The Culture Map: Navigating Invisible Boundaries

This post compiles insights from Erin Meyer’s book “The Culture Map” and highlights key considerations when doing business with different countries. It explores work cultures, leadership approaches, time management, and trust-building strategies across various nations. In here, I just summarized United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Turkey and Spain.

Core Concepts

The book identifies 8 key dimensions to understand cultural differences:

1. Communicating: Differences between low-context and high-context communication. In low-context countries like the USA, messages are clear and direct, whereas in high-context countries like Japan, messages are conveyed indirectly.
2. Evaluating: Feedback styles can be direct or indirect.
3. Persuading: Approaches to persuasion differ between principles-first and applications-first reasoning.
4. Leading: Leadership styles range from egalitarian to hierarchical.
5. Deciding: Decision-making can be consensual or top-down.
6. Trusting: Trust-building can be task-based or relationship-based.
7. Disagreeing: Cultures differ in their approach to conflict, ranging from confrontational to avoiding confrontation.
8. Scheduling: Time perception varies between linear-time (strict scheduling) and flexible-time (adaptable schedules).

Cultural Map by Country

United States

• Communicating: Low-context, clear and direct.
• Evaluating: Direct and open feedback.
• Persuading: Applications-first approach.
• Leading: Egalitarian but decisive.
• Deciding: Individual decision-making (top-down).
• Trusting: Task-based.
• Disagreeing: Open and direct discussions.
• Scheduling: Strict and organized.

United Kingdom (UK)

• Communicating: Low-context but indirect expressions are common.
• Evaluating: Feedback is given politely and indirectly.
• Persuading: Principles-first approach.
• Leading: Egalitarian but structured.
• Deciding: Decisions are manager-led but involve consultation.
• Trusting: Task-based, supported by social interactions.
• Disagreeing: Conflict is generally avoided.
• Scheduling: Strict and organized.

France

• Communicating: High-context, analytical and critical.
• Evaluating: Direct criticism is common.
• Persuading: Principles-first logic is emphasized.
• Leading: Hierarchical but intellectual authority is respected.
• Deciding: Participatory but the leader makes the final decision.
• Trusting: Based on intellectual competence.
• Disagreeing: Open and direct debates are common.
• Scheduling: Flexible but organized.

Germany

• Communicating: Low-context, direct.
• Evaluating: Direct and open feedback.
• Persuading: Principles-first with emphasis on analysis and logic.
• Leading: Hierarchical and systematic.
• Deciding: Consensus-driven, but the process is lengthy.
• Trusting: Task-oriented and based on reliability.
• Disagreeing: Open and analytical discussions.
• Scheduling: Strict and punctual.

Turkey

• Communicating: High-context, indirect.
• Evaluating: Feedback is usually given indirectly.
• Persuading: Principles-first and sensitive to cultural values.
• Leading: Hierarchical but paternalistic.
• Deciding: Decisions are typically top-down.
• Trusting: Relationship-based.
• Disagreeing: Conflicts are resolved indirectly.
• Scheduling: Flexible and variable.

Spain

• Communicating: High-context.
• Evaluating: Feedback is soft and indirect.
• Persuading: Principles-first but open to practical applications.
• Leading: Hierarchical but personable.
• Deciding: Top-down decisions, but social bonds are important.
• Trusting: Relationship-based.
• Disagreeing: Conflicts are generally resolved indirectly.
• Scheduling: Flexible and improvisational.

Fun Facts About Cultural Differences

🔹 Germans are among the boldest when it comes to giving direct feedback! They see open criticism as natural and even constructive. However, this same straightforwardness could be seen as highly disrespectful in Japan.

🔹 The French love to debate! If your ideas are being challenged in a meeting, it’s not an attack—it’s considered an intellectual exercise.

🔹 Americans are pragmatic about trust! Trust is based on job performance rather than personal relationships. The mindset is often, “If you do good work, we’re good.”

🔹 The British are masters of polite criticism! When they say, “That’s interesting,” they might actually mean, “That’s a terrible idea.”

🔹 Spaniards and Turks start business meetings by building friendship first! They prefer to chat over coffee or a meal before diving into business, as this strengthens working relationships.

🔹 The Japanese are comfortable with silence! Long pauses are seen as a time to think. In contrast, silence often feels awkward for Americans.

🔹 Swedes and Germans can be slow in decision-making! They take their time to ensure everyone is involved in the process and to find the most logical solution.

These cultural quirks can be surprising in the business world and are essential for effective communication!

This cultural map serves as a guide to prevent misunderstandings and build more effective business relationships when working across cultures. By adopting strategies suited to your work environment, you can enhance your international success and team management. With this guidance you can understand your customers more better, it is very important to know your target community details.

Special thanks to Erin Meyer for her incredible work 🙏

As a Turk person, The Culture Map helps to explain why, in high-context and relationship-based cultures like Turkey, using intermediaries or leveraging connections (known as “torpil”) is seen as a natural approach to problem-solving.

Credits: Erin Meyer – The culture map book