Do you work internationally? If so, you’ve no doubt found yourself in the awkward position of having to organise a meeting with all your business partners. This is where worlds literally collide. And it’s just as easy for minor – or even major – faux pas to occur. For example, if you criticise the ideas put forward by your Chinese business partner. What is considered standard practice at any meeting in Germany amounts to a loss of face in China and is therefore bound to cause offence. Or perhaps you want to start a meeting punctually at nine o’clock, but everyone is present except for the representative in India. Punctuality is taken very seriously in Germany, whereas in India time is not linear and is measured by how important an event is. As you can see, there are many pitfalls you can fall into. We’ll share five tips on how you can still successfully organise cross-cultural meetings with people from diverse backgrounds.
1. Familiarise yourself with international customs
Preparation on your part as the organiser is the most important rule for meetings. Familiarise yourself with the specific customs of the international participants. The following checklist can help ensure you don’t overlook any important points:
- Which nationalities will be coming together?
- What are the respective understandings of what a meeting entails in each country?
- Where will you seat your guests?
- How will you welcome and bid them farewell?
- What do your business partners expect from you?
Whilst the British tend to be rather reserved in intercultural meetings, Americans, on the other hand, are quite relaxed. Humour also plays a key role here. Russians are generally very direct and keep business agreements strictly to the office, whilst in India, Venezuela or Turkey, trust plays a very significant role. This trust is built not only during the meeting itself, but also through the social programme. You can please the Japanese with a small welcome gift, although strict rules apply here: avoid the number 4 (an unlucky number) and anything in black or white, as these colours are reserved for funerals. With all these tips in mind, avoid over-generalising and letting yourself be guided by clichés. Ultimately, you need to respond to your partners as individuals. You should therefore always incorporate personal aspects into your planning.
2. Structuring intercultural meetings
Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the people involved, you should consider a structure for your meeting that everyone can get on board with. Here, too, there are a few points to bear in mind:
- It’s best to provide all participants with the key information in advance. This includes a detailed timetable with directions and an agenda, so that everyone can prepare accordingly.
- Allow for participants who may arrive late due to cultural reasons, and make sure to build in sufficient time buffers. This is particularly important during the group lunch, which should serve as an opportunity for all participants to get to know one another at their own pace.
- If you’re planning a meeting lasting several days, don’t over-schedule the individual days so that all participants remain receptive.
- It is best to communicate your expectations of the meeting and the participants right at the start, so that everyone can adjust accordingly.
3. Fostering collaboration within the meeting
It’s not just important for you to get on well with your business partners; it’s also very helpful for the participants to foster an understanding of each other’s cultures. You can take the first step with a round of introductions. This allows the individual participants to get to know one another and minimises the usual tendency for cliques to form. During lunch, the participants can further build connections with one another. Just be careful with sensitive topics such as faith, religion and politics. This requires a great deal of tact. Should you notice that a sensitive issue is arising, it is your role to act as a mediator and steer the conversation back to safer ground.
4. Respecting dietary habits
Speaking of lunch: there are various pitfalls to watch out for here too. It is also an important meeting rule that you are fully aware of your partners’ dietary habits. This naturally includes ensuring that pork and alcohol are avoided when meeting with participants of Muslim faith. However, dietary habits that are not quite so obvious should also be taken into account. In Asia, for example, it is considered an insult to finish everything on your plate. This is because, in that culture, it implies that the host has not provided enough food. Whilst business lunches in Germany and other Western countries tend to be rather formal, a meal with business partners in southern countries is a very convivial affair. Here, you can certainly let yourself get carried away and, above all, make sure you allow plenty of time for small talk. Spaniards and others are rather reluctant to discuss business matters over a meal.
5. Organising a suitable supporting programme
For intercultural meetings lasting several days, it is usually expected that there will be time for leisure activities alongside business matters. As the organiser, you can and should be proactive and creative here. However, you’ll also need a bit of tact when putting together the right supporting programme. Think carefully about what is relevant to the individual meeting participants. If everyone is new to your home town, for example, a guided tour of the city would be worthwhile for everyone. If only a few participants are new, an in-depth tour on a specific topic might be more relevant. When planning the evening programme, you should also bear in mind the customs of your business partners. In India, for example, drinking alcohol in public is frowned upon. You should therefore not pressure your Indian business partner into going to a bar, but rather offer something of cultural interest.
There are a number of meeting etiquette rules to bear in mind if you wish to organise a successful intercultural conference. If you follow our tips, you’ll be less likely to fall into a trap and unintentionally upset someone. If you also create a welcoming atmosphere – for example, in an office at COLLECTION Business Centre – your partners will be delighted.
Cover image: ©Shutterstock/ Monkey Business Images
