Controller Magazine, NOVEMBER 1997
Culture Class

by Ivy McLemore
A Houston-based financial writer

BUSINESS CARD!
NEVER ASSUME EVERYONE WANTS
YOUR CARD IN THE FIRST PLACE.

A finance department employee for an East Coast organization was sent to Germany to represent the company on a critical project. He had shown a lot of poise and confidence and even studied German at Harvard. The plan was to give the employee a book on German culture, have him study it on the plane trip over, and he'd be all set. Wrong.

When the employee arrived overseas, he failed to recognize the a1l-important protocol of not calling German businessmen by their first names. While his German counterparts kept addressing him as "Mr.," he kept calling them "Wolfgang" and "Klaus." He couldn't quite figure out why the Germans were standoffish and business negotiations were at a standstill. When he returned to the U.S. he learned that international protocol dictates that you never start out on a first-name basis with representatives from certain countries.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. But what exactly is it that the Romans do? And the Japanese? And the Colombians? A growing global marketplace has made decorum a high priority in the business world. That's why etiquette and international protocol training has started to receive considerable attention from companies that frequently send finance employees overseas.

Without sufficient training, how else would an accountant know not to write notes in red ink or use the number four in the People's Republic of China? Why? Because it signifies the writer will soon die. Would you know not to show the soles of your shoes in Singapore, which is considered offensive? Or  not to use the "thumbs up" gesture, which is offensive throughout the Arab world? Or that the sign for OK in the U.S., a circle made with the index finger and thumb, is considered vulgar in Brazil?

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Experts on business protocol and etiquette agree that such situations easily can be avoided by doing a little homework on a country's cultural basics before making any business trip overseas. "I think Americans can be, unfortunately, a little insular in a cultural sense," says Carolyn Feuille-Le Chevallier, a California-based independent consultant in intercultural communications. "The standard position of many Americans who go abroad without any preparation is that Americans are in a position of power and other people have to listen to us.

"I've been in the intercultural field for about 15 years and the same issue keeps coming up. Americans' aware- ness of people and cultures outside their own doesn't seem to increase."

As a rule, business travelers should be aware of the etiquette in any given country - not just for table manners, but for how you should treat people overall in accordance with age, position, gender, and status. And before you try to learn about the etiquette of any foreign country, you should try to develop an understanding of etiquette in the U.S.

"Our society has gone through dramatic change in the last 30 years," says Gloria Petersen, director of Gloria Petersen & Associates, a Chicago- based company specializing in business protocol and etiquette. "We went from a turbulent '60s to a liberated '70s '": to a greedy '80s, to a people-conscious '90s. A return to traditional, values will be leading us into the next millennium.

WHEN IN ROME...

Planning an important business trip overseas soon? Need to brush up on some country-specific do's and don'ts in terms of etiquette and business protocol? Before you go globetrotting, consider the following:

Argentina -To summon a waiter, don't adopt the local habit of using a kissing noise, as this is considered impolite.

Denmark -When ascending a flight of stairs, men precede women. When descending, women precede men.

Egypt- Coffee is served near the end of a business meeting, a sign that the meeting will soon conclude. Incense may be lit at this time as well.

England -When you are invited to an English home, you may bring flowers. But don't bring white lilies, which signify death.

France -Use Madame for all women, except young girls.

Guatemala -The "fig" gesture {thumb-tip protruding from between the fingers of a closed fist) is considered obscene. How- ever, in some parts of South America, including Brazil, it is considered a gesture of good luck!

Hong Kong -A very traditional Chinese restaurant might not provide napkins. Instead, you are expected to wipe your hands on the tablecloth. At such a restaurant, leaving a messy tablecloth indicates that you have eaten well and enjoyed the food.

Indonesia -The head is considered the seat of the soul by many Indonesians. Never touch someone's head, not even to pat the hair of a child.

Italy - Never ask someone you have just met at a social gather- ing about his or her profession. To do so is considered gauche, even insulting.

Japan -If someone bows to greet you, observe carefully. Bow to the same depth as you have been bowed to, because the depth of the bow indicates the status of the relationship between you.

Poland- Despite having to go to work early, the Poles love to stay up late, talking and drinking. Leaving early may insult them, 50 be prepared for a long night.

Russia -You may be asked to sign a Protokol after each meeting. This is a joint statement that delineates what was discussed. It is not a formal agreement.

Spain -In the continental style of eating, the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right, and they are never switched. Push food onto the fork with the knife.

Venezuela -After the first business contact, it is appropriate for the senior executive of the U.S. firm to write the senior executive of the Venezuelan firm expressing thanks.

"So many changes have occurred in our culture that a lot of businesspeople don't even understand what's going on here. And if you don't have a sense and feel of the changes that have evolved in our own society, how can you really be sensitized to the changes when you go abroad?"

Indeed, protocol and etiquette complement each other. Protocol is about formality, which is internationally understood. It's about rank. Etiquette, by comparison, is about good manners and respect. While only the highest- ranking company official can change a protocol, etiquette simply changes with the times.

