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NEGOTIATIONS ACROSS CULTURES
Understanding cultural differences will help build a better business relationship.
By Emmanuel Ngomsi, Ph.D.
Negotiations, whether they happen locally or internationally are the search for a compromise. This means that at the end of the negotiation process, each party will believe that they won.
“A compromise is the art of dividing the cake in such a way that everyone believes that they have the biggest piece,” German politician Ludwig Erhard, once said.
It is not easy to reach this goal when both sides share a common culture. It is even more difficult to reach compromise across borders when not only language, but also cultural differences can impede communication and understanding.
All of us view the world through "cultural lenses" that we construct, or that are imposed upon us by society. Sometimes we forget to recognize that we each have a unique lens and that other people view the world through different lenses. When people with different cultural backgrounds or nationalities work together, there comes an inevitable moment of misunderstanding or disappointment during which communication seems to be difficult. The lack of knowledge and appreciation of the differences in background experiences are often the cause of frustration and decreased productivity.
Be Prepared
Study the values system of the culture you are planning to negotiate with. Also, learning a few words and phrases relevant to the topic of the negotiation in the language of the other party helps to set common ground. There are training tools many training resources that can help people identify with and understand cultural differences. Some are very good and are a comprehensive way to find out about the values of various cultures.
Documentations
If you have been in contact with a business associate from another country through official letters and you plan to meet face to face, bring the entire stack of letters you received, as well as those that you wrote. It is possible that a secretary or an associate wrote all the letters you received, and your counterpart’s English may not be good.
If you communicated via e-mail, bring copies of the e-mails with you to refresh your memory and use as a reference if necessary.
Avoid Slang and Idioms
Avoid confusing expressions such as, “I have put all my cards on the table” or “The ball is in your court.” We unconsciously use these idioms with the expectation that the other party clearly understands what we mean; they often don’t, and that causes a breakdown in communications.
Keep the language as simple as you can, even if your counterpart appears to have a good command of the English language.
What’s in a Name?
Remember to let your counterpart know and get familiar with all the names that you use. An American businessman who had an appointment with the CEO of a large corporation in Asia had his appointment delayed by a whole day because security would not let him in to meet the CEO. The company was expecting Mr. “Bill” Thompson, who had been corresponding with the CEO through countless e-mail exchanges and phone calls, but the person who showed up at the security desk had a passport that read Mr. “William” Thompson.
Build Relationships
Personal relationships are a vital factor in negotiating successfully with most people around the world. Your counterparts want to know the person they are dealing with and build a personal relationship on some level. This helps to create trust between the two parties. Timing of personal disclosure is as important as what you say. Sharing personal details as the relationship naturally evolves will build trust and give your counterpart the feeling that the relationship is important to you. If you offer too much personal disclosure up-front, your counterpart may think that you share these details indiscriminately, and lose confidence in the closeness of your relationship.
[Can you add about 100 words to this, perhaps some information about watching your gestures?]
Non-verbal Signals
In intercultural negotiations nonverbal signals play a major role, especially when one side is less familiar with the language of the other, and is forced to rely even more heavily on nonverbal signals. That is where you need to be very careful, because signals are sometimes ambiguous and not repetitive. While you can ask someone to repeat a sentence that you did not understand, you cannot ask her to repeat a facial expression that you did not catch the meaning.
Context also affects meaning. A whisper to your partner will sound to most Asians like an attempt to conspire a deal; Therefore, they will be prepared for a more aggressive defense. Oftentimes you don't intend for your behavior to send a message, but it does. In Japan, you will almost never get an unequivocal “no”. Because they consider a “no” to be a rude response, hearing a “no” from you is also be considered an insult.
The last advice I want to give small business that are getting ready for negotiations across borders is to use the services of a cross-cultural consultant or negotiator. If for some reasons the company cannot have a consultant at the negotiation table, it must at the minimum consult with a consultant on issues related to the cultures of the country of the other side.
When negotiating across borders, do your best to dispose of your cultural lenses and meet your counterpart halfway.
Emmanuel Ngomsi, Ph.D. is a consultant, interculturalist, trainer and speaker with All World Languages & Cultures Inc., specializing in intercultural communication training, cultural diversity education and training and foreign language services. He can be reached atinfo@universalhighways.com or (888) 646-5656.
