Global Diversity Experiences

I have been very fortunate to work in an academic institution where the chances of working with people from diverse cultural, religious and global backgrounds are possible.  However, Diversity in this day and age is more than the color of our skin, our heritage, our customs, and our religious beliefs.  Diversity now encompasses gender, thought, age, etc.  And because we live in the United States, our individualistic way of doing business could be seen as quite confusing for those who work with us from different countries, religions and cultures.

I have a gentleman who is from India who works for me and is trying his best to assimilate to the western way of doing business.  I have been lucky enough to have been trained in diversity training and exposed to different schools of thought prior to this individual working for me.  I have learned to accept, listen and then react when people speak with me from disparate cultures and ages.  We truly live in a diverse world and being open to everyone's thoughts is becoming more the norm in our individualistic style.  While we all (Americans) strive to be our best selves, we are also learning how to be our best groups, i.e., like the Japanese.  Well, at least I am.  Perhaps I am lucky enough to have learned and lived the Japanese culture, which has truly enabled me to marry my western culture with the ancient culture of the Japanese. I treat everything I do with "thought" before I make a decision.

If there is one thing I know about the Japanese, they want to be the best at everything they do.  Anything another culture can do, the Japanese can do better.  Why? Because they insist on being perfect.  The way in which the Japanese present their business cards is strictly enforced and highly encouraged from visitors.

Japanese Business Etiquette

"In Japan, the ability to perfectly imitate - and even improve upon - the cocktails, cuisine and couture of foreign cultures isn't limited to American products; there are spectacular French chefs and masterful Neapolitan pizzailoi who are actually Japanese.  There's something about he perspective of the Japanese that allows them to hone in on the essential elements of foreign cultures and then perfectly recreate them at home.  What we see in Japan, in a wide range of pursuits, is a focus on mastery."