Sometimes we are faced with difficult intercultural challenges at the workplace or in our personal lives.\u00a0 Here is a good example of a common question asked within the intercultural arena:<\/p>\n
Q:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Why do Americans have such short attention spans? When Americans ask questions and I begin to answer with the necessary context they need to understand my point, the Americans \u201cturn-off\u201d or change the subject.\u00a0 I find it quite rude, but I guess that\u2019s just how Americans are.<\/p>\n – A French Executive working for a German Multinational Company<\/p>\n A:<\/strong><\/p>\n In the example above, one potential cultural explanation is based on Trompenaars<\/a>\u2019 Dilemma of Specific v. Diffuse.\u00a0 Specific cultures tend to be to-the-point, singular in focus, and \u201cefficient.\u201d Diffuse cultures tend to value context, inter-relationships, and aesthetics.\u00a0\u00a0 Americans tend to be more \u201cspecific\u201d culturally than the French. So when an American asks a question, he tends to want a direct answer first. Some call it Bottom Line Up Front<\/strong> (BLUF). If an American wants more context, he\u2019ll ask for it after hearing the answer.<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: Should I visit the Eiffel Tower while I\u2019m in Paris?<\/p>\n French<\/strong>: Well the Eiffel Tower is largely regarded as an architectural wonder.\u00a0 It was meant to be a temporary structure for the 1889 International Exhibition in Paris that was held to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. It has two restaurants and you can use stairs or an elevator to get to the lower two levels.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need to take an elevator to get to the top. It\u2019s one of the most visited sites in the world with a great view of Paris.\u00a0 The lines can be long so the best time to arrive is before the Tower opens.\u00a0 Many Americans I\u2019ve met say it\u2019s something you just have to do, though the view from the Arc de Triomphe is quite nice and one doesn\u2019t need to wait in line so long.<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: Thanks\u2026 (though he probably stopped paying attention after the first sentence)<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: Should I visit the Eiffel Tower while I\u2019m in Paris?<\/p>\n French<\/strong>: Yes, it\u2019s quite nice, if you have the time.<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: Does it take a lot of time?<\/p>\n French<\/strong>: Yes, the lines can be long, but if you go before it opens the lines are shorter. Do you know there is another great view of Paris?<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: No, where?<\/p>\n French<\/strong>: The Arc de Triomphe has a great view and the lines are usually short.<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: The Arc de Triomphe\u2026 (with a questioning look)<\/p>\n French<\/strong>: Yes, it\u2019s very famous. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen pictures of it from WWII in the liberation of Paris.<\/p>\n American<\/strong>: Oh yes!\u00a0 Thank you for tip!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want to learn more about Trompenaar\u2019s Seven Dimensions, you can catch his explanation of them on YouTube by clicking here<\/a>.\u00a0 Also, for more intercultural challenges examples, check out Trompenaars blog here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sometimes we are faced with difficult intercultural challenges at the workplace or in our personal lives.\u00a0 Here is a good example of a common question asked within the intercultural arena: Q: Why do Americans have such short attention spans? When Americans ask questions and I begin to answer with the necessary context they need to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-intercultural-2","tag-intercultural"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n<\/em><\/strong>An example of a typical intercultural challenge<\/h3>\n
<\/em><\/strong>An alternative to deal with the American\u2019s specific tendencies<\/h3>\n