Trust vs Competence in Different Cultures

In the West, trust often begins with capability: “Show me what you can do, and I’ll believe in you.” But in Japan, it starts with character: “Let me understand who you are, then I’ll trust what you do.” At monoya, we’ve felt this difference deeply. When we first started engaging with Japanese partners, we expected our portfolio and success stories to do the talking. They didn’t. Meetings were polite but reserved. Decisions moved slowly. Then we shifted gears—less pitching, more listening. We invested in relationships. We showed up consistently. We respected silence and patience. Over time, trust started to build—not because we talked about our work, but because we shared our values. One moment that stands out: a partner told us, “What mattered wasn’t your proposal—it was how you carried yourself.” That stuck with us. In Japan, trust isn’t built in the boardroom—it’s built in the in-between moments: over dinner, during shared silences, through consistent follow-ups. It’s relational, not transactional. For global teams entering Japan, remember: trust here is earned slowly, but it’s rock-solid once it’s there. Have you experienced this cultural shift in trust-building? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #Trust #JapanBusiness #CulturalInsights #monoya #CrossCulturalLeadership

For months, this response got me thinking about Filipinos. Every time I would encourage James about an important client meeting or project deadline, they would usually respond with "I will try my best" instead of the confident "I will do it" I expected from high performers. I initially read this as hesitation. Maybe uncertainty about his abilities. In Western business culture, we were taught that confidence signals competence. "I will do it" sounds like leadership. "I will try my best" sounds like hedging. I was completely wrong about what I was hearing. After working with Filipino professionals for years, I have learned that "I will try my best" actually represents something different to the Western confidence culture. It is not about lack of certainty. It speaks of honesty regarding factors beyond personal control. James understood that client meetings involve variables he could not control. Economic conditions, competitor actions, internal budget changes, or simply whether the prospect had a good day. His response acknowledged these realities while committing to maximum effort within his sphere of influence. Meanwhile, my Western colleagues would confidently declare "I will close this deal" and then offer explanations when external factors interfered. James would say "I will try my best" and then consistently exceed expectations by preparing for challenges the client would raise . The key insight is not that one approach is superior. It is that different cultural communication styles can mask equally effective performance strategies. James was giving me the most honest commitment he could make, and acknowledging effort versus outcome while maintaining accountability for what he could control. Strategic managers learn to read cultural communication cues rather than imposing their own preferences. When James said "I will try my best," he was actually giving me the most reliable commitment possible within his cultural context. He was promising his maximum effort while acknowledging that outcomes involve factors beyond individual control. For me, it was about learning this cultural nuance and then managing the team with the knowledge of what this means.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 🙂 As a Brit living in the US, and working with Medtech executives from Singapore to Switzerland - "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗽" by Erin Meyer felt less like a business book and more like therapy. Did my US client just give me “constructive feedback” or fire me with a smile? Did "oh right" mean “great idea” or “I have no idea what you just said? Did I schedule this meeting at the right time... where is everyone? If you’ve ever worked across borders and felt like something got lost in translation - 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱. Here are some painfully accurate highlights and examples: 💬 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 ‘𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗕𝗮𝗱’ 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 ‘𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆’ The Dutch tend to be refreshingly direct, while Americans often wrap honesty in a friendly positivity “sandwich.” The British, meanwhile, have mastered the art of understatement - “could be worse” is a glowing review. 🫱🏻🫲🏾 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵 In the US and UK, trust often grows from proven competence and credentials. In places like Mexico and the Middle East, building strong personal relationships usually comes first. Meanwhile, in China, long-term mutual respect, or guanxi, is key. 👨🏻💼𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗪𝗵𝗼’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝘀? 𝗜𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀. France tends toward strong top-down leadership. Germany prefers a structured and thorough approach, often taking time to get it right. In Korea, hierarchy is respected, but group consensus also plays an important role. ⏰ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿, 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Germans pride themselves on punctuality down to the second. In contrast, countries like India and Brazil embrace a more flexible approach to schedules. The Brits will arrive early but still find a way to say “sorry I’m late.” 👀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻 (𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵) Americans tend to say exactly what they mean. In France and Spain, a little reading between the lines is expected. In Japan, context and nuance are everything. And the British? We are fluent in subtext, sarcasm, and understatement - if you hear “not bad,” prepare for something rather outstanding. Global leadership isn’t about imposing one way of doing things, it’s about blending perspectives to unlock innovation. Cultural intelligence will always give you a competitive edge. #TheCultureMap is a must-read for anyone who wants to lead with empathy and impact in Medtech’s international arena! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘅-𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 👇 #Medtech #Medicaldevice #ExecutiveSearch #CrossCulturalTeams #CompanyCulture #ExecutiveRecruitment #CSuite #Leadership #GlobalTeams #Healthcare #TeamBuilding

Want to be considered "trustworthy" in the American workplace? 🤝Trust between professionals is built differently in the USA than in Italy. According to Erin Meyers in her book “The Culture Map,” there are two ways to establish trust. 🤝One type is relationship-based (trust from the heart), like in Italy. 🤝The other is task-based (trust from the head), as in the USA. In Italy, trust is built by sharing meals, “un caffe’,” and other socializing events. These relationships are built slowly over time. In America, work relationships usually aren't as close as they are in Italy. They can be built and dropped easily, based on the practicality of the situation. Americans are “uber” task-based, so trust is built through business-related activities. Americans may have business lunches, play golf, and do “ice-breaking” activities. This helps everyone get to know each other better, but to build trust with Americans you need to: ➡️Be reliable: Follow through on your commitments and meet your deadlines consistently to establish yourself as a reliable team member. ➡️ Show people that you value their time. In addition, it helps to: ➡️ Communicate clearly and honestly: Be transparent about your intentions. Avoid gossip or spreading rumors. If you make a mistake, own up to it and work to make things right. ➡️ Be respectful and professional: Treat colleagues and superiors with respect and professionalism. Avoid offensive language or behavior, and always strive to maintain a positive and constructive attitude. 📕This is just one of the many topics that I'll be going over in a BOOK I am currently writing to help Italian professionals who are working in the American workplace. 🌟I'm looking for volunteers to interview about their experiences working in the USA. In exchange and if you want, I'd be happy to give you advice to help you improve your communication skills at work. Send me a DM with "INTERVIEW" and we can set up a time to talk. #Trust #Trustworthy #WorkRelations #Success #CortiCoach _______________________________ Ciao. My name is Deborah Cortigiani and I help Italian professionals in the USA to excel in effective communication and cultural fluency for an American audience. Connect if you want to learn what you can do to become a more effective communicator in the American workplace. Follow 🗽Deborah Cortigiani Ed.M, MBA