Mr Diaz: It looks like some of us are going to have to be here on Sunday to host the client visit.
Mr Chen: I see
Mr Diaz: Can you join us on Sunday?
Mr Chen: Yes, I think so.
Mr Diaz: That would be a great help.
Mr Chen: Yes, Sunday is an important day.
Mr Diaz: Why is that?
Mr Chen: It is my daughter’s birthday.
Mr Diaz: How nice! I hope you all enjoy it.
Mr Chen: Thank you. I appreciate your understanding.
In this exchange, Mr. Diaz believes he has secured Mr. Chen’s commitment to attend on Sunday, while Mr. Chen believes he has made it clear that he will not attend because of his daughter’s birthday. 😁
I came across this example in The Culture Map by Erin Meyer, and I found it both amusing and familiar, as it reminded me of a situation I once encountered.
I recall pointing out to a senior leader that his messages to the team (who were from a different cultural background than his own) were often unclear. He pushed back, insisting they were perfectly understandable, even though confusion was frequent and his instructions were not consistently followed.
The root cause of the problem here is cultural: in some cultures, communication is implicit, requiring the listener to “read between the lines.” These are known as high-context cultures. In contrast, low-context cultures value precision and clarity, where good communication is explicit and straightforward.
So how can this problem be solved?
- First, recognize the gap: low-context cultures value directness, while high-context cultures rely on nuance and shared understanding. This awareness could be achieved through a culture training to the team.
- Create shared communication norms, such as writing down decisions and explicitly summarizing agreements.
- Use double-layer communication, meaning to pair explicit documentation (emails, briefs) with relational conversations (informal chats, storytelling).
- Normalize clarification, encouraging teammates to ask “Just to be clear…” without stigma. So if your team members are telling you that your messages are not clear, do not resist.
- Leverage visuals, checklists, and meeting notes as universal tools to bridge styles.
I believe leaders should see culture workshops not as a “nice-to-have,” but as a direct investment in business performance. In teams made up of different nationalities, misunderstandings aren’t just awkward, they lead to missed deadlines, duplicated work, and disengaged employees who don’t feel heard. A well-designed culture workshop gives people the tools to recognize different communication styles, reduces friction, and builds trust across the team. The impact on the business is measurable: faster decision-making, higher employee retention, stronger client relationships, and ultimately, more efficient execution of strategy. In short, cultural intelligence turns diversity from a source of confusion into a competitive advantage.
