We’ve all been there: You’re talking to someone from another culture — perhaps while on a business trip or working with a colleague on a project — when you get a sinking feeling that you’ve made a mistake. Maybe it was a joke that misfired, an unintentional violation of personal space, or a misreading of the context and cues that resulted in someone losing face.
How to Recover from a Cultural Faux Pas
Mistakes are inevitable, so learn from them.
April 12, 2018
Summary.
While talking to someone from another culture, you get a sinking feeling that you’ve made a mistake. Maybe it was a joke that misfired, an unintentional violation of personal space, or a misreading of the context that resulted in someone losing face. In your own culture, you could quickly recover, because you’d have a basic grasp of the etiquette for apologizing. But when gaffes happen across cultures, they can leave you at a loss for what to do and how to respond. If you make a cultural faux pas, take five steps to recover. First, accept that mistakes are inevitable, and adopt a learning mindset. Second, learn about the other culture. Third, keep your cool. Fourth, assess how you reacted and performed. Finally, get feedback.