Culturally Attuned U.S. Institute of Peace

In this final episode of Culturally Attuned we travel around the world to hear stories from five seasoned practitioners on how to work and communicate effectively across cultural divides. From their parting advice we learn the importance of cultivating relationships with local counterparts that create trusting, inclusive, and mutually beneficial connections.
For more, please visit: https://www.usip.org/culturally-attuned
 

The human brain is hardwired to constantly scan for cues that signal safety, trustworthiness, and social desirability among others. As we work among people of different races and cultures, it’s vital that we stay aware of these patterns within our own selves, because they drive our biases. If we don’t notice our own patterns, they can obstruct valuable connections with people around us.
For more, please visit: https://www.usip.org/culturally-attuned
 

Working across cultural divides makes it all the more critical that we avoid prescribing solutions to problems, and instead elicit them from those we’re working with. That is Mike Zuckerman’s career-long focus—from San Francisco to Greece to Uganda. He discusses how he does it.
For more, please visit: https://www.usip.org/culturally-attuned
 

People who live amid violent conflicts suffer trauma–and even inherit it when that conflict has extended across generations. While trauma can harden us against our perceived foes, remarkably, people can use shared traumas to build connections, even with those we have seen as enemies.
For more, please visit: https://www.usip.org/culturally-attuned
 

In many cultures, meaning is often expressed non-verbally. So, be aware of body language, expression and tone of voice.  Misunderstanding is often due to poor communication and misperceptions. So, one must be prepared for different forms of communication and to work to find meaning across cultural divides.
For more, please visit: https://www.usip.org/culturally-attuned
 

Working with a partner across a cultural divide – for example, in a negotiation – we may face a request or an action that we must refuse. In that difficult moment, we should look first for the motive behind the action and frame a response that helps our partner retain his or her honor and thus sustains mutual respect.  A vital start can be our acknowledgment of the history of the other person and his or her culture.
For more, please visit: https://www.usip.org/culturally-attuned