Hidden Cues of Global Collaboration: Lessons from ‘The Culture Map’
- Dilek Süzal
- Oct 22
- 2 min read
A few weeks ago, during my leadership coaching sessions, a client from the U.S. shared her frustration; she was struggling with the direct feedback style of her European colleagues.
Only a few days later, another client from Vienna expressed the opposite challenge; he was puzzled by the indirect communication tone of his American team.
Both right, both confused.
That same week, I started reading Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business our latest Book Insider Book Club selection, and I instantly smiled.
There it was, the exact challenges my clients were facing, and the answers to them.
Problem: Are We Really Hearing What’s Being Said?
In a global world, we speak the same words but mean different things. What one culture views as “helpful honesty,” another might hear as “harsh criticism.” And what feels “efficient” to some can seem “impersonal” to others.
Solution: Learn to Read the Map Before You Lead
Culture shapes how we give feedback, make decisions, and trust each other. As Erin Meyer writes, working internationally requires more than English fluency, it demands cultural fluency.
Erin Meyer’s framework outlines eight dimensions that shape how we work, decide, and connect across borders:
Communicating: Some cultures are low-context (say everything explicitly), others high-context (read between the lines).
Evaluating: Feedback can be direct or indirect, neither is wrong, just different.
Persuading: Logic can be principles-first or applications-first; how we argue matters as much as what we argue.
Leading: Hierarchical vs. Egalitarian, authority is either respected or negotiated.
Deciding: Some cultures value consensus, others speed and autonomy.
Trusting: Relationships first or tasks first, connection before contracts, or the other way around.
Disagreeing: Confrontation may be seen as healthy debate or disruptive conflict.
Scheduling: Time can be linear or flexible, and both approaches can lead to success when understood.
3 Golden Nuggets from the Culture Map
🔹 #1 - Decode before you decide. Observe before judging.
🔹 #2 - Adapt your message. Adjust tone and timing to your audience.
🔹 #3 - Lead with empathy. Cultural intelligence starts with curiosity.
Every coaching conversation reminds me: leadership and working across cultures is more about listening deeper and less about speaking louder!
Each session teaches me something new, and I’m genuinely grateful for how my coachees’ insights keep expanding the way I see global collaboration.
Let's connect and co-create meaningful conversations to shake the way we think and make the move we desire!
Warmly,
Dilek
Official Collaboration Partners:
★ Lead Coach at the global coaching platform BetterUp based in USA.
★ Executive Coach and Trainer at SparkUs based in Turkey and Netherlands.
★ Impact Partner for coaching, training & facilitation projects at leadership experts Think Beyond Group based in Austria.
★ Leadership Coach at Percoms AG, based in Switzerland.
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