Simmons: Notes

Navigating Culture
Presented by: Anthony W. Simmons, President, Simmons Associates, Inc.
Nov. 16, 2005 - at Ces & Judy's

Changing demographics
Minority populations are more significant to our economy, and we need to learn how to navigate these different cultures.

• From 1990 to 2000, there was a 57 percent increase in the foreign-born U.S. population.
• In 2000, 26 percent of native-born Americans were estimated to have a bachelor's degree or more. Now, the same can be said for the foreign-born population in the U.S.
• In the 1990's, the buying power of white Americans increased by about 65 percent It is estimated that the buying power of minorities increased by 81 percent during the same time period.
• Collectively, minority populations are projected to have more than $2.3 trillion in spending power by 2007. That's two to three times the gross national product of Canada.

Defining culture
Culture is a set of unwritten rules. It includes shared values, beliefs, attitudes and behavior. The rules differ slightly for each culture and - moreover - we tend not to communicate about these differences.

For example, consider a company that seemed to constantly turn away Asian and Hispanic job candidates. These candidates were frequently classified as not being aggressive or assertive enough. As it turns out, these candidates may very well have possessed the appropriate skill sets for the job, but because of cultural differences in body language, they were turned away. In fact, in many Asian and Hispanic cultures, one does not make direct eye contact with authority figures; this communicates respect.

The Iceberg Model
When it comes to other people, we tend to see what's above the water - the tip of the iceberg. We often judge people based on these above-the-water attributes, such as appearance, body language, etc. What we don't always consider is what's beneath the water - the attitudes, beliefs and values that shape the behavior we see.

Culture Can Affect Everything
While culture is just one piece of the pie, it can be a major influencer in many regards. For instance, someone who has lived in a country for just a short period of time may have a completely different set of behaviors than another person who has been in that same country for a very long time.

Tony Simmons

Culture has a widespread reach, potentially affecting many things: Establishing credibility Building relationships Successful leadership styles Managing performance Obtaining information Presenting information Team behaviors Meetings & agreements Giving & receiving feedback Communicating via technology Negotiating Entertaining Training

Eight Dimensions of Culture
The U.S. culture trends toward the extremes on eight continuums of culture, as outlined by the Inter Cultural Awareness Model. Thus, the question becomes: how can we bridge these cultural gaps?

1. Structure: egalitarian -----------------------------------hierarchical
2. Style: informal --------------------------------------formal
3. Interests: individual ------------------------------------group
4. Relationships: transactional --------------------------------interpersonal
5. Communication: direct ------------------------------------------indirect
6. Time: fluid -------------------------------------------controlled
7. Control: external --------------------------------------internal
8. Motivation: balance --------------------------------------status

We make some of the worst mistakes when dealing with cultures that we assume are similar to ours - for example, the British culture - when in reality there are often large gaps in these eight dimensions.

Implications for PR Practitioners
Consider an advertisement that aimed to market jeans to the Hispanic audience. The ad featured a cool looking guy walking down the street in a pair of jeans. What the ad didn't consider was the idea that the Hispanic culture trends to place more emphasis on group interests than individual ones. The ad ended up working in reverse, until the agency finally re-shot the commercial to show the cool guy surrounded by others as he walked down the street in his jeans. The take-away for PR practitioners: don't discount the impact of culture on your messages.

Global / Cross Culture 101
The following tips can help you become better communicators with diverse groups of people.

• Increase your awareness and understanding.
• Identify your own cultural preferences.
• Prepare for the interactions.
• Don't assume your way is better and impose it, even if it has worked elsewhere.
• Slow down. Ask, observe and listen.
• Don't stereotype. Get to know others as individuals. Look for commonalities.
• Be sincere. Adapt without mimicking or changing your essential self. Let others know you are trying to better understand them.
• Review interactions so that you can improve the next time.

While all of these are effective tips, the most important action you can take is to adopt the right mindset. Always assume that you don't know, no matter who you're dealing with.