Trustworthy Behavior 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.

I’m writing an essay on high-trust vs low-trust cultures. Here are some early notes: - Trust is not binary. It's a spectrum. Some societies trust easily. Others don’t. You can literally map it.     - There's a strong positive correlation between trust and GDP. High-trust societies grow faster. Low-trust ones stay stuck.     - I was born in Bulgaria (low-trust), moved to Denmark (high-trust), then worked across Southeast Asia (mixed, but mainly low). You feel the difference instantly.     - In Denmark, people trust first. It's liberating and efficient. In Indonesia or India, you earn trust painfully, inch by inch.     - High-trust environments create speed. Low-trust environments create drag.     - When you expect good intentions, you collaborate faster. When you expect bad ones, you move slowly, double-check everything, and spend half your energy covering your back.     - Early in my career, I trusted easily. Locals thought I was naïve. I got burned sometimes. But overall, trusting fast paid off a lot more than it cost me.     - Distrust feels smart in the short term. It feels strategic. It feels like you’re protecting yourself. Long-term, it’s a tax that costs you building relationships with good people.      - Suspicion drains creative energy. It kills autonomy and agency. It creates cultures where no one builds unless someone is watching.       - People from high-trust cultures need to build some muscle for dealing with low-trust environments. Don’t take suspicion personally.     - People from low-trust cultures need to realize that world-class talent will avoid them if they keep defaulting to suspicion.     - You cannot hire top performers while treating them like potential liabilities.     - Trust will be abused. That's the price of playing at scale. You will lose sometimes. But overall, trust is a positive-sum bet in a world that rewards compounding.

Every year, businesses look at East Africa’s 300 million people and see dollar signs. And, yet there are many stories that tell of fatigue and failure in 18 to 24 months. Why? They chase population numbers but ignore cultural currency. The Population Trap: Many see “65 million people in Tanzania” and think “65 million potential customers.” Understanding behaviour is market. That mama with 5,000 shillings buying power who trusts you will spend more over time than 100 skeptical “high-value customers” who don’t. Here’s what separates those who win from those who waste millions: 1. Greetings are business intelligence. Skipping “Habari za asubuhi” to jump straight to business? You just failed the character test. Those 5 minutes of “small talk” determine if you’re extracting value or building a real partnership. Every successful local business owner knows this. 2. Time is trust-building. “African time” isn’t inefficiency. It is relationship architecture. That 30-minute “delay” where you’re offered chai and conversation? That’s your cultural competency exam. If you are constantly checking your watch, you will lose deals, but when you invest your time to build rapport, you will win business. 3. Community endorsement beats marketing budgets. You can spend millions on advertising or contribute to a local community and win its people’s trust. The latter wins every time. Your MBA is nice to have and impresses boardrooms, but Mama Neema’s endorsement opens villages, neighborhoods, and supply chains. 4. Indirect communication gives you access to local information. “Ache nifikirie” (let me think about it), isn’t vague, but it is an answer wrapped in relationship preservation. “Maybe next month” tells you exactly what you need to know if you understand the context and what’s hindering to buy (from you). Learning to decode this saves you from wasting resources on meaningless pursuits. The Real Insight: Tanzania has 65 million people, Kenya has 54 million, and Uganda has 50 million, but treating them as one homogeneous market is why business people close shop with empty proposals. Each region, tribe, and community has distinct habits, trust patterns, and decision-making processes. The businesses that are winning didn’t just study the market, they earned the right to participate in it. Ai can help with research but will not give you local nuances that actually move the lever. Btw, I used Ai to take my existing photo to place me into a local scene and vibe (I guess I am making a point that Ai is useful for some things 😃). Cultural fluency isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s an overlooked competitive advantage. The reality is many businesses are not competing on product anymore, they are competing on trust-building speed. I implore you to spend on your research and marketing, but don’t ignore the free cultural intelligence sitting right in front of you. #lifeofacorporatejunkie

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

Learn from 🇯🇵 Japan on how to say no with care, without disrupting the relationship. Understanding politeness in Japanese business culture. Over the past 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of joining countless meetings between international companies and their Japanese counterparts. And one recurring pattern still fascinates me and sometimes confuses newcomers: ✔ Thoughtful presentations. ✔ Respectful conversations. ✔ Warm nods and polite encouragement. Foreign visitors often walk away uplifted: 🌟 “They nodded the whole time!” 🌟 “They said ‘Let’s stay in touch!’” 🌟 “They seemed impressed! this is a done deal!” But then… silence. No reply. No follow-up. No deal. So what happened? 💡 In Japan, directness is not always the norm, especially when it might cause discomfort or disrupt harmony. 🟢 You may hear: 👉 “It’s a very interesting proposal.” 👉 “We’ll need to discuss internally.” 👉 “Let’s stay in touch.” These aren’t rejections. They’re part of a culture that values thoughtfulness, group alignment, and respect over haste. 📌 Here’s what I’ve learned: ✔ Consensus comes first. Without internal agreement, the answer may remain open-ended. ✔ Avoiding direct refusal isn’t avoidance, it’s consideration. ✔ Silence isn’t disinterest, it’s space for deeper reflection. 🎎 Japanese professionals are some of the most courteous and sincere people I’ve worked with. Their kindness may not always come with clear conclusions but when a decision is made, it’s made with depth, care, and long-term intent. 🤝 In Japan, trust is earned over time. A single meeting rarely seals the deal. But consistent, respectful engagement often does. ✅ Want to build lasting relationships in Japan? 🔹 Be patient, not pushy. 🔹 Observe the tone, not just the words. 🔹 Invest in trust, not just transactions. The reward? A true partnership built on mutual understanding and commitment. 💬 Have you encountered cultural differences like this in business? How does your culture express disagreement with grace? I’d love to hear in the comments 👇 Repost with your thought to help more people understand and appreciate the beauty of Japan’s business etiquette. Enjoy summer campaign to Learn cross-cultural communication, agile, scrum, design thinking, thought leadership,…etc essential skills eLearning drama contents in just 7USD per month till Sept 30th. Don’t miss it! #Japan #BusinessCulture #Tatemae #TrustBuilding #CrossCulturalCommunication #GlobalBusiness #RespectFirst

