IC - GROUP 6 - SHIFT 2 - VIDEO PROJECT

Today we examine a case of communication misunderstanding between Ms. Tamako from Japan and Ms. Anne from Germany. Good morning, Ms. Anne. Thank you very much for being with me today. My name is Tamako Saito. I'm 17. Yes, this is actually my first voice on the streets in New York. So I'm a little bit nervous about the timing. Yeah, but more than this, it's a beautiful scene, right? I was impressed by the greenery in the park on the way here. I've heard from many colleges in Japan that there are many wonderful things in Berlin. Have you lived here for a long time? Yes, a long time. I've heard the address in your book. Do you happen to be in Berlin? Yes, of course. On the way here, I saw many greenery in Berlin. So this reminds me of this one in Japan. Do you often drink chocolate in this park with your family? I think this must be very refreshing for your health. Yes, I love chocolate. I think it happens every 24 hours in Berlin. Would you like to give me a drink now? Oh, yes, of course. Yeah, you'll get a chance to do what you said in your book. I was wondering if you would like to learn from the original story. It's wonderful. I appreciate that you tried to explain to me what you heard in your book. I can't believe it's because of business, not because of family. I apologize. I only wish to establish a relationship with you. But I didn't mean to cause any discomfort. Trust is built on data and efficiency. And for the third time, we have the markets and access. And I can't choose to work or just go online. Oh, yes, of course. Why does she keep avoiding the main topic? Is she always this aggressive? Those personal questions are so awkward. I bet she didn't prepare the report. What a waste of time. I was only trying to be respectful. But she's treating me like a criminal. Maybe this partnership was a mistake. So, do you think what just happened there? Tomoko flew across the world for this meeting. She prepared. She smiled. She asked Anne about her family, her children, and her life, and her culture. That is respect. That is how you tell someone that I value you as a person, not just a business contact. And to Anne, she arrived at the meeting early. She had the agenda ready. And she checked every minute of the meeting like it mattered. Because it did. To her, that is warmth. That is how you tell someone that I value your time. And I take that seriously. Two people, both trying their best. Both being completely, genuinely respectful. But in languages that the other ones had never learned. There are three things. One, collectivism versus individualism. Tomoko comes from a collectivist culture. The relationships come before the work. You build a heart-to-heart relationship first. And then the business follows. Anne comes from an individualist culture. Personal life and professional life are two separate rooms. You do not enter the personal rooms uninvited. No matter how warmly you knock. And two, high context and low context communication. Tomoko expects Anne to read between the lines. To understand that, asking about her children meant I respect you as a whole person. But Anne expected everything to be said clearly, directly, and on time. She didn't hear the warmth. She heard distraction. Three, this is a quiet but dangerous one. They had opposite definitions of respect. For Tomoko, respect looked like warmth. And for Anne, respect looked like preparation. So when Tomoko arrived for the living with the data, Anne didn't see a warm person. She saw someone who didn't care enough to prepare. And when Anne stressed out her question, Tomoko didn't see a focused professional. But she saw someone who is cold and dismissive. Nobody was wrong. Nobody was rude. Not exactly. They were just out of frequency with each other. Which is why we are going back. Because here is what intercultural communication teaches us. You do not have to erase who you are to connect with someone different. You just have to find the frequency that both of you share. Now back. Thank you very much for having me today. Yes. I have updated the analysis and the supply chain report. Yes. Excuse me. There is a question I have. You are made on page number 5. As the delivery date will be one month later today. I sent this to Tomoko. This will clear any issues. And... Thank you. So we have finished our schedule. And your preparation made the report very efficient. So we have a lot to talk about tomorrow. It's getting started. I have realized that in ant culture, preparation and efficiency are the highest form of respect. I found a way to connect with her without losing who I am. Meeting someone where they are culturally is not losing your identity. It is gaining their trust. I really misjudged her. It turns out we hide this deficiency in the environment from the sincerity that I always missed. Finally, we meet in culture, yet in trust. