We often get the question, "How can I make sure I don't unknowingly insult someone when doing business cross culturally?"

There are two main considerations. Let's take a look at the first one:

Spend some time thinking about your own cultural values and expectations. Your values drive your behavior and reactions. Once you are aware of how you traditionally approach matters, you can adapt. You may find that certain situations need to be approached differently in order to be more favorably perceived by someone who holds diverse values.

Acting rather than reacting is key. Cultural differences can provoke reactions if you have not reflected ahead of time on your values and how they drive your behaviors.

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