In these cases, you have more time and resources to prepare yourself by learning the cultural norms. Cultural faux pas often happen in the flow of everyday life in a new culture, but they can also occur in one-off situations, like a networking event, an interview, or a public speaking opportunity. Remember that improvement takes time and will likely involve making mistakes along way.Ģ. Granted, if you begin as a perfectionist, it’s not so easy to transform into a learner, but it’s not impossible. This can lead to catastrophizing (“If I bow the wrong way, I’ll blow this deal!”), which takes a toll and delivers little in return.įar more helpful - and enjoyable - is a learning mindset, where you see mistakes as learning opportunities and chances for improvement. For example, it can lead us to think that the goal of the cross-cultural encounter is to precisely mimic or “perform” the other culture, as if we are being graded on our performance. This psychological tightening makes it harder to be loose, spontaneous, and authentic, which is critical for building relationships in the first place.Ī perfectionistic, performance-oriented mindset can also make the situation feel more dire than it really is and lead to incorrect and counterproductive assumptions. The problem is that when we obsess over the possibility of making mistakes, or panic about how to recover, our thinking constricts. It’s also hard if you operate with what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a performance mindset, where mistakes are perceived as evidence of your underlying limitations. This is admittedly difficult - especially for perfectionists and those who have a lot on the line, like a member of a global sales team trying to close a deal. To start, reframe how you approach making mistakes, and accept them as inevitable side effects of working across cultures. Here is our five-step process for not only recovering from cultural faux pas but turning them into learning opportunities.ġ. However, when gaffes happen across cultures, they can leave you at a loss for what to do and how to respond. If the mistake happened in your own culture, you could quickly recover, because you’d have a grasp of the etiquette for apologizing. Maybe it was a joke that misfired, an unintentional violation of personal space, or a misreading of the context and cues that resulted in someone losing face. He also cautions against showing midriffs to avoid disrespect and to ensure you're allowed to enter religion sights.We’ve all been there: You’re talking to someone from another culture - perhaps while on a business trip or working with a colleague on a project - when you get a sinking feeling that you’ve made a mistake. And before you make your way to iconic sights, Saglie points out that "Catholic cathedrals and basilicas throughout Italy and Vatican City strictly enforce a strict dress code for all visitors." To ensure you're able to visit sacred sights, he advises sporting clothing that shields the shoulders, skirts and dresses that go past the knee and, for women, a shawl to wrap around sleeveless blouses in the summertime. "Meals are meant to be savored sitting down, not while walking," she says. "You can also be charged different prices depending on how you want to consume your drink – most expensive to sit at a table, cheaper to stand at the counter, cheapest to take it to go." She also points out that it's important to resist the urge to eat while you explore can't-miss attractions. She also cautions to avoid drinking coffee over a meal. "Never order a cappuccino after 10:30 (milk is considered filling and should only be consumed at breakfast)," Clark says. If you want to blend in with the locals in Italy, make sure you follow simple ordering etiquette before getting your caffeine fix.
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