Great post! I'd recommend The Culture Map as book that explores this topic, communication styles, and other cultural differences in the business context including how different cultures (typically) build trust, give feedback, and makes decisions.
I've been learning Japanese for some time now, and my teacher tells me a lot about the cultural differences between Japan and Hungary, and this is one of them.
He used to teach English in Japan, and it was initially difficult for him to verify whether the students understood what he meant.
Every time he asked, Is this clear, they nodded. Not because they understood, but because they didn't want to hurt you by telling something you said wasn't clear. I've never been to Japan, but as I understand it, avoiding conflict is a core concept of their Shinto religion.
Hope we can get more clarity in the comments from those who know more about this! 🙇♂️
You're right — in many cultures, including Japanese, nodding can be more about politeness than real agreement or understanding. It's important to remember that.
This is a really interesting example from that teacher's experience.
About sharing your post — I'm always happy to share good stuff!
Great post! I'd recommend The Culture Map as book that explores this topic, communication styles, and other cultural differences in the business context including how different cultures (typically) build trust, give feedback, and makes decisions.
Looks like a valuable read! I'll check it for sure.
Thanks, Jesse, for the kind words and the recommendation!
I've been learning Japanese for some time now, and my teacher tells me a lot about the cultural differences between Japan and Hungary, and this is one of them.
He used to teach English in Japan, and it was initially difficult for him to verify whether the students understood what he meant.
Every time he asked, Is this clear, they nodded. Not because they understood, but because they didn't want to hurt you by telling something you said wasn't clear. I've never been to Japan, but as I understand it, avoiding conflict is a core concept of their Shinto religion.
Hope we can get more clarity in the comments from those who know more about this! 🙇♂️
Thanks for mentioning my writing Michał!
You're right — in many cultures, including Japanese, nodding can be more about politeness than real agreement or understanding. It's important to remember that.
This is a really interesting example from that teacher's experience.
About sharing your post — I'm always happy to share good stuff!
Thanks, Akos, for your perspective!