Cross-cultural awareness

Cultural awareness is a vital part of our globalized society and it encompasses the ability to see a situation from multiple cultural perspectives simultaneously.  Whether you are relocating to a new country for a job assignment, participating in a study-abroad program or traveling abroad for a business meeting, been thrown into a new culture might seem like a shock to you. Any little detail from how you shake hands to what you choose to talk about during lunch can make or break your visit.
Cross-cultural blunders occur when we see other cultures through our own cultural limitations. In many cases we tend to assume and add unnecessary judgment in situations that we are not familiar with. Studying cross-cultural awareness becomes even more important if you are a part of a company that has global presence.  
When conducting global business you have to know when it is appropriate for a lunch meeting to go over time and when you have to be aware of time constraints and wrap up a meeting right on time. The way you greet people is also vital if you want to make a good first impression. In some cultures (US is one of them) it is encouraged to be the first person who introduces themselves and says hello; on the other hand, in other cultures (e.g. Korea or Japan) it is expected to wait until a person of a higher professional rank greets you first.
While it could be challenging to break out of you cultural constraints you can achieve it with cultural awareness training. Exercises that work the best are those that push you out of your comfort zone and make you see how things can be perceived in different cultural backgrounds. A great example of the exercise mentioned above is being asked to give negative feedback to people from various cultural background and learn from each other how people give and react to feedback in different cultures.
You can even work on your cultural awareness from the comfort of your own home. Some great ways to do that are to learn about traditional celebrations from other countries, study about education around the world and read proverbs from different languages. Whatever you do to improve your cross-cultural awareness, remember to notice, understand and embrace cultural differences.

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