How, then, do you prevent yourself from committing a faux pas that can embarrass you and your company? Experts offer the following tips on a variety of situations:

The handshake. This is a hot topic domestically as people wrestle with the correct way to apply the first step of business protocol. "A lot of men were taught to wait for the woman to extend her hand, but that's an old rule," says Barbara Pachter, president of Cherry Hill, N.J.-based Pachter & Associates and I author of the "Prentice-Hall 1 Complete Business Etiquette Handbook." "A lot of women weren't taught to shake hands. In a perfect world, the higher-ranking person should extend his or her hand first, so you give that person a split second, and if it doesn't happen, you extend your hand.

"The key is to go thumb joint to thumb joint where the thumb, and the index finger meet. You put your thumb down and wrap your fingers around the palm of the other person. In - the U.S., two or three pumps is enough. It should be firm, but not bone-breaking."

Adds Petersen, "In our business environment today, it comes down to whoever wants to take the initiative. It's no longer a gender issue. But when traveling abroad, the woman would initiate the handshake."

The business card. "Your introductions are the most important thing that you need to have." says Cynthia Lett, president of The Lett Gropp., a Maryland-based etiquette and protocol consulting firm. "In America, we tend to pull out our business card and try to shove it at people before they ask for it. That's one of the things that you don't do in most cultures. The business card is not some thing that is as frivolous as it is here. It is considered a gift, particularly in Asia."

Lett says the correct way to present your card overseas is to use both hands with the printing positioned so it is facing the person who is on the receiving end. If you're going to a country that does not have English as a first language, your cards need to have the pertinent information translated on the reverse side.

"The whole point of doing business overseas is not to go over there and say, 'I'm an American and I do it better than you do it.' It's to give respect to who you are working with and to their culture and make them believe that you want to learn about their culture."

 

Language skills. "I've seen Americans traveling to Europe assume that foreigners are going to speak English to them," says Feuille-Le Chevallier. They'll walk up to someone and ask, 'Where's the restroom?' They don't even say, 'Excuse me. Do you speak English?' If that happened over here, we'd think foreigners were crazy or ignorant or even undereducated. Yet educated Americans go overseas and do something like this ail the time.

"Granted, people don't have I much time to do language training " when preparing for business trips overseas. But learning a few words makes people think that you've at least made an effort and improves the working relationship enormously."

Recovering from a faux pas. "The most frequent question I'm asked is, 'If you get in a situation and commit a faux pas, how do you rebound out of --it? '" Petersen says. "My advice is that people who see that you are trying to understand another culture are actually more understanding than you think they are. Recognize it, admit it, and then move forward. The way you overcome a faux pas will help you earn respect."

Building relationships. "In addition to focusing on business, it's difficult for some employees who are going overseas only for a week or two to focus on relationships with people they're doing business with," Feuille-Le Chevallier says.

"Foreign countries emphasize this aspect more than Americans, who are usually open-minded and willing to negotiate with anyone. But in Asian countries, it takes months and years to build business with a company. They may negotiate for a year or two before they actually get a contract. Even in England, it takes a lot longer than a year to get agreements going."

Adds Petersen, "In high-context cultures, such as those in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, people are into the building of relationships. They don't do business with you unless they like you. You might even make three trips, in some cases, before that relationship is established."

Telling jokes. Forget it. Or at least be very cautious. "Humor doesn't travel, especially sarcasm. It goes right over people's heads," Pachter says.

Preparation. "When you go to another country, you should spend at least 30 hours of research into that other culture," Petersen says. "Make sure you know someone native on the other end who can speak our language fluently and who can work with you for a day or two before you start meeting with clients. You need to practice protocols that are native to that country. An investment in someone to help you is worth its weight in gold."

Adds Lett, "The first thing I tell people is that they should keep up with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Web site (www.commerce.gov). They give you a brief protocol update on several countries and information about each country's economy and geography. This is one of my biggest pet peeves -most Americans never look at a map of the country they're going to. They have no idea of the relationship between the city they're going to and the rest of that country."

Take it from a finance employee who spent two years in France on assignment -it pays to do your homework. Mike Owen, assistant controller for ESS Technology Inc. in Fremont, Calif., studied several books on France and French culture before leaving the U.S.

"I had to do the studying all on my own," Owen says. "It helps if you're armed with a healthy curiosity. And to be successful, you have to realize that you 're representing more than just yourself and your company; you're representing an entire country."

Above all, experts emphasize that you have only one chance to make a good first impression. And when you're representing a company on business, that first impression can have lasting and expensive ramifications.

Ivy McLemore is a Houston-based financial writer:

 

The dynamics of an expanding global market change by the minute; consequently, your personal presentation, behavior, and proper business protocol play a crucial role in the development of cross cultural business relationships. Gloria Petersen continually updates her programs to reflect a changing society and the need to foster diplomacy, civility and self-respect.

 

For information on international protocol training contact:

 

Global Protocol

 

Gloria Petersen President & Founder

2415 East Camelback Road Suite 700

Phoenix, Arizona 85016

 

Tel: 773-714-5043

Tel: 847-991-2660

Fax: 866-991-3520

 

GPetersen@globalprotocol.com
http://www.globalprotocol.com

CONTROLLER MAGAZINE. NOVEMBER 1997