As is known, the world is becoming a one global village, in the sense that the technological achievements of this modern era have brought people from different cultural backgrounds closer together. This fact is in a way interesting, but has also given rise to cross-cultural conflicts mainly due to the wide ranging cultural diversities.

These conflicts may hinder relationships in our societies. Therefore, we need to find solutions to break down any barriers. In this article, I will share some of those potential solutions.

In his book titled: “Cross-Cultural Servant-hood”, Duane Elmer, an American author, notes that openness is one of the key steps in thriving in a cross-cultural society. Openness must be expressed in culturally appropriate ways so that others feel both welcomed and secure in your presence.

While traveling to different places or countries, be open to trying out new things like the food, at least once. The locals in that area will appreciate you for making the effort. However, it’s also important not to do something that will compromise your own personal values (like drinking alcohol or eating pork for Muslims). In that case, you are permitted to respectfully decline. The idea is not to create boundaries, but to build bridges and open the door to cultural differences.

The ability to understand and suspend judgment is critical. By suspending judgment, you can keep your mind open to alternative explanations for what is seen and heard rather than immediately assuming something negative. For example, the Alur in West Nile and Iteso in Eastern Uganda, sometimes spit in their hands when welcoming visitors and the elders rub spit into the forearms of the person they are pleased to see. In Buganda, it is not culturally right for wives to hug or shake hands with their male in-laws. Failure to understand these practices and their interpretations may cause confusion.

Handling the language barrier issue: In a cross-cultural situation, language barriers may make it difficult to communicate with others. It may not be possible for you to learn all the languages in a new community, but learning a few greetings and key phrases would be important. This communicates that you value others and they may in turn, become more comfortable to open up, socialize or bond with you.

The power of patience: When it comes to time, western societies are very “clock-conscious” and to them, “time is money” and punctuality is crucial. However, in Uganda, “time” does not necessarily carry the same sense of urgency as meetings don’t usually start on time, appointments run forty or even hours late and with lots of heavy traffic requiring hours to make relatively short journeys. All of this can be very frustrating especially to someone from the West who is not accustomed to it.

Taking the time to research or inquire about another’s culture can go a long way to make them feel comfortable. Learn about the things they like and value: their food, their customs and protocol, business practices and what they do for fun. Because of your extra effort, the people with whom you interact will feel appreciated and will be more apt to work with you.

Another notable aspect of cross-cultural differences is the way forgiveness is managed. People from the western societies usually transact forgiveness through a verbal exchange where one party says, “I am sorry for what I did; will you forgive me?” and the other usually responds, “I forgive you”. Some cultures in Uganda usually engage mediators or elders to resolve conflict between parties while for others, depending on the gravity of the crime committed, the culprit is first punished by caning before the entire clan as a way of initiating forgiveness.

All in all, an appreciation of patterns of cultural differences can assist us in processing what it means to be different in ways that are respectful of others, not faultfinding or damaging. We can try our best to learn the other side’s culture and find ways to bridge the gap.

Mr. Brian Mukalazi is the CEO, Talis Consults