Archive for the ‘Cultural Differences’ Category
Par, Score, Home run, Touchdown, Hit it out of the park
Monday, January 2nd, 2012
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=NFL+video+highligh&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
I like sports analogies. But then again, I was quite a tomboy, and these analogies make sense to me as a result. But if you are speaking to a global group or others who didn’t play sports or aren’t interested in them, maybe you should think of analogies that relate to what others have in common — family, weather, vacations, and if not politically charged, current events. I’m glad you like sports, and you can go ahead and use some athletic analogies, but you’d better explain them. Then you’ll really score.
Posted in Cultural Differences, Influencing, Interviewing Skills | No Comments »
Why your Asian employee is silent in meetings
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
If your Asian employees not born in English-speaking countries are silent in meetings, it’s probably not the result of a totally conscious decision on their parts. Yes, many times people who might speak English as a *second* language are shy about speaking up in public, but usually the main reason is cultural: in Asian cultures, if you are not 100% sure of what you are saying or asking, you keep quiet. I explain that for most Americans and even Europeans, being 30 to 60% sure is good enough. Imagine the impact of this difference on group participation… and their careers. It’s huge.
Tags: Asian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Thai, Vietnamese speaking styles
Posted in Career Advancement, Cultural Differences, Presence | No Comments »