Michael Landers - Culture Crossing: Discover the Key to Making Successful Connections in the New Global Era

More Praise for Culture Crossing

The most powerful influence on attitude and behavior is ones cultureand this book shows you how to be more effective with more people from different cultures.

Brian Tracy, author of How the Best Leaders Lead

I wish I had this book sooner! Between working abroad in India and starting a company in New York City, Ive found myself in so many situations where I didnt know what the cultural norm was, and I know this book would have helped me adjust to otherwise unfamiliar situations much more quickly. I cant wait to apply the lessons Ive learned from Culture Crossing to situations I know Ill find myself in in the future.

Liz Wessel, cofounder and CEO, WayUp

Michael combines a rare and deep understanding of global cultural issues with humor to create awareness on one of the most important topics of our era. His stories and teachings have been invaluable for us at SAP Academy, as we have trained hundreds of millennials from over fifty countries in our global training facility. If you serve in any organization or role in which you work with people from different cultures, run, dont walk, to read this book.

Rae Kyriazis, Global Vice President, SAP

Understanding culture is the key to creating and maintaining successful relationships in this increasingly global world. This book is a must-read for those just entering the workforce to the leaders of top companies.

Alex Churchill, Executive Chairman, VonChurch, and CEO, Gamesmith

Drawing upon his own extensive international experience, Michael has created an indispensable tool for anyone who interacts with people from other cultures. (And who among us doesnt?) Michaels insights, told in an easy-to-follow style and illustrated with eye-opening anecdotes, will help so many global citizens open up their minds and better understand each othermore easily accomplishing their mutual objectives.

Luciana Duarte, Global Head of Employee Communications, Engagement, and Culture, HP Inc.

The most profound reality we face as marketers is the multicultural fractionalization of our marketplace. We are perplexed by this, so we continue to talk in our own voice rather than learning how to listen to these diverse voices with an empathy that is agile and truly customer-centric. Michael Landers has changed the way our people think and act with his method and teaching.

Bill McDonough, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Office, M/I Homes

Culture Crossing

Discover the Key to Making Successful Connections in the New Global Era

MICHAEL LANDERS

Copyright 2017 by Michael Landers

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First Edition

Paperback print edition ISBN 978-1-62656-710-8

PDF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-711-5

IDPF e-book ISBN 978-1-62656-712-2

2016-1

Cover design: Ian Koviak, The Book Designers. Book production and interior design: VJB/Scribe. Copyeditor: Kristi Hein. Proofreader: Nancy Bell. Indexer: Rae Rice.

For Talia Belle: May your life be filled with cultural adventures, in a world filled with peace and understanding.

Know thyself.

SOCRATES

W e are all just one step away from a culture crasha phenomenon that occurs when someone from one culture unintentionally confuses, frustrates, or offends a person from another culture.

Why are we in danger of culture crashing, and more importantly, why should we care?

In this global era, when people, money, and information are flowing faster than ever across international borders, more and more of the individuals with whom you interact are from other cultures. If you dont learn how to avoid or recover from a culture crash, you will undoubtedly miss out on opportunities to build better connections and achieve greater success in all your business and personal endeavors. In this book I offer the key to truly thriving in this new global eraa skill set that will empower you to seize opportunities and create more peaceful and prosperous culture crossings in the diverse arenas where we work and live.

Culture crashes have long made headlines, as in 2013, when Microsoft founder Bill Gates insulted the South Korean president by keeping one hand in his pocket while shaking her hand Apparently no one told Messi that shoes are considered dirty and lowly in Egyptian culturethe ultimate symbol of disrespect.

Of course, international business mavens and sports stars arent the only ones prone to culture crashing. With more than 244 million people currently living outside their country of origin,wonder that these crashes are becoming more frequent and the consequences more problematic for all of usalthough we often dont even realize that culture is the culprit. Think about your own interactions. Have you ever written someone off as disrespectful or shifty because he didnt look you in the eye? Has a salespersons communication style ever stopped you from buying something you wanted? Has someones way of negotiating or getting to know you ever felt overly aggressive? How about feeling annoyed because your boss didnt credit you for your accomplishments at work or the feedback you received from a colleague seemed totally inappropriate? While many of us have had experiences like these, we rarely stop to contemplate whether the persons behavior was culturally motivatedor how our own cultural programming could have caused us to completely misinterpret what we observed.

It used to be that culture crashes occurred mostly when we traveled abroadsuch problems arose over there. Today, crashes are just as likely to occur on our home turf, where our communities and workplaces are diversifying at an astonishing rate. Its a trend thats reflected in countries and cities around the globe. The United States, for example, is home to more than 42 million documented immigrants,