A couple of the previous examples are of differences in cultural body language - how people communicate without words. The cues to a person’s mood or level of comfort vary considerably from one place to another, so we need to be observant to determine when and how people show happiness, displeasure or discomfort. There is also the matter of personal space. In many Latino or Hispanic cultures, for instance, people converse at very close distances. I recall watching a salesman from Columbia practically chase a German businessman across a tradeshow booth during the course of a conversation because, as the salesman got close enough to feel comfortable, the German businessman would take a step back to protect his “space cushion.”

Of course, verbal language is important too. You don’t have to be fluent in another language to impress others with the fact that you have at least learned a few phrases to be polite. It also helps if your employees learn enough of the local language to at least know when others are talking about your company. The flip-side of this caution is that you should never assume people don’t understand what you are saying. Two French women on a tour bus had shrugged their shoulders when a boorish Texan asked them what they thought of their then-new socialist government. He began speaking with disdain to another passenger about their inability to converse in English. I quietly asked one of the women how many languages she spoke. The answer was six, not including English.

No two people from any country or upbringing are exactly alike, so there is danger in generalizing about customs and culture. But there is an even greater danger in ignoring widely shared norms.