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Global Good Manners: How to Avoid Goofs and Gaffes Abroad
| Article
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14549 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
3 / 1988 |
2,425 Words |
| Author
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Roger E. Axtell
Roger E. Axtell is editor and compiler of Do's and Taboos
Around the World: A Guide to International Behavior (Wiley &
Sons, 1986) and is a retired business executive. He is a
popular speaker on international business, protocol, customs,
and communications. |
Etiquette is learning to yawn with your mouth closed.
--Herbert V. Prochnow
Writing in 1750s, the eminently proper Lord Chesterfield observed: "Without hesitation kiss the Pope's slipper or whatever else the etiquette of that court requires."
Etiquette, manners, propriety, deportment--whatever you choose to call it--correct behavior is more essential than ever before in this so-called "lifeboat earth."
As ten million visitors (nobody likes to be called a "foreigner") come to this country every year, and an equal number of Americans stream overseas, proper protocol is a necessary art and skill. For those who hope to succeed in business overseas, to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, or to garner a wider education, learning to respect cultural quirks is a must.
But Americans seem to have special difficulty when dealing with other societies, perhaps because we must travel thousands of miles before bumping into distinctly different cultures. So when suddenly confronted with a Latin abrazo, or cheek kissing, we recoil, forgetting that cheek kissing is as old as the Bible.
In America, time is money. We tend to be punctual and constantly aware of time. In business, we spare little time for small talk, even holding business meetings at breakfast.
But in the majority of other countries, the pace is more languid, less hurried. In meetings in the Middle East, Latin America, and the Far East, many hours may elapse before serious business affairs are discussed. In Japan, periods of silence are common, even preferred, during business meetings. One Japanese asked, "Do Americans think and talk at the same time?"
When you are invited for cocktails at 8:00 in the evening, you must consider which country you are in. in the United States, the prescribed arrival time is 8:15 or 8:30; in West Germany, it would be precisely at 8:00. Latin America? If you arrive at any of these times, your hosts will still be in the shower, because it is an unwritten law that an 8:00 p.m invitation means 9:30, 10:00... or later.
When setting a meeting time in Latin America, experienced
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