Importance of Cultural education

Recently, I read an interesting article on the importance of studying another culture, an interview of Philippe Guettat, Chairman and chief executive of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouet. The article was featured on The New York Times International business section. I noticed, especially in the section where he talks about his life in China, excerpt below, that this is exactly what our Unicultural® training delve into. 

• Q. What did you learn in China?
  
• A. Respect, curiosity, attention to detail, and the capacity to listen to others and display real genuine interest. You have to be true to yourself. There is always this need for the Chinese to really know the people they’re dealing with, and they’re very good at finding that out. In fact, it will be much easier to work when they understand you and the way you function. So it’s really about being sincere, simple and approachable. There is a lot of resistance in Asia, and in particular China, when you are too distant or seem arrogant. You need to show you can have fun, too, and you’re a human being.
  

Not just understanding the etiquette and dos and don’ts, but respecting, and adjusting ourselves to the way other cultures work and value people. The more we resist and do things “my way”, the more resistance you will get, and in effect a failed assignment or project. Managing a team, means working well and maximizing the talents and resources you have in the people you work with. It is imperative to understand and adjust our own way of behavior, in a strategic way.