Cross-Cultural Communication 30-Day Challenge – Build Trust
This is the first of five articles on how to build trust in cross-cultural communication by being honest.
Be Honest
It goes without saying that trust is based on honesty. However, in a business environment it is not always easy to make sure this honesty comes across as it should. This is usually due to little cross-cultural nuances. Any perceived lack of honesty can:
- Potentially kill international business relationships
- Damage the connection you have already established
- Create long term havoc
This is why it is important to dig deeper into a few different areas of how cultural differences effect:
- Honesty
- Cultural differences in what is perceived as being honest or dishonest
- Our own definitions and boundaries of honesty within a business environment
Our first tip in this series states the obvious…
Trust In Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge – Tip 16
Be open and truthful
Everyone thinks of themselves as a good person. We are all generally happy of our own level of being open and truthful. For really effective cross-cultural communication we need to look a little closer at today’s tip.
Cultural Differences In How To Be Truthful
With a little international experience, it is easy to realize that different cultures have different interpretations, and different ways of being open and truthful. There are many factors that come into play here, the two big ones are:
- Cultural taboos
- Direct and indirect communication cultural differences
Your Definition Of Being Truthful
It is also interesting to look at your own definition of truth and what you consider a truthful attitude in business. Different people have different boundaries for what they consider as truthful.
- Some people accept distorted versions of the facts and some people do not. Different people have different boundaries to what is “acceptable“.
- Some people can accept to avoid the real issue and still consider they are truthful and some people would consider this as untruthful.
This can be a fascinating discussion with a group of people from different backgrounds. When you include people from different cultures into this discussion there is sure to be a great diversity of opinions when you start looking at the finer details.
Even if you strive to be truthful in all circumstances, there will always be circumstances to challenge your own definitions. When this happens, it can become a personal exercise in developing stronger cross-cultural skills.
When Truth Is Difficult
Let’s face it there are business environments where it is difficult to associate the word “truthful” with the environment. And the big questions are:
- What do other cultures think about this?
- Does this effect your business?
- Should you do anything about this?
- What can you do to improve the impression of being truthful?
Why Is It Important To Tell The Truth
The question of how truthful you and your business are perceived by other cultures is vital to your international success. Being truthful and trustworthy are part of the core of business basics.
If you are not perceived as being truthful, you lose trust and… nobody wants to do business with a company they cannot trust. You may feel forced to do business with a company you do not trust , but you will not want to do business with them, and this means there is a problem.
This is why you need to be aware of how truthful and open you and your business are perceived.
What can you do about it?
Two Tactics Used To Appear Truthful
One classic business tactic is to use a team with “good cops and bad cops“. This tactic is used for several reasons which generally try to have more control over the client relationship. Be careful:
- Different cultures are not dupe and some may not appreciate this tactic.
When using this tactic you need to pay attention to coming across as truthful. A coherent message must get across to the other culture.
Another tactic is to always say “yes” to everything in an attempt to please. This often leads to questions that raise doubts about:
- Just how truthful is this person
- Do you have the same definitions for what is said
Systematically saying “yes” to everything can do more harm than good.
Remember to think about how the tactics you use could come across in different cultures. Don’t assume they come across as you think they do… even if your international client smiles back at you, and even when all seems wonderful.
Finding The Right Path
The best way to develop strong cross-cultural relationships is simply to be open and truthful in all circumstances and to strive to be perceived as such in the other cultures. This sounds simple enough on paper; in practice it can be a little complicated. come upon the questions of:
- How much to divulge when being truthful
- What information should you share to be truthful
Cross-cultural relationships often appear to be more friendly than your usual business contacts. There is a danger of relaxing too much. This is where you need:
- Good business sense to make the right decisions
- Strong management to know what you need to do
- Great teamwork within your company to find the most appropriate solutions
Being open and truthful in an international business environment is not always as easy as it may seem. One of the best places to see strong international skills at work is in the trenches, when someone comes across as open and truthful within a strong clash of cultures.
What about you?
- How honest and truthful do you think your international clients perceive you and your company?
- Have you ever dealt with a dishonest international company?
- How do you think perception of honesty, truthfulness and openness effects your international business success?
Get All Cross-Cultural Communication Tips:
- Read more about all of the 2009 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges
- Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 1 – Expand Your Mindset
- Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 2 – Get Extreme With Clarity
- Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 3 – Build Trust
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