Thumbs Up
So say you have recently been elected president, you are managing a multinational team, or you are about to travel the world… Having a basic awareness of cultural gestures and the sensitivity around the meaning of gestures and nonverbal communication will be of great benefit to you and those around you.
Giving a ‘Thumbs Up’ in an intercultural setting might offend someone from a cultural background where this gesture signifies an insult.
Keeping in mind that your behaviour and gestures are subject to very different – sometimes opposing – interpretation by people from different cultural backgrounds is key in creating understanding, avoiding conflict, closing a business deal, and simply in contributing to positive interpersonal and intercultural communication.
