Idea in Brief
The Problem
In cross-border negotiations, managers often discover that perfectly rational deals fall apart when their counterparts make what seem to be unreasonable demands or don’t respect their commitments.
Why It Happens
Each culture has its own communication norms, and over time you’ll find that what gets you to “yes” in one culture may get you to “no” in another.
The Solution
You can reduce miscommunication by respecting these five rules of thumb:
- Figure out how to express disagreement.
- Recognize what emotional expressiveness signifies.
- Learn how the other culture builds trust.
- Avoid yes-or-no questions.
- Beware of putting it in writing.
Tim Carr, an American working for a defense company based in the midwestern United States, was about to enter a sensitive bargaining session with a high-level Saudi Arabian customer, but he wasn’t particularly concerned. Carr was an experienced negotiator and was well-trained in basic principles: Separate the people from the problem. Define your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) up front. Focus on interests, not positions. He’d been there, read that, and done the training.
