Body language is a type of nonverbal communication that uses our facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and gestures to convey our (hidden) feelings and motives. Were you aware, though, that nonverbal cues commonly used in some cultures can be offensive in others? Consider the following examples: While maintaining healthy eye contact often signify […]
4 Aspects of Body Language – What They May Mean in Your Culture Read More »
“I prefer hiring candidates from ethnicity A because those from ethnicity B are generally lazy and unproductive.” “Ladies do not make good bosses because they’re typically mean, controlling and moody all the time.” “Oh no, I’ve got a Millennial on my project team. These Millennials always feel they are so entitled!” Whether we like to
Cultural Intelligence – The Cure to Stereotyping Read More »
When you notice two people speaking very loudly and gesturing animatedly, would you assume they are arguing or just having a normal conversation? Or when someone comments negatively on the work you produce, does that affect you emotionally as a person? Do you welcome disagreements or challenges to your idea in front of your fellow
When Is Conflict not a Conflict? Read More »
Ronald requires a third-party reviewer to provide feedback on his recent evaluation report for a construction project. He sent the documents via email to his peer, Thomas, two weeks ago but has not received a response. He decides to send a reminder email to Thomas. When Ronald returns to the office the next day, there
Are You Known for Responding in a Timely Manner? Read More »
Let us imagine that you work as a senior finance personnel in the Kuala Lumpur branch of a multinational pharmaceutical organization. Recently, a decision was made to standardize your finance processes across all regions so as to create a One Finance Team rather than individual silos that operate with varying reporting systems. A change management
3 Keys to Developing Critical Thinking for Malaysians – From Local to Global Read More »
Have you ever had a 15-minute internal conversation with yourself to decide if you should share your idea or not, just to have your colleague voice out the exact same idea during a company meeting? And when that same idea was hailed as a fantastic solution to the problem at hand, you kicked yourself with
The Valued Contributor vs The Silent Observer – Which Are You? Read More »
The Head of Project Management, an American named Michael, has called for a team meeting to discuss the details of an upcoming new project that is scheduled to begin in two weeks’ time. He has asked the team to be prepared to cover all aspects of the project – time, resources, issues – so that
3 Steps to Making Your Value Known When Working with Western Cultures Read More »
In the past, an international corporation’s Customer Inventory Planning was done separately by teams located in its respective regions. Recently, the company decided to merge its Asia Pacific and Japanese planning operations together. Senior advisers from both teams (a Malaysian named May and a Japanese named Kaori) arranged a conference call to discuss their responsibilities, existing
5 Key Points to Consider When Making Conference Calls across Cultures Read More »
An international organization held a conference in Malaysia to standardize its manufacturing line processes across the different regions and participants came from all over the world. The organizers had offered to provide transportation for the delegates from their hotels to the conference site. As the Japanese participants had initially politely declined the offer, the organizers
Malaysian Communication-Stating an Opinion Outright vs Implying a Point Read More »
Katrina*, a Danish national, is here in Malaysia for a 2-year expat assignment to assist in standardizing the company’s policies and procedures on a global scale. After understanding how a particular process is done in Malaysia, Katrina explained how it is done on a Group level and provided suggestions on the improvements that can be
Why Don’t Malaysians Like Asking for Help? Read More »
