How to deal with cultural differences in business in Asia

The common trait among all the mistakes I could make in different cultural circles, however, was not to realise that my value system was different. And it is this lack of awareness that has - alas more than once - triggered my reactions of judgement and misunderstanding.

We cannot change multi-thousand-year-old cultures, but perhaps we can manage our first resource a little better: ourselves. For example, I have often seen European colleagues and friends convinced that they could bring a greater culture of change and speed to their Japanese teams, before they realised what it could mean for themselves, to fit into a culture where decisions follow a different path.

To control ourselves better, we must understand ourselves better. This Socratic aphorism still has much validity today for dealing with cultural diversity, particularly in Asia.

It is certainly important to prepare ourselves, reading, listening and learning. But the step we most often forget is to understand the starting point well: ourselves. In the Japanese example above, one would have to understand one's own levels of patience, approach to hierarchy and precision well in order not to go down the path of judgement and make mistakes, judging Japanese as 'slow, formal and fussy'.

Working in international roles within Western companies, I often heard my teams complain about Asian partners hiding important details. The terms used were at best condescending, if not directly derogatory: 'they lie', 'they are hypocrites', etc.

Although it is not the subject of this article, I have observed a similar phenomenon in the comparison with US partners: 'they are fanatical, arrogant', 'they don't listen', etc.

But why are we so bothered by these presentations of facts that seem far removed from our concept of truth? Precisely because we Europeans are culturally absolutists of truth. This is a very beautiful thing from which extraordinary schools of thought have sprung: Kantian transcendence, Cartesian rigour and many others. But be careful not to become dogmatic and refuse to understand that the concept of truth varies from one continent to another. In Asia, truth - or facts that must be shared - is what helps consolidate face. In America, it is what gives energy to act. Our European reading of the facts - who is right? What is true? What is not? - can therefore generate enormous frustrations. Making us feel mocked, and making us feel bullied.

In summary,

- European truth: what I can prove (QED), which creates authority

- Asian truth: that which consolidates the face, which creates relationships

- American truth: what is said with assertiveness, which creates energy

So? In business terms, what can we do? First, temper our reactions and take the time to understand why we are so shaken in our beliefs. In a second step, if we think the facts are incomplete, figure out where and how to get a more complete picture.... Not in this meeting, not in this phone call, and almost always in Asia, much better with an intermediary.

Of course we must not be naive: deception and dishonesty exist everywhere. My point is that if we react at the same time, without being aware of our distortions, we risk a lot.

In Asia, perhaps more than in other regions of the world, every confrontation with cultural diversity is a mirror put in front of us, a chance to get to know each other better, and to grow both professionally and personally. Let us not miss it.

*Beauty & luxury business executive, board member Babe Invest