Cultural relations and regional trust

After the dinner I organised between Chinese investors and Saudi officials, a Saudi advisor messaged me. "The dinner was excellent. But the Chinese laughing loudly at how the Arabs were eating hot pot was inappropriate. It could damage the partnership." I had already noticed this during dinner and quietly addressed it with the Chinese delegation. They were genuinely surprised, in Chinese culture, laughing together over food mishaps builds rapport. They thought they were being warm and inclusive. But in Arab business culture, laughing at someone's unfamiliarity with food can be read as mockery, not friendliness. Both sides had good intentions. Neither understood how the other would interpret the moment. This is why I spend so much time on cultural briefings before bringing delegations together. One moment of misunderstood laughter can undo months of relationship building. The Saudi officials remained professional throughout, and the Chinese investors sent enthusiastic follow-up messages about collaboration. To an outside observer, the dinner looked successful. But I know that trust develops or breaks in these small cultural moments, not in formal negotiations. My Saudi contact is now arranging cultural training for Chinese workers joining an Aramco project next month. We'll use this as a case study, not as criticism, but as learning. After twenty years of facilitating cross-border partnerships, I've learned that cultural intelligence determines deal success far more than financial terms. The consultants who studied the Middle East will never catch these moments. Cultural fluency comes from being in the room, reading the signals, and managing both sides in real time. Successful partnerships require someone who understands what each side actually means, not just what they say. #CrossCulturalBusiness #MiddleEastBusiness #SaudiArabia #ChinaBusiness #CulturalIntelligence #InternationalPartnerships #BusinessStrategy #GCCMarkets #DealMaking #BusinessNegotiation #GlobalBusiness #MarketEntry #BusinessLeadership #StrategicPartnerships #CulturalAwareness

A Turning Point in Kyrgyz-Tajik Relations: A Vision of Regional Unity and Modern Silk Road Cooperation President Sadyr Zhaparov’s state visit to Tajikistan (July 8–9) marks a defining moment in Central Asia’s regional diplomacy, and one that deserves serious attention from policymakers, investors, and scholars alike. This visit not just as a symbolic gesture — but as a strategic reboot of Kyrgyz-Tajik relations. The shift from security tensions to full-spectrum cooperation (economic, political, humanitarian) represents a breakthrough built on trust, pragmatism, and a forward-looking regional vision. Key Takeaways: 🔹 Post-Border Agreement Momentum: Following the historic March 13 border agreement, which resolved one of the region’s most sensitive post-Soviet issues, this visit reaffirmed that peace-building is no longer just about line-drawing — it’s about bridge-building. 🔹 Institutional Foundations for the Future: The creation of a new Intergovernmental Council and parliamentary friendship groups, as well as proposed revival of the Supreme Interstate Coordinating Council, show that both governments are moving beyond episodic diplomacy to structured, institutionalized cooperation. 🔹 Economic Vision: The joint commitment to grow bilateral trade to $500 million, the investment forum in Dushanbe, and emerging cross-sectoral partnerships — from agriculture to metrology — reveal a shared desire to connect people, markets, and ideas. 🔹 Strategic Connectivity: Perhaps most promising is the momentum around the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and the new openness of Tajikistan to join. If realized, this could redraw trade routes across Central Asia, integrating Tajikistan into a modern Silk Road corridor. 🔹 Energy and Green Growth: Progress on the CASA-1000 project and the launch of a new 500-kV line signal that both countries are aligning with global trends toward clean, regional energy security — an area where Central Asia has enormous potential. 🔹 Humanitarian Diplomacy: Support for ethnic minorities, youth exchanges, cultural centers, and educational partnerships illustrates the human dimension of this rapprochement This visit represents more than a reset — it’s a rare moment of alignment: political will, economic need, and shared regional identity are converging. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are poised to become pillars of cross-border cooperation, and potential co-creators of a new regional model that balances sovereignty with interdependence. The next step? Implementation. The roadmaps are clear. The tone is right. Now is the time to deliver on this promising agenda and set a precedent for constructive bilateralism in the region. #CentralAsia #Kyrgyzstan #Tajikistan #RegionalIntegration #SilkRoadRevival #SadyrZhaparov #EmomaliRahmon #Diplomacy #Connectivity #CASA1000 #Trade #Peacebuilding #Geopolitics #ChinaKyrgyzstanUzbekistanRailway #EnergyCooperation #BilateralRelations

