“Don’t criticize someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes”

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Growing up as a missionary’s kid came with a steaming hot cup of culture shock.  I learned pretty quickly that I had a very low level of awareness when it came to just how humungous the world is.  To kick-start it all off,  I learned “football” means different things to different folks, as does “bathroom”, “napkins”,  and “bum”… amongst seemingly infinite other words, phrases, customs and norms.

Living life on all 8-cylinders requires being culturally healthy, as in a good place start is with awareness.  I’m not talking about giving up your culture so it doesn’t offend others, I’m talking about gaining some understanding about theirs, in order to connect with them.  It’s amazing what you can learn, both in similarities and differences.  And it ain’t all international, New Jersey has a completely different culture than South Carolina or Georgia.  And West Texas is different from California or Wisconsin.

It doesn’t have to geographic, religious, or ethnic either.  Plumbers have a different culture than Insurance Agents, and Bankers have a different culture than Sales Reps, and on and on.  Your career can be exponentially vaulted to unbelievable heights by simple being able to bridge the gaps between cultures.

Take the time to walk a mile in the other guy’s shoes, it’ll only take you about 15 minutes.  Learning even a little bit about someone’s culture goes beyond courtesy, it demonstrates respect.  It costs you nothing, but the return on investment is incredible.  Implementing this one thing has the potential to launch you to undreamt levels of success.

Boo yah!