golden rule – Success Across Cultures

In the realm of business ethics, the “golden rule” has long been championed as a guiding principle: treat others as you would want to be treated.

Yet, when navigating cross-cultural business relationships, this rule may not always apply, as cultural nuances complicate matters.

From small talk dynamics to social behaviors, each culture has its own way of doing things.

So if you treat others the way you want to be treated, misinterpretations can arise.

The Disconnect

Such misinterpretations may have serious consequences in business settings, where effective communication is paramount.

Monkey moments born out of ignorance or assumptions can strain relationships and hinder negotiations.

In today’s world, where businesses operate across borders, cultural intelligence has emerged as a critical skill set.

Cultural intelligence involves a multifaceted approach to understanding and navigating cultural differences.

It encompasses a drive to collaborate, knowledge acquisition, strategic planning for multicultural interactions, and adaptive behavior.

By fostering a high-CQ workforce, businesses can enhance relationships with clients, improve productivity, and foster diversity and inclusion.

Conversely, low CQ can lead to reputational damage, legal issues, and hindered growth.

Companies with culturally clueless employees may struggle to attract diverse talent and fail to expand their customer base.

Appreciation, Mindfulness, & Adaptability

Cultural intelligence goes beyond mere tolerance – it fosters genuine appreciation and empathy for others’ experiences and backgrounds.

Whether in the workplace, social settings, or everyday interactions, possessing a high level of CQ enables individuals to navigate diverse environments with sensitivity.

One of the key components of cultural intelligence is cultural mindfulness.

This involves being aware of one’s own cultural biases and assumptions while remaining open to learning about and embracing new cultural perspectives.

It’s about recognizing that there is no single “right” way of doing things and appreciating the richness that diversity brings to our lives.

Another aspect of CQ is cultural adaptability.

This means being able to adjust one’s behavior, communication style, and decision-making processes to fit the cultural context in which one finds themselves.

By demonstrating flexibility and a willingness to learn from others, individuals with high cultural adaptability can build stronger relationships and foster greater collaboration across cultural divides.

Companies with culturally intelligent leaders and employees are better equipped to navigate international markets, build strong partnerships, and drive innovation through diverse perspectives.

A New “Golden Rule”: Empathy

This is basically what cultural intelligence is: Empathy.

Organizations prioritizing CQ development can outperform competitors and thrive in empathy.

Empathy remains crucial in understanding others, but in the context of cross-cultural communication, adapting to different cultural norms is equally essential.

The golden rule must evolve to encompass cultural intelligence, as this study suggests – to treat others not just as you would want to be treated, but as they want to be treated.

What makes good leadership?

Charisma comes to mind. Communication and organizational skills; the ability to influence and delegate; confidence, integrity, accountability, empowerment.

All of these characteristics make for an exceptional leader.

But perhaps one of the most important attributes when working in a cross-cultural environment is empathy.

Putting Yourself in Another’s Shoes

Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and empathy regularly emerge as principal attributes of those who facilitate cross-cultural relations.

Empathy is defined as

“the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.”

When you put yourself in another’s shoes, you start to identify with their beliefs or their actions.

You attempt to understand from multiple perspectives, drawing on different cultural backgrounds and the complex nature of human lives.

How Does Empathy Differ From Sympathy?

Sympathy is sometimes used interchangeably with empathy, but they are not one and the same.

When you sympathize with someone, it means you share their feelings; you commiserate with their grief, sorrow, or misfortune.

Often, you offer compassion and comfort simply by acknowledging the person’s difficulties.

“Thoughts and prayers.”
“Sorry for your loss.”
“Thinking of you.”

These are offerings of sympathy.

Empathy, on the other hand, goes a step beyond.

“In Feeling”

From the Greek, “empatheia,” the word is a combination of the prefix, “en,” and the root, “pathos,” meaning “in” and “feeling.”

So, empathy literally means “in feeling.”

When you empathize, not only are you commiserating with someone else’s hardship, you’re taking their feelings upon yourself, feeling what they feel, assuming the emotional anguish or hardship of said individual.

John Steinbeck described the power of empathy, writing,

“You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.”

As you can probably recognize, empathy in cross-cultural relations is a powerful tool.

When entering a foreign culture, you must be able and willing to understand your colleagues or staff by feeling them in yourself.

Once you empathize and relate to their experiences, you are better positioned to understand their mentality and behavior.

Understanding will help you better navigate any conflicts that arise with individuals or groups.

And that empathy goes both ways.

As a foreign manager, you are the monkey.

So, you can only hope that your colleagues do you the same courtesy by putting themselves in your shoes and trying to understand your foreign ways.

Thus, both sides will observe the golden rule, “treat others as you would like to be treated,” which is what empathy is all about.

Next week, we’ll offer ways in which you can develop this important trait.

Tag: golden rule

Empathy: A Trait That Facilitates Cross-Cultural Relations