Cross Cultural Moments 1: Dinner in Paris

John was a senior executive in a major German-based global business – and just a year before had successfully completed a three-year assignment delivering fundamental re-structuring of the business across Asia, an exhausting and hugely important task for the organisation. Now he and his family had re-located back to the UK, where John had been asked to take on the MD role in a new European division.

To his surprise – a new appointment at global board level resulted in John now reporting to the first non-German at that level, a Frenchman, Peter Degard.

The two men did not know each other well at all – and John was a little irritated to be asked to visit Paris overnight for dinner with Peter, right in the middle of budget season, when a ‘phone call or VC would have been enough to get the ball rolling in John’s view.

After the usual niceties and a few of his hilarious jokes to ease the atmosphere,John tried to move the conversation on to urgent business matters – despite the constant interruptions by waiters and Peter’s clear need to discuss every detail of the menu with them. Eventually, John got Peter on to the budget issues that he thought would at least make the trip worthwhile. It didn’t take long however for Peter to broaden the focuson to how he saw John’s role and what he expected of John. One remark really took John’s breath away – ‘In the end…’ Peter said, ‘… your job is to take the blame’. John’s response was delivered in nice clear British English – ‘I don’t think so Pal’ – and the rest of the dinner was not very enjoyable. John was out of there on the first EuroStar, despite an invitation to breakfast delivered to his room later that night.

Very soon – John heard that his reputation at the board table was being questioned, that his Asia re-organisation was being characterised as flawed, and noticed that other businesses in the region were being allowed budget expansion in critical IT areas while his new division was being squeezed.

Cross Cultural Moments 2: When the Price is right

Mr. Takashima had been hired by an Australian company in Japan and was now working for the company in Sydney. Today he was reporting to Mr. Cannon, his manager, on the difficulties he had with a negotiation meeting he recently held with another Australian company in Sydney over a potential contract.

Mr. Takashima noted that Mr. Roberts, who represented the Australian company, seemed tired and frustrated at the end of the meeting. Takashima stated that he didn’t understand why, since he had found the meeting very informative. Takashima admitted, however, that he was annoyed at Roberts’ insistence for an immediate decision and answers to questions regarding the contract. These were matters Takashima felt would have to be discussed with Mr. Cannon and his department.

‘It was uncomfortable for me to say that I had no answer now to his questions’ Takashima said to Cannon ‘But it was even more difficult for me when Roberts finally said “O.K., I am willing to lower my price by 15%, but only if you would make a decision on this contract right here and now at the table. No more stalling please.” ‘

‘What did you do?’ Cannon asked. ‘I said I would get back to him’ Takashima answered. ‘I couldn’t answer all his questions without first clearing the matter back here.’