translation difficulties, like in the movie “Lost in Translation” (or when H. Clinton gifted a reset button to the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov);
etiquette: where to sit at the table, which fork is dedicated to what dish, which food should be eaten by hand, how much food should be left on the plate to look polite to various cultures, etc;
people’s appearance and physical boundaries, e.g. not wearing clothes that show certain body parts, not showing the bottoms of your feet, or kissing your business partner on the cheek 3 times as a greeting.

There is no denying that all these details are essential. If you know and use them, it will create a sense of trust and understanding between you and your business partner, making your conversation pleasant and relaxed.

But here is a different example of intercultural communication not being that obvious: Leonardo DiCaprio - Russian plane accident. Check out this very short and funny video.

You see, if DiCaprio had met this pilot in a different setting, say, at a bar, he wouldn’t have thought that the pilot was that much different from him. They would have been dressed similarly, they would have drunk according to the same bar etiquette, and they probably would have had a great conversation together in English.

Still, this story is about intercultural communication, though it wasn’t that clear. The cultural differences were hidden in the way people presented information and made decisions. The fact that we live in different cultural contexts determines when we will be nervous or calm. For the Russian pilot, it makes no sense to update passengers on the situation they cannot influence or control. However, the American passenger always wants to stay updated no matter if this is out of their control or not. This is all about what people choose to communicate, how, and when.

“Visual similarity” is the thing that usually misleads us. For example, being Bulgarian, you may think that Scandinavians behave just like you, because they don’t wear a dishdash (a traditional men’s robe in Muslim countries), they don’t pray 5 times a day, they don’t frown when you give them something with your left hand, and they don’t really care where at the table you will put them. Generally, they eat, greet, and dress just like you, and it seems completely logical that they also make decisions, present their arguments, and sign contracts in a way no different to yours. When communicating with people who dress and eat like you, especially when you have a common language, you usually feel safe and relaxed, and you don’t think about any cultural peculiarities.

But that is a total fallacy. Firstly, Scandinavians are very likely to have several stakeholder meetings before making a decision for the company, because when decisions are made by one person, it is considered unfair and unproductive. Secondly, their work schedules are full for at least a month ahead, and they are not used to doing overtime, so you will be lucky if they have these stakeholder meetings a month from now. Finally, when they decide to sign the contract after having the meetings, time will have run out for your accounting department by then. Moreover, backdating it will be out of question, because going against the law is completely unacceptable. For many Bulgarians, these are all completely alien concepts.

When people face such cultural mismatches, they are likely to have one of these two reactions:

1. This company I am working with is too weird and inefficient for us. Let’s try to find another partner.

or

2. These people just don’t know how to do business properly, I wonder how their economy still hasn’t fallen apart. Let’s just try a different country.

Both of these reactions are absolutely valid and understandable. Believe me, the Scandinavians will be just as confused as the Bulgarians, though they will probably express it more mildly.

It might be true that some complications stem from generational differences, corporate culture, or a specific partner’s personality. However, the business culture of a particular territory is most likely to be the cause of these difficulties. It’s almost impossible to notice, and it doesn’t manifest itself right away. That is why, when we encounter it on the second or third interaction with the partner, it frustrates us even more.

1) The first and most crucial thing you can do in this context is not labelling your partners as “wrong.” In the end, their society continues to exist and is probably economically prosperous. Hence, their way of doing things can yield positive results, despite the fact that for you it’s hard to believe.

2) In addition, try to remember the idea that there is no “right way” of making decisions or putting together schedules. All the ways are valid and viable, and, most importantly, they do work in their own context. But when the context changes, the habits and perceptions of people might change with it.

3) The third step you can take is to “detach” the personality of your partners from the cultural norms and general patterns. You may very well encounter a Scandinavian who works quickly and flexibly but their culture will dictate that they schedule their meetings a month ahead. This doesn’t mean they are naturally slow. If the conditions had been different, they would have been completely happy to arrange a meeting with you on the day.

Of course, these 3 steps aren't a magic pill that will “cure” all your intercultural problems at once. But if you wish to be calm and confident when it comes to intercultural interactions, I definitely recommend that you take these 3 steps.

If my words have resonated with you, and you feel the urge to learn more about intercultural communication right now, check out this blog post, where I have gathered 7 essential sources to understand this topic. Besides, you can also take a look at mine cases to learn how to exactly how cultural barriers can be overcome.