THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESS MEETINGS. IN ADDITION, HOW PARTICIPANTS BEHAVE WILL DEPEND UPON CULTURAL BACKGROUND. USE THEFOLLOWING AS A CHECKLIST TO HELP YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR COMMUNICATING IN INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS...

PREPARATION Some cultures...
-are happy with telephone meetings in preference to personal contact
-expect extensive pre-meeting documentation and briefing information.
-prefer communication of prepared ideas to spontaineity during discussion
-value fact over opinion

STRUCTURE Some cultures...
-regard small talk as essential to establish the required personal relationship
-prefer certain types of meeting (briefing) to others (problem solving)
-view informality as unprofessional
-expect to work systematically on an agenda
-work organically and value flexibility and disgression

ROLES Some cultures...
-see the chair as controller and decsion-maker rather than facilitator
-prefer an individualist to a collectivist approach
-expect important decisions will be made by senior personnel in the company.

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION People can....
-find idiomatic language difficult. Keep it short and simple.
-be frustrated by native language speaker domination. Allow others to speak.
-misunderstand silence: is it agreement, non-understanding, thinking time,      boredom?
-be offended. Humor is often personal and culturally specific. Use with cautious.

TIME Some cultures...
-respect punctuality
-are very concerned with deadlines
-are flexible about time

DECISION-MAKING Some cultures...
-prefer logic to imagination
-prefer diplomacy to open disagreement
-don't welcome interruption and contradiction
-see directness as rude and unsophisticated

NON-VERBAL ASPECTS Some cultures...
- expect a formal dress code
-see handshaking as the basis for establishing a personal relationship
-see the exchange of business cards as important
-have strong expectations about using first or family names. Family names are safer.
-mistake friendliness for unprofessionalism.