I raised the question about other "customs" -- what's right and wrong? A number of replies have been sent in sharing individuals' experiences when visiting new markets in different countries and what they have had to learn."Dear Charlotte: I've traveled in over 20 countries. I am an American and I have had to learn to not jump right in. Americans tend to like to 'get to the point' and to know definitively what is going to happen at each step of the way. Life just isn't like that in other places!" (Greg W., Detroit, MI)
"Hi Charlotte: I travel to Turkey and neighboring places. The best thing that has happened to me is that I have had to learn to chill out some. I used to be a 'go-getter.' In my field you have to be competitive. In the past it has been very much a man's world.
"Two things that I've had to learn to be successful in sales is that first, communication begins with social chat, then a mention of the work at hand, and then goes back to social chat. The second point is that in many cultures, women are not as easily accepted in the role of competent business people as in the United States. Because of their cultural norms, it takes more time for international business contacts to trust a woman's knowledge and competency. I had to get used to both of these!" (Carol, Atlanta, GA)
Both of these letters share with us such helpful points. You've probably heard about the example of a Western businessman discussing some important points to clench an international deal. When the foreign businessperson asked his last question, the Westerner replied saying, "No problem." The foreign businessperson interpreted this reply as meaning, "No, there is a problem." The deal was lost.
The process of communication takes longer.
As for businesswomen in the Middle East, in some situations you may be ignored at business meetings if the group is there with male colleagues; historically, women have been seen as assistants, not the ones in charge. This is definitely changing -- at least in Turkey!
If you are traveling with male colleagues and your team wants to achieve its goals, your group should overtly refer to the women being neglected and solicit her opinions on matters to keep all parties included during the meeting.
Try not to show your shock when you come across some behavior that upsets you -- maintaining professionalism is a great asset.
Another Today's Zaman reader, who teaches at a school in Turkey, expressed great frustration with how long it takes to make decisions and get approvals. The person shared how perplexing it is for him that Turks drive like they are in a rush to get somewhere, taking risks -- just driving like they are crazy -- but when it comes to the process of decision-making it the complete opposite. The reader touches on a sore spot -- the use of time. Most Westerners experience some degree of frustration with all the time it can take to get consensus on a point. You'll learn quickly that you should not try to hurry the process.
It is all about relationship and exercising one's authority!
It is so important to understand that the relationship between parties is more important than the contract. Perhaps you have noticed that in negotiations, no doesn't mean no most of the time; it means maybe. If you are a globetrotter, you probably have already discovered that in many Asian countries, "maybe" means no.
Here's one more valuable comment from a Today's Zaman reader:
"Dear Charlotte: I'm in logistics. My company has sought many new markets abroad. I deal with arranging freight forwarding, negotiating in foreign currencies, collaborating with cargo airlines and tax deductibility. I set up the logistics office and pave the way for other employees to come. To help my visitors warm to the place, I choose activities that I think they will enjoy. After doing this in a few different places, I realized that really they need some cultural orientation to the place too." (Patrick, UK)
Dear Patrick. You are so right! I had a sharp learning curve and quickly learned that it was my job to understand cultural expectations to get the job done.
It is so true that one of the quickest ways to learn and become a success is to learn from those who have gone before you.