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to the Culture Bridge. I'm your host, Hans Mai. The one that put the water spoon in the net. And I'm here, your Intel Cultural Analyst. Today, folks, we have a real start-up landmine situation. We've got Lukas, a Swedish expert, who loves his personal free time. And too bad, he thinks that personal space is just a myth. So let's bring them out. So before we dive into it further, let's roll the tape. This is what happened when the bomb exploded. The story begins in a quiet town in Dhopak where Lukas is about to get a welcome he will never forget. Hi guys, I want you to meet Lukas. He is the new expert joining our Agricultural Research Center. This young man is so clever. He is a perfect person in our company. I feel like an animal in a petting zoo. In Sweden, people usually respect personal space. We have lack of everything in moderation. That was not moderation. That was an invasion. But the physical contact was just the appetizer. The real attack happened at the dinner table. Thank you very much. In Sweden, we usually drink a little bit less. No more beer, thank you. Thank you, no. I just drink lemon all day. I bought the best beer. I called the whole village. So that my son won't feel lonely. But he just keep drinking his blood. And he can't breathe. It really hurts my heart. He doesn't respect me. I don't understand. Oh, it's 9 p.m. It's time for me to go to sleep. It's just 9 p.m. The party is just beginning. It's just the time for drinking. Just one more, don't worry. If you don't drink, you don't respect me. Just drink, drink. Yes, it's quite awkward to eat. So, to understand him, you need to learn other cultural aspects. For real? Because Duval was just being friendly. Why did Lucas look so terrified when Duval talked to him? So that explains the poker face. But how about the drinking? Duval said that if you don't drink, you don't respect him. So that's a huge deal in Vietnam. Because this country has a high power distance. So to refuse a drink from an elder is seen as a challenge for the authority. Yes, but children is one of the most important characters in the story. They don't really care about how it looks on the dinner table. So to Lucas, those are not choices for him to make. He's supposed to remain voluntary regardless of the authority. So he isn't trying to be rude. He just believes that respect should be earned through professional work, not just by forced drinking. That makes sense. But even at that time, who looks at his watch and leaves the party at 9 p.m.? 9 p.m. just means the party is getting started. Yes, not like that. The Swedish philosophy of just enough until 9 p.m. is strictly a time for tomorrow work. So the Swedish fear of being disciplined with a time is a sign of a reliable person. But Lucas doesn't realize that staying up late also slows down the growth of the relationship. So I see. The tragedy here is that both sides were trying to be good people. Duval was using the mini yardstick to measure the Swedish heart. But if they don't learn to meet in the middle, the six-month intercept is going to be like a very long sentence. We can leave it like this. Please press the AI receiver so that we can see what should have happened to make both sides satisfied. I will submit Lucas. He is a new expert joining our agricultural research center. Lucas, it is a hot dog. It's really good. Yeah, very good. Cher, what do you want? Cher, no pressure. Just make yourself right at home. Thank you. You look very nice up here. I would like to try some tofu. Yeah, yeah. It's pretty good. Spicy. Lucas, what do you think? It's very good, I like it. I would like to have a toast with water and to break a new and all the friendly neighbors. Thank you very much. Okay. Water, tea, wine, or everything. You can bring everything you want. It doesn't matter. What matters is that who are sitting with us today. It's 9.26. I usually sleep around this time. But today I'm having a great time, so I'm going to stay here for 10 more minutes. I'm so happy to hear that. Since you enjoy the music, my effort was worth it. I just want you to feel like you are right at home. Oh, the very kind of you. Look at those smiles. Let's bring our real-life heroes back to the stage to see what they do. So, that's why we call the happy ending. So, Lucas and Luba, please stand into the friendship circle. Lucas, I'm sorry for the hand gesture on your shoulder. Women don't hear women like women who make a fist. Let's have a fist fight. And I will try to stay close by being so kind. Lucas, it's only you can be the only one once I understand it. Beautiful. Just another culture clash song. So, remember kids, don't just judge, but behave well. Understand the value. So, see you next time on the Culture Bridge.