Especially in very indirect cultures there is a tendency not to speak out negative things openly. Instead, you usually say “yes”, even though you cannot complete a task at all, for example. Or you only get to hear praise, although there are actually enough things how the company could be improved. As a result, you are missing important information that you urgently need for successful work.

We have put together practical tips and strategies that will give you better / more honest answers.

Learn practical tips and strategies on how to best deal with direct and indirect people! With the help of our background knowledge, you can achieve your professional goals faster and with a lot less worries.

As you surely know from your own surroundings, certain people communicate more directly than others. These people don’t mind telling you their opinions very openly, regardless of whether you’ll take it positively or negatively. On the other hand, you certainly also know people who tend to communicate more tactfully and thus place more value on the way things are said. From a global perspective, individual countries usually lean more toward one of these forms of communication than the other. We’ll tell you what you should look out for when communicating with both types and why smileys are not necessarily a no-go in business. Continue reading →