3-3-10 Shoulda Told Me #7

We all live and operate in a global environment. It sounds cliché but, believe me, it is true. Someone shoulda told me how important it is to be prepared for doing business globally. There are some specific examples that come to mind.

For example, if you aren’t fluent in many languages, you need to learn how to speak through an interpreter. There will be times that it is necessary. The key word is “through” an interpreter. Many people make the mistake of speaking TO the interpreter. But that can be considered rude. When you are talking, you should be looking at the person you are meeting with, not their (or your) interpreter. And when you are listening, your gaze should primarily rest on the person you are meeting with --- only fleeting glances to the interpreter.

Another example? You should know how to host foreign dignitaries. The last few years it seems as though I was hosting someone from a foreign country at least once a month. My team and I had it down to a science …. But it took a lot of research and practice to get there. Each culture has its own idiosyncrasies (yep, we Americans do too!). For some of my European guests, it was “start times”. If I set a meeting for 9am, I could count of some of them not arriving until 9:30. Then, of course, there was the socializing that had to occur before getting down to business --- by 10 or 10:30, if I was lucky! So how did I handle it? I learned that I had to provide the transportation for my guests. That way I was sure they would be picked up from the airport or hotel and delivered to the factory on time.

You should also take the time to understand the food preferences of your visitors. People were unfailingly polite regardless of the food I arranged for them. But in order to make it the most successful visit, I always took the time to understand any food preferences, restrictions, etc. Think about how awkward it is when you serve a barbeque spread to a vegan……

And timing of food. Well, we Americans tend to eat dinner VERY early compared to other cultures --- 6pm for us vs. 9pm for them. You need to be sensitive about this. And you need to take into account the fact that they will have jet lag. In some cases, when it is dinnertime here, it is the middle of the night for their body clock. So work with your guests to find a dinner time that works.

And finally? You should learn how to be a gracious guest in foreign countries. The fact is, we are often known as the “ugly Americans” when we travel. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I learned on my first trip to China that I could successfully balance being a gracious guest with maintaining my own comfort level. On this particular trip, I participated in something like 6 banquets in a week and a half time span. Since I was the senior executive on the trip and we were the “customer”, my attendance and my graciousness was absolutely required. If you haven’t been to a Chinese banquet, I can tell you that it is quite an experience. All the food is placed on a turntable in the middle of the table. The host slowly turns the table, pointing out each new dish and urging you to try it. And the number of dishes presented! At one banquet, I tried to keep count and lost track at dish number 25. But the point here is that you don’t have to try everything. If you are polite and at least make the attempt to try many of the dishes, you won’t offend your hosts. Yea, you will end up eating some stuff that you probably wouldn’t prefer to eat. But look on the bright side, you will discover some dishes that you love. I know that I did!

Beautiful food in Xian, China.

Which brings me to drinking in a foreign country. There are two schools of thought on this. One, that you should do whatever your host does. Or two, that you should adhere to your own personal preference. I used both schools of thought, depending on the country I was in. For example, in China they drink a local alcohol (no, I won’t butcher the spelling of it here) like it is water. It is a VERY strong drink. So my position during that trip was that I didn’t drink alcohol. My hosts were very respectful of that. Or in France, wine was usually the drink of choice. So I would participate in the aperitif and one glass. And they were respectful of that as well.

So, I wish someone would have told me how important it is to operate gracefully in a global environment. It comes down to doing your research, asking questions, and then being a gracious host and/or guest.

Cheers!