When should you shake the hand of an Arab woman?
A discussion with a client last week about cultural sensitivity reminded me of my time in Saudi Arabia.
Few British managers would have experience of everyone in a meeting room standing up as you entered the room: officer on deck! The respect given to a senior manager in the Middle East is quite amazing. And spending time sharing a meal with your team is always appreciated…or sitting having normal client meetings at Midnight in a Jeddah warehouse during Ramadan, for example. You are working on their time and fitting into their culture.
The ability to understand these cultural differences and a willingness to be part of where you are makes an ex-pat experience very rewarding. However, it is a skill set under-used at home! Departments, teams and companies have their own cultures. They have a shared set of values and a commonality in how they deal with non group members and each other.
It is a wise manager who learns to adopt and adapt to these situations to understand, possibly change, and certainly manage the “cultural” plethora presented to them.
So, we might know about exchanging business cards properly with a Japanese businessman (accept with two hands, read carefully and place on table in front of you or carefully into card holder – the British way of throwing it over the table is not on), but do we think enough about the culture of a client or our own despatch or QC departments, for example, to ensure we are achieving all we can?
Why is this “internal cultural” understanding important?
By understanding, you will be able to adapt your behaviour to the situation. No one is suggesting you change your values or modus operandi completely. But you should recognise the need to adapt.
For example, you are asked to lead a project team made up of very task orientated people. They all want to do before they plan or consider the outcome etc. Build on that strength, manage the situation by making the planning a positive “doing thing” rather than a stage before really getting the job done as they will see it. This way you get your planning done, you have not slowed down the momentum and you look culturally aligned in the action stakes and not a bureaucrat! Everybody wins!
Your marketing department are organising a golf day….happens all the time. Think about your clients….who allows this kind of participation from client managers? Is it the type of culture where you should ask your contact’s boss or even boss of boss? Having developed that cultural sensitivity will prevent a faux pas and will enhance your personal and company reputation.
How you get to that position is through listening, questioning and observing.
For a new client , arrive 10 minutes early and get a sense of the place from reception and receptionists. Look at the clothes, the security set up, the way people address each other, stuff on the walls, magazines laid out, the welcome extended, and so on. You learn so much in reception. Then with your contact, ask! What is it like here, what are the values? Are the website values walked as well as talked?
None of your business? I don’t think so.
Internally, in your own organisation, it is about using eyes and ears to observe, listen and learn.
So, never shake an Arab woman’s hand until offered, but do listen to any team member’s interaction to see a culture in action. Only one will get you into trouble!
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