aside your own emotional reactions to unexpected behaviors, and avoid making assumptions about the motives behind those behaviors. Ask questions instead, and you may be surprised at what you will learn. (ME)
106. GIVE RESPECT. In working with people anywhere, probably the most important aspect of your behavior is conveying respect. If it is apparent that you have, and are trying to show, respect for the other person, then generally faux pas are of little consequence. However, if it appears that you lack respect, then small infractions can be seen as major slights. (DR)
118. LET EVERYONE KNOW THE RULES. We take a lot of things for granted. Don’t be shy about telling a diverse group where the bathroom is, that they are free to get up as needed, when and where they can smoke, where a telephone is located, cell phone etiquette, eating and drinking policies. Ask yourself, “Have I ever been embarrassed, because no one told me something?” (GW)
202. WRITTEN WORDS. Most professionals from non-English speaking cultures probably have a wider reading vocabulary than listening vocabulary. Make use of this phenomenon by supporting your oral presentations with handouts and text slides. (ST)
139. TAKE THE LEAD – First and foremost, it is important to check your cultural baggage at the door. If this is not possible, at least be somewhat introspective throughout and remember that you are part of the environment and situation as well. Others in the group will be feeling uncomfortable and look to you for leadership (by example). (GW)
180. ASK DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONS. The Describe, Interpret, Evaluate process (written about by Jon Wendt and Stella Ting-Toomey, among others) is an excellent tool for double or triple checking one’s reactions to a cross-cultural experience. In preparing sojourners for cross-cultural experiences, we have heavily emphasized the skill of describing what one has experienced (participants are prompted to come up with a “pure” description until other participants agree it is a description). The emphasis on description is helpful in that it is much better to ask “what might it mean if someone stands and touches me on the shoulder?” because it is much less apt to get a defensive response than “why are the people so aggressive in this culture?” (BK)
105. ACKNOLWEDGE THAT VALUES ARE A SYSTEM FOR DECISION-MAKING. It is impossible to compare cultures by saying this culture values “this” while another culture values “that.” Humans and the societies we live in are much more complex than such simple comparisons allow. If we want to understand why a person behaves the way she/he does, we need to understand the context in which a decision was made, and thus, the context in which the person prioritized her/his value system and which one came out on top. For example, it is often said that U.S. Americans value time, while others value relationships. But, when I, as a U.S. American, walk across town on my way to a meeting, whether or not I stop to visit with a person I know depends on several factors – sometimes my emphasis of timeliness will rise to the top (I am on the leader of the meeting, it’s a job interview, etc.), whereas other times my emphasis on relationships will rise to the top (depending on the person’s status, family relationship, etc.). (BK)
109. AVOID USING IDIOMS. Idioms are forms of expression understood usually by only native speakers of a language. In English, for example, avoid expression like, “I’ve got to get out of Dodge,” or “I’ve got to bite the bullet.” (JB)
111. ESTIMATE YOUR TIMELINE, THEN DOUBLE IT. If you are working from different locations, then double it again. Working across language and culture barriers takes extra time and energy. Plan for it, and you will avoid the added stress of falling behind schedule. (ME)
149. SELF-REFLECTION. Always allow time during or at the end of each day for people to reflect on the day’s learnings by journaling alone or responding to a few pre-set questions in a listening dyad. (JS)
208. UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CULTURE BARRIERS AND CULTURE SHOCK. A culture barrier is external, and is encountered when two or more people experience a difference of values, assumptions, or expectations of appropriate behaviors. Culture shock is internal, and is a reaction to unfamiliar stimuli. Culture shock can be triggered by the experience of hitting a culture barrier, however culture shock is a personal experience, whereas a culture barrier is a shared experience. (ME)
213. CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING. Minimize miscommunications by having the listener retell the speaker what they heard. Clarify the message until the speaker accepts the retelling of the listener. (ME)
231. TRIANGULATE. A fish is the last creature to pay attention to water. People who are members of a culture are usually not aware of critical aspects of their culture. So when you collect information about a culture, use at least three different sources. For example, if you want to learn about Indians, ask people from India, Pakistan, and United Kingdom. (ST)
119. GO FOR THE “HEAT”: In a high-conflict situation, after some skill practice I like to structure a solution-creating process on the “hottest” topic for the group. If the group can be led through a process where they really hear one another’s concerns and objectives in a deep way, and do not trap themselves in a digital “yes or no” choice of next steps, they can usually create a solution that maximizes outcome. And, once the group has had success on their most difficult issue, they feel empowered and emboldened to keep practicing their new skills and solution-finding processes. (DHS)
172. FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS. Keep discussions centered around understanding and accommodating each person’s needs and values. Avoid discussions about the “correctness” or “validity” of those values. Instead, search for solutions that respect everyone’s position. (ME)
173. UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS. When running a country-specific training, it is important to keep reminding participants that generalizations are guideline, but that individuals are unique. (DR)
201. REAL TASKS. Facilitate processes with intercultural groups in which they are working on their actual group tasks, using the skills and processes you may want to teach, rather than having them “practice” on artificially created tasks. (DHS)
189. CHOOSE YOUR HUMOR CAREFULLY. Humor does not always translate well across language and culture barriers. Check carefully that your humor is understood as intended, and be ready to explain and apologize if needed! (ME)
