Some general principlesAvoid making

Some general principles

Avoid making assumptions Dont assume things about an individual or a group: take time to get to know people and find out the correct information. We all hold preconceptions and we all hold stereotypes; the important thing is to not allow them to influence our behaviour. Stay aware of your preconceptions and treat them as hypotheses, not as facts. Your instinct may have been right on the previous nine occasions it does not mean its going to be right this time. Even if you know you have a lot in common with an individual you cannot infer that you will share other interests or opinions.

If you are unsure, check it out If you are not sure of a particular custom within a country, how to pronounce someones name, or whether the written document you have put together is going to be understood, then ask someone for help. All too often we struggle along because were embarrassed to ask or were concerned about taking up other peoples time. Generally people welcome the opportunity to share their culture. Asking questions early on can save awkwardness later; it would be embarrassing to discover six months into a project that you had been pronouncing a team members name incorrectly.

Equal treatment Its not enough to treat everyone the same, you should aim to treat people as individuals and as they would want to be treated (not necessarily the same as the way you would want to be treated).

Dont worry if you make a mistake Its impossible to remember all of the differences in customs and cultures; the important point is that you make the effort to build better relationships with your international colleagues. If you make a mistake, apologise and learn from it, but dont let it stop you from gaining international experience or working with people from different backgrounds.

Build on peoples strengths We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. The benefit of any team is that everyone will have different strengths and experiences; the diversity of these experiences is likely to be even greater in an international team. Take time to get to know all team members strengths and make the most of them.

Share information Building relationships is a two-way process. If you are working with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds then try to be open about sharing information about your own culture so that they can get a better understanding of your background. For example, let people know if there are certain customs that should be obeyed within your culture and inform people of important holidays or religious days. Try to be open to questions people may ask of you but also let people know if you are uncomfortable with the questions they are putting to you (even if you have to do this through a third party).

Avoid making instant judgements We tend to make immediate evaluations based on our own culture, rather than trying to comprehend thoughts and feelings from the other persons point of view; we assume our own culture or way of life is the most natural. For example, it is easy to make judgements about an individuals level of commitment to a project based on the communications they send, their contributions to team meetings and the amount of time they are dedicating to the project. Measures of commitment vary from one culture to the next and from one individual to the next. Try to see the project from the other persons point of view before you judge their performance or contribution.