Darya Sinusoid, Author at Shortform Books

Communicating With High- and Low-Context Cultures

Do you often communicate with people from other cultures as part of your job? What differences have you noticed between different cultures’ communication styles? Learning how to communicate effectively is essential for good business. But contrary to popular belief, the techniques for good communication vary depending on the place you’re in. Cultural communication expert Erin Meyer places cultures on a communication spectrum and defines the two extremes as “high-context” and “low-context.” In this article, we’ll look at the difference between high- and low-context cultures and present some strategies for working well with people whose communication styles differ from yours.

Is There a Link Between Good Health and Happiness?

What role does mental attitude play in physical health? Is it true that happy people tend to be physically healthier? Looking after your body (eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly) is just one side of the coin when it comes to good health. The other side of the coin is how happy you feel internally—your mental attitude influences the way that your body heals. In this article, we’ll explore the link between good health and happiness, and how your mental attitude influences your physical health.

Conflict and Culture: How Different Cultures Disagree

How do different cultures approach conflict? Does the culture you come from tend to express disagreement openly or tacitly? Conflict and disagreement are necessary realities in the business world. But the rules for appropriate disagreement vary across cultures. In discussing conflict and culture, cultural communication expert Erin Meyer divides disagreement styles into two extremes: “confrontational” and “avoids confrontation.” In this article, we’ll look at why it can be so hard to determine where a culture falls on the disagreement spectrum and present some strategies you can use to ensure that disagreements don’t harm your business relationships.

Geoffrey Moore: The Chasm and Its Symptoms

What is the biggest “chasm” in Geoffrey Moore’s Technology Adoption Life Cycle (TALC)? How do you know that your business has reached the chasm between the early adopters and the early majority? According to Geoffrey Moore, the most significant chasm in the TALC occurs between early adopters and the early majority. The telltale signal that your business has reached the chasm is plateauing sales: when you first release your product, you may see exponential growth of sales in the early market, but then sales revenue hits a plateau or even trail off as the early market saturates and you enter

Erin Meyer: The Culture Map Framework

How do you measure cultural differences? In what key ways do the world’s cultures differ? In an increasingly globalized world, understanding different cultures is an essential business skill. However, there are few systematic methods for analyzing and dealing with specific cultural differences. To address this gap, cultural communication expert Erin Meyer developed an eight-dimension framework for mapping cultural differences. In this article, we’ll look at Erin Meyer’s culture map comprised of the eight axes of cultural difference.

How to Fix Poor Impulse Control: Pause and Think

Do you often act on impulse? What can you do to keep your impulsive reactions at bay? Emotions get the better of all of us from time to time, especially when we are under stress or pressure. One way you can train yourself to take control of how you react to situations is by delaying your response to stimuli. In this article, you will learn how to deal with poor impulse control by delaying your responses.

Technology Adoption Life Cycle: The Late Majority

What is the “late majority” in the context of technology adoption? How does the late majority market adopt new technology? The late majority is the group of customers who favor stability and familiarity over progress and novelty. They are not interested in new technology or the advantages it affords, but as it becomes standard and the technology that it replaces becomes obsolete, they will eventually upgrade to mitigate risk. Learn about the characteristics of the late majority market.

Erin Meyer: Culture and Trust-Building

How do different cultures build trust? What are the implications of a culture’s trust-building style for business relationships? Different cultures build trust in different ways. Without a clear understanding of how a particular culture builds trust, you are prone to misunderstanding the nature of your relationship with your business partners. In other words, you might think that you have a more or less significant relationship than you actually do. In this article, we’ll look at the two ways in which different cultures build trust, according to cultural communication expert Erin Meyer.

How to Create a Product Positioning Statement

What is a product positioning statement? What is the purpose of writing a product positioning statement for your business? A product positioning statement is a description of your target customers and the value you provide to them. Marketing and sales teams use the product positioning statement to inform customer messaging and ensure all communication is consistent. Here are some tips on how to write an effective product positioning statement for your business.

How to Make Peace With the Death of a Loved One

How do people make peace with the death of a loved one? How do you come to terms with the fact that they departed this world? There is no greater heartache than the death of a loved one. A spiritual way to help live with this heartache is to gain an understanding of the deeper meaning of life and death. Here is what Norman Vincent Peale has to say about coming to terms with the death of a loved one.