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Choice of language
The choice of the working language can be a major problem if the team 
is truly multicultural. The most likely choice will be English, but if other 
nationalities are present who are not native English speakers, they may be at 
a linguistic disadvantage and therefore there will be a need for interpreters. 
Some participants, particularly senior people, may bring their own interpre-
ters who will act as ‘chuchoteurs’ (whisperers).
Organizations should carry out a regular language audit amongst their 
staff to ensure they have an up- to- date knowledge of those who are well 
qualified in foreign languages.
Apart from language fluency, patterns of language may vary between 
cultures. This includes the use of silence, which is skilfully used by the 
Japanese, who frequently consider matters in silence before making a contri-
bution. In many Asian cultures, particularly in Southeast Asia, it is considered 

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International Team Building and Teamworking 153
impolite to interrupt; indeed, individuals from such cultures often leave a 
respectful silence between utterances.
English for non- native speakers is often seen as complex, using a rich 
vocabulary and a host of metaphors and colloquialisms. If possible, it 
is advisable to use a form of international English or ‘ off- shore English’, as 
already discussed in Chapter 4. This uses phrases and grammatical structures 
that are less likely to be misunderstood, avoiding acronyms, slang, jargon 
and complex structures. Preparatory papers and agenda issued before the 
meeting should wherever possible be translated to avoid any initial confu-
sion. It is also important to realize how tiring it is for team members who are 
working in a second language, so more time should be allowed for questions 
and presentations. Multicultural teams can make adjustments to cope with 
one non- fluent member, but more members would most likely necessitate 
the use of interpreters. The lack of fluency in the working language is very 
often the major cause of exclusion and resulting feelings of frustration 
and isolation. This can be overcome to some extent by the use of relevant 
pictures and diagrams in presentations.
Attendance
Ideally, the aim is to get the ‘right people’, the decision makers, to attend, 
but this is not always possible. In some cultures, for example, the Arabs, it 
is not always predictable as to who and also how many will turn up. This 
may occur even though specific people have been notified as attending. 
However, with Arabs, the maturity and seniority of attendees are important 
if they are to have any credibility. In other cultures, for example, the British 
and the Dutch, junior managers may attend if the more senior designated 
representative is unable to take part. The Germans will usually try to send 
specialists to cover each area, whereas the British may well use generalists 
who have power to make decisions. In the case of the Japanese, if senior 
managers are present, junior managers will defer to them.
The chairperson
The appointment of the chairperson for a multicultural meeting is crucial 
to its success. The decision as to who is to be appointed needs to have the 
full support of all participants. The appointee should be a skilled facilitator, 
fluent in the working language chosen for the meeting and fully aware of 
the cultural sensitivities of the various participants. An increasing number 
of meetings in the West are on a need- to- know basis with a limited number 
of participants, usually for reasons of efficiency rather than confidentiality. 
In many Asian countries, notably Japan, a large number of participants are 
encouraged so that everyone is in the picture, even though they may not all 
actively participate in the meeting.
Whoever leads or runs the meeting in most cultures is the senior person 
in the room. The other members remain silent or contribute only when 

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154 Cross-Cultural Communication
requested to do so. In many Western countries, participants are encouraged 
to interject when they have something to contribute. This can cause 
problems in multinational meetings, as such action may appear to show a 
lack of respect to the chairperson. In meetings in both the UK and the USA, 
the role of chair may be given to the person who is most in touch with the 
topic under discussion.
In Japan in particular, the senior person present may be responsible for 
overall strategy but may not actually deal with the tactical issues in running 
the meeting. It is not unknown for the senior person to be silent in deep 
concentration. In this situation, Westerners should be careful not to address 
all their remarks to possibly junior attendees who appear to be paying the 
most attention.
An indication of seniority and leadership in meetings is where people sit. 
In highly protocol- oriented business cultures, the most important person is 
traditionally seated furthest from the entrance, with more junior members 
of the meeting being nearer the door. Before taking your seat, you may need 
to check that your seat reflects your position in the company.
The chairperson should be able to summarize what has been agreed at 
various points and eventually to approve the minutes, as well as being 
able to deal sensitively with different cultural approaches to his or her 
authority:
Some cultures, for example, the French, the Belgians and the Spanish, 
will consider it appropriate to challenge and even at times contradict the 
chair.
The British, the Dutch, the Americans and the Germans will abide 
by the rules of procedure and channel their questions and contributions 
through the chair.
The Italians, the Portuguese and the Greeks will be less constrained by 
the rules of procedure, with the Greeks seeing the chair as first among 
equals who is expected to compete with the other attendees to get points 
across.
Procedures and protocol
The procedures and protocol may be partly dependent on the national 
approach to meetings. In Japan, it is considered appropriate to focus in 
depth on a few issues. The French, however, favour a 360-degree approach 
in which a problem is discussed in all its aspects and from all angles. The 
British, the Americans and the Germans prefer a more linear approach 
with an organized series of points raised, discussed and actions agreed. 
These different approaches affect the duration of the meeting, with French 
meetings, for example, often lasting longer than those of the British or the 
Americans.
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