Bridging markets is easy. Bridging cultures, that’s where leadership gets tested. When I moved from Barcelona to the U.S., I thought I understood the differences. After all, I’d worked with global teams, placed leaders in both regions, advised clients on cross-border expansion. But living it, leading across it, was something else entirely. In Europe, relationships are built slowly. You earn trust through consistency, credibility, and time. In the U.S., you can land a coffee with a CEO next week but that doesn't mean you have their trust. You have to deliver fast, speak directly, and signal value immediately. I’ve seen countless European leaders underestimate this. They land in New York or Chicago with a strong track record, but their cadence is off. They wait too long to assert vision. They communicate with more context than clarity. They lead politely, not urgently and that gap shows up fast. On the flip side, U.S. leaders entering Europe often expect speed and access they haven’t earned yet. They try to move the system before understanding the nuance. They assume energy equals influence. Neither is better. But both require adjustment and humility. As someone who has lived and built a business on both sides, I’ve learned that leading across the Atlantic isn’t about being fluent in geography. It’s about being fluent in expectation. Knowing when to slow down, when to push, and when to listen twice as hard. So if you’re building cross-border teams, especially in FMCG, it’s not enough to translate strategy. You need leaders who can translate trust. I’d love to hear from others working across U.S.–Europe lines: What’s the cultural mismatch that surprised you most? #FMCGLeadership #ExecutiveSearch #CrossCulturalLeadership #USvsEurope #LaurenStiebing #ConsumerGoods #GlobalTeams #TalentInsights

I’ve dealt with clients and partners from 6 continents. From China to the US, Australia to the Middle East, and everywhere in between. Communicating across cultures is always a challenge. Especially when those cultures have completely different ways to transfer information. What you say and how you say it can be perceived completely differently as a result. You can unknowingly offend or come across as rude or incompetent. You can break trust. So how do you navigate this? → Enter the Culture Map by Erin Meyer. I read it when it first came out and revisit it periodically. The Culture Map is a framework based on 8 scales, each representing a key cultural dimension that can impact interactions and business outcomes. The 8 cultural dimensions are: 1. Communicating: Differentiates between low-context (explicit communication) and high-context (implicit communication) cultures. 2. Evaluating: Compares direct negative feedback with indirect feedback. 3. Persuading: Contrasts principles-first reasoning with applications-first reasoning. 4. Leading: Compares egalitarian leadership with hierarchical leadership. 5. Deciding: Differentiates between consensual decision-making and top-down decision-making. 6. Trusting: Compares task-based trust with relationship-based trust. 7. Disagreeing: Contrasts confrontational cultures with those that avoid confrontation. 8. Scheduling: Differentiates between linear-time and flexible-time orientations Countries are positioned on each scale based on their cultural characteristics. What truly matters is the relative position of one culture relative to the next. For example, France is considered a higher context culture than the US on the communication scale, but much lower context compared to Saudi or China. I highly recommend studying this to anyone doing business in cross-cultural environments. And it doesn’t have to be exotic - neighbouring European countries can be miles apart from each other on these scales, which explains a lot 😅 So when you find yourself stuck when engaging with people from a different culture to yours, remember that it can all be down to these differences. P.S. have you struggled with cross cultural communication?

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐌&𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 I’ve steered SMEs and mid-caps through M&A’s choppy waters, learning that cultural alignment is the linchpin of integration. With 50-70% of M&A deals failing due to integration issues (PwC, 2025), cultural missteps in regions like MENA, Europe, or Mauritius can derail value creation. Here’s how to align cultures for success, backed by data and my hands-on experience. 📍 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭: Culture drives 30% of M&A value (McKinsey & Company, 2024). Misalignment cuts synergies by 25% (EY, 2025). MENA’s relational trust contrasts with Europe’s formal hierarchies, demanding tailored approaches. 📍 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Pre-deal cultural due diligence is key. Deloitte (2024) notes 80% of successful integrations map values early. Tools like Culture Amp identify gaps, like Mauritius’ collaboration vs. Switzerland’s precision. 📍 𝐈𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Agile sprints build trust. In MENA, daily stand-ups boost retention by 15% (Bain & Company, 2025). I’ve used Teamwork.com for workshops, aligning 90% of teams in 3 months. 📍 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Waterfall’s milestones suit formal cultures. In Europe, structured onboarding cuts resistance by 20% (KPMG, 2024). Pairing this with Agile check-ins speeds integration by 10%. 📍 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐬: Leaders bridge cultural gaps. Harvard Business Review (2025) links 65% of M&A failures to leadership disconnects. I’ve trained leaders to blend styles, lifting morale by 18% in MENA deals. 📍 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭: Use KPIs like engagement scores. Gallup (2025) shows that aligned teams boost productivity by 22%. SurveyMonkey Pulse checks enable real-time tweaks in dynamic markets like the UK. Cultural alignment fuels M&A success. GPMIP.com crafts hybrid plans to navigate nuances. SME or mid-cap leader? Please feel free to contact me at Global PMI Partners for a free consultation to align your teams and maximize value. Share your tips below! #MergersAndAcquisitions #CulturalAlignment #MandAIntegration #SME #MidCap #BusinessGrowth #Integration #DueDiligence #Integration #Strategy #Culture #GlobalPMIPartners

