Do You Play Well With Others? Take HBR’s Culture Test

Erin Meyer, author of The Culture Map and “Navigating the Cultural Minefield” (HBR May 2014), has identified eight dimensions that together capture most of the differences within and among cultures — a much more nuanced approach than focusing on just one or two elements, as people usually do.

Using her method, Meyer has developed a new assessment tool for hbr.org. It allows you to see where you fall on the eight scales. She also offers insights about where people in countries other than your own typically land on the scales.

So have some fun trying out the self-assessment. After your results are tabulated, you’ll receive a personal profile that can help you identify where cultural or personal differences may be enhancing or limiting your potential as you interact in a diverse world. Maybe, for example, you identify strongly as Swiss, but you don’t necessarily communicate in the same way many of your Swiss colleagues do.

Whether you’re from Switzerland or South Dakota, the trap is in assuming that you “know” people because you have identified their cultural pedigree. Without understanding all the dimensions of their behavior and your own, you probably won’t figure out what’s behind the harmony — and the friction — you encounter with them. Meyer’s test will help you deepen and broaden your perspective.

Read more: Harvard Business Review


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