Pulse Legacy Archive January / February 2013 | Page 49

power of personal connections through family, friends and
college buddies to secure business remains strong today in
those cultures, as it has for several generations.
Want a contract to be signed and sealed in China the way
it is done in the West? Think again. Instead, go for a letter of
intent to enter into an agreement which reflects the trust you
have in building a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with your client. It will take more time than desired but be
ready to make certain concessions along the way if a long-term
relationship is what you seek.
Overcoming Cultural Myopia
We must also recognize that cultural myopia is not linked to
the bricks and mortar of an organization (i.e. an association or
company), but to its key leaders and those who drive the global
strategic agenda relying on their abilities to effectively interface,
build relationships and successfully partner with stakeholders
of differing cultures. For those seeking to pursue an international strategy or simply conduct business across borders,
learning the fundamentals of a target culture—not just business etiquette but underlying value systems, history,
educational systems and core beliefs—are of paramount importance to effectively do business in the global marketplace.
In business, don’t assume what works in terms of products
and services and overall stakeholder needs in your country and
region will automatically translate to another. The casualty list
of large corporations who have botched their global strategy by

making such “assumptions” is startlingly evident. Take
Walmart, for example. Their ill-fated foray into Germany:
Cultural insensitivity, right down to ignoring local customers’
preference for self-bagging their purchases and privacy (which
means not being greeted at the door with a happy smiling
person) cost the retailer US$1 billion by the time it sold its 85
German stores. Take heed of the paradox: The more global your
business, the more attention you need to pay to local customs.
In other words, learn how to play the game according to the
rules of your target markets.
Most of all, we must realize that we are not normal. What
is “normal” anyway? We must also appreciate why we are as
we are and who we are. Yet, the comparison of who we
are versus other cultures—the tendency of “us and them”
mentality—remains a natural human tendency. The next big
step is to appreciate rather than to compare. Only then will we
begin to see cultures through a new set of glasses. ■
AVINASH CHANDARANA, one of the Professional Development
Sessions speakers at the 2012 ISPA Conference & Expo, is a leading
cross-cultural trainer, accomplished presentation skills coach, facilitator and moderator. With a degree in Business, his 20-year
international business career covers engagements in the corporate
and not-for-profit sectors with posts held in the United Kingdom,
United States, Norway and Belgium and assignments spanning more than twenty
countries.
As Group Learning and Development Director at MCI, he founded and leads MCI
Institute - MCI Group’s learning centre of excellence. Voted as a Platinum speaker by
Meetings Professionals International (MPI), he captivates audiences at regional,
national and international conferences and is regularly invited to speak and moderate at industry events. Follow him on Twitter: @avochanman.

January/February 2013

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