Cultural Exchange, Code-Breaking

By Michael Drew - Sep 12 , 2011

Shake. You’d think it would be easy, right? You shake hands and you’re being polite. Being an American, I offer my right hand for a quick grip when I meet someone. Now, this is a gesture that you’d think would be universally recognized. It is for the most part, especially in countries that are westernized. But you can’t take anything for granted.

I’ve been in Malaysia for the last few weeks, on a mix of business and, when possible, leisure, and as a clumsy American I’ve had to relearn a few things about friendliness. Not that I’m not friendly. I’m your basic friendly, open and slightly pushy American. But I needed to learn about the local custom of greeting and showing friendliness. It’s a mark of respect that you do what the locals do (up to a point).

When you meet a Malaysian, especially a Malay, the right way to greet someone is to offer both your hands and then gently take the other person’s hand in your two hands. It’s a really friendly act, one that says you’re welcoming someone wholeheartedly (and often after this greeting, a Malay will place his right hand on his heart, to signify further respect).

These seem like small things, but they have a big impact. First of all, the way you greet someone in a different cultural environment means you’ve done your homework and you respect them, or it means you haven’t bothered to do learn and you don’t care about them. You may care, but a sign of caring begins with the very first encounter.

My work involves reading signs, culturally, personally, socially – helping writers and entrepreneurs get to know the marketplace and truly understand their customers and readers. Part of my work also involves recognizing the personality types that make up an audience. And that means being attuned to culture on various levels.

I recently read an excellent book by Cotaire Rapaille, a French marketing expert who lives and works in the United States. In his fascinating examination of how important it is to understand people around the world, “The Culture Code,” Rapaille seeks to unlock the secrets to national identity (for example, the code behind the word “food” in the United States is “fuel,” while in France, it’s “pleasure,” which actually says a lot about the differences between the two nations).

Over the next few posts, I’ll be exploring the notion of culture, and the codes we live by yet don’t think about it. In the meantime, take a moment to think about your own cultural experience. Did you ever notice, while traveling, that you needed to do something differently, and did it, to feel more a part of a strange environment? What was it? I’d love to know.

Thanks for sharing!