Your biggest risk in international business isn’t competition. It’s misreading how business is done across cultures and failing to adapt. Global expansion isn’t just about opportunity—it’s about navigating unspoken rules that can make or break a deal. Last Saturday, I led a Masterclass at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) for Postgraduates and Staff on Intercultural Communication for International Trade, drawing on 30+ years of experience exporting to 70+ countries - including China. One key insight? 👉 Deals don’t fail because of weak strategy. They fail because of mismatched expectations, misread signals, and lost trust. Here’s how leaders and boards can avoid costly mistakes in global markets: ✅ Understand decision-making structures. In some cultures, deals require group consensus. In others, authority is centralised. If you pitch to the wrong person, or push too fast, you’re wasting time. ✅ Master the art of reading between the lines. Silence can signal resistance—or deep thought. A “yes” may mean agreement, or simply politeness. Misinterpret this, and you could be chasing a deal that was lost from the start. ✅ Recognise that relationships drive results. In many markets, trust outweighs efficiency. Rushing into a deal without building rapport can shut doors before they even open. 🌏 China is a prime example: It’s not a single market—it’s a diverse economic continent and a high-context culture. Guanxi (关系) matters. Strong, trusted relationships open doors. Leaders must personally invest time in market, building trust and nurturing partnerships. Boards that master these dynamics don’t just expand globally—they win in international markets. 💡 What’s been your biggest challenge in global business? ⏩Let’s continue the conversation in the comments, connect and collaborate… #GlobalBusiness #InterculturalLeadership #China #InternationalTrade #CulturalCompetence

This week, I’m in Berlin delivering training on the importance of robust and inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) policy. The discussions have been insightful, but one theme keeps emerging: the importance of trust. Participants have shared real-world examples of how communities’ willingness to engage with DRR initiatives, especially those inclusive of particularly at-risk or marginalised communities, is shaped by their trust in institutions, policymakers, and each other. Without trust, even the best-designed policies risk failing at the implementation stage. Building that trust means ensuring DRR efforts are transparent, inclusive, and responsive to the lived realities of those most at risk. This reminder aligns closely with a piece I’ve had published this week on PreventionWeb, exploring the role of misinformation and trust in DRR. The piece was based on a report I launched last month (https://lnkd.in/eniYeaNM), the piece examines how misinformation doesn’t just distort public understanding of risk: it actively undermines confidence in scientific expertise and disaster governance, disproportionately affecting marginalised groups. As we refine DRR policy, we need to recognise that trust isn’t an abstract ideal, it’s a core component of effective disaster preparedness and response. Without it, the best policies remain words on a page. Building trust requires deliberate effort. Key steps include: 1️⃣ Understanding the community by analysing cultural, social, and political dynamics and engaging key leaders 2️⃣ Engaging from the start using participatory approaches and consulting diverse community groups 3️⃣ Communicating openly by providing clear, honest, and timely information 4️⃣ Ensuring inclusivity by engaging marginalised groups and avoiding reliance on elite voices 5️⃣ Delivering on commitments by following through on promises and providing regular updates 6️⃣ Maintaining long-term engagement by fostering sustained partnerships and resilience-building By prioritising trust through transparency, inclusivity, and sustained engagement, DRR efforts can become more effective, ensuring that policies translate into meaningful action for those most at risk. The link to the PreventionWeb article can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ecdZMQt7 #InclusiveDRR #LeaveNoOneBehind

📢 Lessons from Cultural Diplomacy – How to Connect Across Borders 🌍 Cultural awareness isn’t just about respect—it’s a powerful tool for building trust, whether in business, diplomacy, or daily life. As we are in the holy month of Ramadan, it’s a perfect reminder of how understanding cultural traditions can be a game-changer in business and relationship-building. 📍 Case in point: The Iftar Business Meeting In many countries, business deals are discussed over lunch meetings or coffee chats. But in the Middle East during Ramadan, inviting a business partner to an Iftar (the meal to break the fast at sunset) is a much more meaningful gesture. 🔹 Why does this matter? ✅ It shows respect for local customs, which builds trust. ✅ It provides a more personal, informal setting—often where real business decisions happen. ✅ It demonstrates long-term commitment, not just transactional interest. 💡 I’ve personally seen how cultural diplomacy—whether in the Middle East, Asia, or Europe—makes the difference between failed negotiations and lasting partnerships. In my upcoming book, “The Art of Building Bridges”, I dive into real-life lessons from diplomacy and business, showing how cultural intelligence can be a superpower. 🔹 What makes cultural diplomacy successful? ✅ Humility – You don’t impose; you listen and learn. ✅ Context Awareness – What works in one place won’t work everywhere. ✅ Long-Term Relationships – Trust isn’t built overnight; it’s cultivated over time. 💡 Have you ever had a business or diplomatic experience where cultural understanding (or the lack of it) made a big difference? Let’s discuss below! 👇 🔜 Next post: East vs. West – Different Approaches to Bridge-Building #CulturalAwareness #Ramadan #Iftar #BusinessDiplomacy #BridgeBuilding #Leadership #Trust #EastWestBridges #NewBook