Everyone remembers 1 August 2025: following an abrupt telephone call with the US, tariffs of 39 per cent were imposed on Switzerland. The negotiations to reduce this rate subsequently required a great deal of ingenuity from business leaders and politicians, who had to learn to speak the same language as their American counterparts. All this just to make their voices heard.
And the story isn’t over yet: in the face of geopolitical uncertainties, a country that earns every second franc abroad must nurture its international trade relations.
Andreia Fernandes speaks five languages, has travelled to almost seventy countries and has many years’ experience in an international working environment. Her webinar ‘Openness or Diplomacy’ thus marked the start of our lecture series ‘Trump, Xi Jinping and Your Workplace’, which focuses on the export economy. And the negotiation of new free trade agreements begins with effective communication between stakeholders from different cultures. How can this be achieved?
Understanding culture
A culture encompasses everything that our community has taught us whilst we were growing up. Some aspects are obvious (language, religion, everyday rituals), but many arise from implicit or unconscious mechanisms: our ideas of what is good, bad, beautiful or frightening… ‘Culture is like mental software,’ writes Andreia Fernandes. ‘It runs in the background. Nobody sees it. But it determines how people communicate, express their opinions and make decisions.”*
Furthermore, we only become truly aware of our own culture when we compare it with that of others. Imagine a map of the world in our minds: if we grew up in Switzerland, Europe is in the centre, America on the left and Asia on the right. In Japan, on the other hand, we find maps where the Pacific Ocean is in the centre. And our first thought will surely be: ‘This map is wrong.’ Because it is not the one we are familiar with.
Identifying areas of tension
According to Erin Meyer’s model, ‘The Culture Map’, there are eight aspects to consider in intercultural management: communication, feedback, leadership, decision-making, building trust, handling disagreements, planning and persuasion. Here are some specific examples:
- Directness: In Germany, people express clearly and directly what they want or what needs improving; in Japan, this is not the case at all, where feedback has to be read between the lines.
- Emotions: In Italy, people do not hesitate to show their emotions in the workplace; in Finland, it is more common to maintain a neutral expression.
- Individualism versus collectivism: In American culture, the needs of the individual take centre stage; in Mexico, the interests of the group generally take precedence.
- The concept of time: In Switzerland, time is viewed in a linear and structured way; in South America, schedules are flexible and adaptable.
- The importance of hierarchical relationships: In China, people are accustomed to a strongly hierarchical corporate culture; in the Netherlands, a consensus-oriented approach tends to be the norm.
- The primacy of interpersonal relationships over the task at hand: In Arab countries, business is based primarily on good relationships, and a shared meal is an integral part of negotiations; in Europe, the focus is on getting the job done.
One person does not equate to a culture
Ultimately, cultural differences provide points of reference but are not sufficient to define a person. Perceptions of foreign cultures are often based on preconceptions, and this is not a matter of racism or malice: the brain spontaneously categorises people in order to simplify an extremely complex world. These perceptions are often based on trends and averages, which do not, however, apply as universal rules. Punctuality, for example, is more important in Switzerland than in Spain. This does not mean that there are no punctual Spaniards or that the Swiss are never late.
So, when talking to someone from a different culture, it is important to see them for who they are as an individual, rather than associating them with what you think you know about their cultural background. This helps to avoid embarrassing or even hurtful prejudices. Cultures are not boxes into which people can be pigeonholed, but rather influences amongst many others.
How do you communicate effectively?
Culture is not a problem to be solved. It will always be present. It is a journey that never ends, as it is constantly evolving. Knowledge is the key: the better we understand what is ‘normal’ or ‘accepted’ in a culture, the better we can adapt to achieve successful collaboration. In doing so, we must not forget that whilst it is important to recognise the differences, we must also acknowledge the similarities.
This requires us to be highly adaptable and to adopt an attitude of humility and respect towards others. It is about overcoming what is known as an ‘ethnocentric’ perspective – that is, a perspective that judges other cultures solely on the basis of our own norms, customs and values. A good understanding of ourselves – knowing our strengths and weaknesses – is important in such exchanges. By recognising which aspects of a foreign culture particularly confuse us and why, we can work on these issues and overcome these prejudices.
*Source: Intercultural Team Competence – Andreia Fernandes | Keynote Speaker, Board Member, Workshop Host & more
