Reflections on Intercultural Craftsmanship

Foreword 11
A question of perspective 13

1. Nothing so personal as culture 15
Less cultural obstacles due to globalisation? No, more, in fact! 17
Taking the obvious for granted 20
Your automatic pilot, an intercultural minefield 22
Our brain and cultural differences 26
The limits of open-mindedness 29
Minister reframed her thinking. Do you? 32
White privilege and multiple identity 34

2. Intercultural effectiveness 39
Wanted: cultural roadmap for working internationally 41
Connect: the intercultural fingerspitzengefühl, more than a trick 44
Perform: What characterises an effective ‘global player’? 47
Enjoy? Yes, enjoy! 50
The ambiguity of things 52

3. Communicative challenges 55
Convincing or bridging? 57
Adapting or adjusting? 59
Up to here and no further: setting boundaries 62
High context, low context: how does it sit with you? 64
Intercultural feedback 67
Apologizing, addressing or letting go? 70
Mindfulness & intercultural communication 72
Is there anything left to laugh about? Humour in an intercultural context 75

4. Typical intercultural themes 79
Polder professional and hierarchy 81
Mistaks and failurs: a two-sided cultural perspective 84
Young female professionals and the cultural glass ceiling 87
Safety: can you learn it? 90
Culture shock? Call it transition stress 93
The 17 faces of China 96
Time is elastic 100
Perception of happiness in different cultures 103
Plea for compassion and endless curiosity 106

5. Intercultural digital communication 109
The challenges of multicultural virtual teams 111
From your outbox 114
A treasure trove of information 117
Open data systems, a question of trust 120

6. Intercultural craftsmanship 123
Knowledge: Tips and tricks are insufficient 125
Skills: Hello, hello, are you really there? 128
Motivation: Nothing is difficult for those with the will 130
Personality: A man's character is his destiny 133
Intercultural craftsmanship is mastery 137

A final note 139
With thanks 141
Literature 142
Keywords 144
Notes 146