“Trust is earned.” “Trust your gut.” “Love all but trust few.” It seems that most of us in the United States can be wary of trusting others. Is it self-preservation? Fear? Uncertainty? Discomfort? Whatever the motivation, it certainly can be difficult to gain one’s trust here. However, for Europeans, trusting others often comes naturally. Why, exactly, is that? One more obvious reason is honesty. While Americans may view it as abrupt or even rude, other cultures value clear, direct and to-the-point communication, no matter how unpleasant it may be. There’s no beating around the bush or political correctness. People say what they mean and don’t hide their intentions. So, you can trust where they’re coming from. When you muddle your messages, you fuel distrust.
There’s also another factor at play. It’s ironic, actually. The cultural melting pot that is the U.S. also breeds distrust of what we don’t know. We readily trust our doctors, our financial advisors, our dry cleaners, and Amazon. But, many of us are immediately skeptical of people from other countries. That’s because we focus on what makes us different: customs, accents, habits, wardrobes, and sensibilities – rather than abilities, competence, and skills. In fact, many Europeans feel they need to adapt to the “American way” of doing business in order to succeed in the world marketplace. Americans feel no such compulsion; our country dominates global commerce and many cross-cultural communications are conducted in English because it’s almost certain that all participants know the language.
Sider Road helps professionals understand cross-cultural differences and lays the groundwork for effective collaboration.
Trust is a critical component of everything we accomplish, whether it’s trusting our own ability to complete a task or trusting a colleague’s opinions on how to move forward on a project. It needs to be nurtured in our personal and professional lives. No one is an island; we often cannot move forward without the help or support of others. In the world of work, it is important to know who to trust as a team member, mentor, advisor, and boss. In my book, The Big Sister’s Guide to the World of Work: The Inside Guide Every Working Girl Must Know, I dedicate an entire chapter to the topic and sum it up by saying trust no one when it comes to office politics. Why? Because honesty often isn’t at the core of office politics; in fact, perception and dishonesty often shape it.
In day-to-day discourse and work, problems often arise from a lack of trust or understanding. You may think that team members in London are speaking negatively about you or someone in Tokyo hasn’t been honest about what happened at a recent meeting, but the problem may simply be a communication gap or cultural nuance. Sider Road teaches managers and employees how to clarify the situation first before making assumptions that prevent you from moving forward.