Understanding cultural differences will help build a better business relationship.
By Emmanuel Ngomsi, Ph.D.
Negotiations, whether they happen locally or internationally are the search for a compromise. This means that at the end of the negotiation process, each party will believe that they won.
“A compromise is the art of dividing the cake in such a way that everyone believes that they have the biggest piece,” German politician Ludwig Erhard, once said.
It is not easy to reach this goal when both sides share a common culture. It is even more difficult to reach compromise across borders when not only language, but also cultural differences can impede communication and understanding.
All of us view the world through "cultural lenses" that we construct, or that are imposed upon us by society. Sometimes we forget to recognize that we each have a unique lens and that other people view the world through different lenses. When people with different cultural backgrounds or nationalities work together, there comes an inevitable moment of misunderstanding or disappointment during which communication seems to be difficult. The lack of knowledge and appreciation of the differences in background experiences are often the cause of frustration and decreased productivity.
Be Prepared
Study the values system of the culture you are planning to negotiate with. Also, learning a few words and phrases relevant to the topic of the negotiation in the language of the other party helps to set common ground. There are training tools many training resources that can help people identify with and understand cultural differences. Some are very good and are a comprehensive way to find out about the values of various cultures.
Documentations
If you have been in contact with a business associate from another country through official letters and you plan to meet face to face, bring the entire stack of letters you received, as well as those that you wrote. It is possible that a secretary or an associate wrote all the letters you received, and your counterpart’s English may not be good.
If you communicated via e-mail, bring copies of the e-mails with you to refresh your memory and use as a reference if necessary.
Avoid Slang and Idioms
Avoid confusing expressions such as, “I have put all my cards on the table” or “The ball is in your court.” We unconsciously use these idioms with the expectation that the other party clearly understands what we mean; they often don’t, and that causes a breakdown in communications.
Keep the language as simple as you can, even if your counterpart appears to have a good command of the English language.
What’s in a Name?
Remember to let your counterpart know and get familiar with all the names that you use. An American businessman who had an appointment with the CEO of a large corporation in Asia had his appointment delayed by a whole day because security would not let him in to meet the CEO. The company was expecting Mr. “Bill” Thompson, who had been corresponding with the CEO through countless e-mail exchanges and phone calls, but the person who showed up at the security desk had a passport that read Mr. “William” Thompson.
Build Relationships
Personal relationships are a vital factor in negotiating successfully with most people around the world. Your counterparts want to know the person they are dealing with and build a personal relationship on some level. This helps to create trust between the two parties. Timing of personal disclosure is as important as what you say. Sharing personal details as the relationship naturally evolves will build trust and give your counterpart the feeling that the relationship is important to you. If you offer too much personal disclosure up-front, your counterpart may think that you share these details indiscriminately, and lose confidence in the closeness of your relationship.
[Can you add about 100 words to this, perhaps some information about watching your gestures?]
Non-verbal Signals
In intercultural negotiations nonverbal signals play a major role, especially when one side is less familiar with the language of the other, and is forced to rely even more heavily on nonverbal signals. That is where you need to be very careful, because signals are sometimes ambiguous and not repetitive. While you can ask someone to repeat a sentence that you did not understand, you cannot ask her to repeat a facial expression that you did not catch the meaning.
Context also affects meaning. A whisper to your partner will sound to most Asians like an attempt to conspire a deal; Therefore, they will be prepared for a more aggressive defense. Oftentimes you don't intend for your behavior to send a message, but it does. In Japan, you will almost never get an unequivocal “no”. Because they consider a “no” to be a rude response, hearing a “no” from you is also be considered an insult.
The last advice I want to give small business that are getting ready for negotiations across borders is to use the services of a cross-cultural consultant or negotiator. If for some reasons the company cannot have a consultant at the negotiation table, it must at the minimum consult with a consultant on issues related to the cultures of the country of the other side.
When negotiating across borders, do your best to dispose of your cultural lenses and meet your counterpart halfway.
Emmanuel Ngomsi, Ph.D. is a consultant, interculturalist, trainer and speaker with All World Languages & Cultures Inc., specializing in intercultural communication training, cultural diversity education and training and foreign language services. He can be reached atinfo@universalhighways.com or (888) 646-5656.