How can you be more adaptable when working with people from different cultures?

Have dinner together where different dishes for each culture are prepared. Eating together & sharing stories is maybe the most universal way to connect worldwide. Explore eachothers human history. The first impression we have of someone tells us more of our own background than of the foreign one.

Think critically about where you're getting your information from in the media - whether its the books you read, podcasts you listen to, or tv shows you watch. Are the experiences and voices being centered the same as yours? This can result in (unintentionally or not) centering your own experience as "normal" and other perspectives as different and less important. Part of being an active global citizen is to educate yourself and search out different perspectives and experiences, rather than putting the burden on others at work to educate you on their culture.

I've worked with all sorts of people in my career. In my experience I find most people respond well to just being a good human. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Be respectful and engaging. Ask questions along the way. And find opportunities for common ground.

Learning about the culture through observation and positive curiosity. Learning through reading and consuming content can be a great first step but one can learn on a deeper level when they start interacting with people from the other culture. Observing how people perceive different situations, how they behave and how they interact with each other will help one understand what is acceptable and expected in that specific culture.

Learn about the culture and then learn beyond. As a first step, take every opportunity to learn something about the new culture: documentaries, podcasts, books etc. As a second step ask yourself: “ok, so how could the people I actually meet now be different to everything I’ve just learned?” For example: How could my new colleagues from China be different than those people from China I have just heard about on a podcast? Have they studied abroad? Which generation are they from? What about their personality? etc. This requires the interest to learn, and then the willingness to really get to know your counterpart, reassess and adapt flexibly. It gives you the ability to be culturally sensitive while avoiding the stereotyping-trap.

Create your own body-language bootcamp! Body language is a huge part of communication. Especially with communicators from more indirect cultures, it helps to understand what silences, smiles, eye contact etc. mean. Understanding what they mean will come in handy when you sit at the negotiation table. A fun way to do this is by turning on tv-shows of the culture you want to communicate with and observe the body language. I recommend a daily soap as well as a politics-talkshow. Why? The first usually involves a lot of dramatic and emotional scenes: perfect to learn about things like “eye contact when someone made a mistake”, “expressions of happiness” etc. In comparison, the latter shows you what is expected in a more formal setting. ??

In my experience having casual conversations with people of different cultures works . It is about understanding from their own perspective how you can communicate effectively without you patronizing them . Conversations work more than what books generalize about cultures , understanding that there are micro - cultures within popular cultures often hidden or not popular . Ask questions for understanding than making assumptions

Allow others diverse from you share their experiences and expertise in their own mother tongue languages so you do not run the risks of excluding their indigenous knowledge. This means you need to have translaters/translations. To use a dominant language and it’s culture In a diversity team, is to weaken your team. The strengths of Diversity is lost.

Embracing diversity should start with you sharing your own perspective and being vulnerable to others . That creates rapport and enabling others to safely share their own ideas , experiences and perspectives .

Diversity propels progressive people forward. Developing countries can benefit greatly through diversity when different ideas are shared for a good cause.

Be noted! This expression (embrace diversity) is a very artistic expression that may serve false purposes or may simply be a "false" embrace. You never know. Honesty, judgment and sportsmanship are much more important and should be combined with the "embrace". Yes or yes?

Teach yourself and your coworkers/collaegues on intercultural (self)knowledge. Intercultural is interpersonal. Learning about company culture is a nice start, however bear in mind the 'typical person from..' does not exist. Knowing your own culture (upbringing, communication/behavior style, character etc) expands your ability to cooperate with others, to make the closer connection and to overcome cultural differences.

I must say; #smartemotions are being forgotten! All the time. #Empathy for instance, is a very "smart" emotion every person, especially the C-levels should explore.