⭕Out-Care, Not Out-Smart - The Feedback Loop That Breaks (or Builds) Trust⭕ In offshoring, trust is currency. But here’s the catch: we’re often speaking different dialects of feedback. 🔴A client says: “This could have been better.” 🔺An American manager might consider that helpful. 🔺An Indian engineer might read it as a personal reprimand. 🔺A Japanese teammate might see it as public shame. 🔺A Dutch partner might say, “That’s sugarcoated—tell me what really went wrong.” It’s not the feedback that breaks the team—it’s the delivery and decoding. In The Culture Map, Erin Meyer draws a clear line between direct-negative feedback cultures (US, Germany, Netherlands) and indirect-negative feedback cultures (India, Southeast Asia, Japan). And here’s the twist: 🔺In task-based cultures, feedback is a tool. 🔺In relationship-based cultures, feedback is a temperature check. So what builds trust in one culture burns bridges in another. At A3logics, we’ve seen this firsthand: ⭕Feedback that’s too blunt can freeze initiative. ⭕Feedback that’s too polite can fuel assumptions. ⭕And feedback that lacks trust? Goes unheard. So the leadership challenge isn’t whether to give feedback… It’s knowing how to give it in a way that builds performance without harming partnership. Ask yourself: 🔺Did that critique feel like support or judgment? 🔺Was I giving feedback to improve… or to protect myself? 🔺Did I build trust before I tried to optimize delivery? Because feedback isn’t about being right. It’s about making others feel safe enough to grow. #TheCultureMap #FeedbackAcrossCultures #CrossCulturalTrust #OffshoringDynamics #LeadershipInTech #TrustBeforeFeedback #A3logicsVoice #ConnectTheDots #PurposeOverProcess

Me: "Relationships in China are vital!" A potential client who thinks they know best: "Sure 🙄, like everywhere" Me: "Not quite.." We are all human and social animals, yet relationships and bonding with others have particular characteristics in Chinese culture. In my experience living and working here for 14+ years, there are three levels of relationships. 🎯 Core (immediate family): - Trust is high by default - Lower levels of politeness needed - Solid bonds even in adult age between generations 🎯Network - 关系 guānxì (extended family, colleagues, business partners, clients, etc.): - Trust needs to be built slowly through socializing over time - The level of politeness is relatively high depending on the status and relationship between people - It's essential to consider giving face / avoiding losing face - Bonds can be formed and broken and created again (with effort) 🎯Strangers (anyone else that has no connections with the network): - No trust or active miststrust - Low level of politeness required - Can enter the network only if referred by someone inside the network This seems complex and unrealistic, yet it drives all interactions in China and many cultures that share similar elements of hierarchy, trust, connection, in particular in APAC. In China in particular, these 3 levels of connection are the reason why wining and dining with clients is essential, but people are wary of helping others in the street to avoid being sued for damages. For most people, relationship building happens mainly at the Network level, which is crucial for business and personal success. In global virtual teams, there will be people who hold similar views on relationships and people who will find all this unnecessary and burdensome. Yet, they will need to form bonds with each other to work effectively. The only way to do so is to talk about differences (in this case on how to build strong and lasting relationships) and find what works. How do you build relationships across cultures? --------------------------------------------------------- 🌏 I coach cross-cultural global teams and their leaders. 💬 Here I talk about leadership, coaching, culture, change, entrepreneurship and more. If you want more: ➡ Visit my profile ➡ Click the 🔔( and /or connect with m

In cross-cultural negotiations, trust is everything—but it doesn’t always come from the same place. Western negotiators often rely on direct communication and personal rapport, while many Asian counterparts look to hierarchy, shared norms, and institutional structure as the foundation for trust. This mismatch can derail negotiations before they begin. So, how do we bridge the gap? This article explores how different cultures build and interpret trust, why those differences matter at the negotiation table, and what both Western and Asian negotiators can do to meet in the middle through shared values, cultural respect, and intentional relationship-building. #Culture #trust #Negotiations #Asia #China #Japan #communication