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Home My WebLink About2015 03-04 Maplewood gathering offers cheat sheet for cross-cultural business etiquette MAPLEWOOD REVIEW2/8/2016 Maplewood gathering offers cheat sheet for cross-cultural business etiquette I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com Maplewood gathering offers cheat sheet for cross- cultural business etiquette Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 03/04/2015 - 10:31 am By: Erin Hinrichs Chou Xong, 27, Shirly Yang- Lor, 24, and Pang Lee, 31, visit with parledist Sia Lo, (I rin i finrichs0?e vie m/) If you walked into someone's home to do some renovation work, would you be surprised to be invited to a meal first? Do a firm handshake and direct gaze convey warmth and confidence to everyone you meet? And what words and gestures might you be using that are torpedoing your business opportunities before you even get a foot in the door? Those were some of the questions organizers of a multicultural networking event and panel discussion hoped to answer. Those were some of the questions organizers of a multicultural networking event and panel discussion hoped to answer. "The purpose of this event is to build cultural bridges, partnerships, connections and alliances," Maplewood Mayor Nora Slawik said during opening remarks at the Feb. 26 event at the Maplewood Community Center. "Maplewood is the kind of city where all ethnicities have the opportunity to enhance the quality of their lives." County tops state in diversity Although this networking event was the first of its kind to be hosted by the city of Maplewood, diversity in the community is nothing new. "Our community, our state is changing," Sen. Chuck Wiger said after listening to the panelists. "The more we know about and understand each other, the better off we'll all be." Ramsey County ranks as the most densely populated and racially diverse county in the state, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Countless immigrants and U.S.-born minorities have capitalized on their versions of the American Dream -- whether it be investing in starting a small business, pursuing a degree in higher education or simply working to provide safe and stable lives for their families. http://www.bulIetin-news.com/articles/2015/03/04/maplewood-gathering-offers-cheat-sheet-cross-cultural-business-etiquette 1/4 2/8/2016 Maplewood gathering offers cheat sheet for cross-cultural business etiquette I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com Figure 1. percentage of people of color by county k'i Cifies °�i; lu lli Anoka k a County Calver c'oil,ill'it llieitn [ Vfi County Ramsey Coih nt Scot CoullP°it a MiIIigtoi' COUnt4 Nil �1 Source iirl tr°r°rlro1ila n G'otincil staff c.91culations N sed on Cor.rrdr d's 2013 Annual Fl(.p.dtafio n l.o 'alirrrales and U.S, Cr„^rises Bi.ilea u, 201(0 Census arncl 2011 21()13 arlrr'ierica Cornmunity Survey. Mohamud Abdirahman, Hussein Khatib, Sia Lo and Ramon Leon presented on the do's and don'ts for developing successful ethnic business connections. (submitted photo) Participants at the Multi -Cultural Networking Event at the Maplewood community center listening to panelists share tips on cross-cultural business etiquette. (submitted photo) Given this concentration of diversity and entrepreneurial ambition in Ramsey County, local government and business leaders have been looking at new ways to support an ethnically -diverse business community. The response to the networking event indicates they've hit a rich vein of interest. When they first started planning, Maplewood council member Marylee Abrams said, organizers hoped for at least 80 participants. The free event -- including ethnic food, a cash bar and door prizes -- ended up selling out, with more than 400 registered guests driving in from across the Twin Cities. "We recognized and identified that we have a wonderful, diverse, growing community in the Twin Cities," Abrams said. "I don't believe there's been any other event like this in the state of Minnesota, and it's happening here for the very first time." Understanding, not underestimating Speaking on the behalf of the Latino business community, Ramon Leon, founder and president of the Latino Economic Development Center, said his cold walk into the building reminded him of his winter arrival to Minnesota in 1991. The warmth of the welcome he received from his new neighbors, though, made a lasting impression. Although he came to the state with years of experience as an entrepreneur in Mexico, he said he lived in fear of being deported -- torn away from his wife and children, who already had citizenship -- until he gained citizenship himself. Speaking from experience, he told audience members to avoid making assumptions about a person's legal status. Also, he asked guests to strike the word "illegal" from their vocabulary when talking about undocumented immigrants. It's a sensitive issue in the Latino community, he said, because many extended families have or know of undocumented residents who contribute to the whole community but don't yet have the security of citizenship. "That might be an issue that prevents us from being open," Leon said. Leon also noted that Midwesterners may forget the Latino community itself is quite diverse. It helps others to have some awareness of the various Latino nationalities and the factors driving immigration from those areas, as well as realizing a recent immigrant's abilities may not be measured by English fluency. "You also have to realize that people have come from political prosecution, war, poverty," he said. "They may hold a higher education degree and speak and write [well] in their own language." http://www.bulIetin-news.com/articles/2015/03/04/maplewood-gathering-offers-cheat-sheet-cross-cultural-business-etiquette 2/4 2/8/2016 Maplewood gathering offers cheat sheet for cross-cultural business etiquette I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com Forging partnerships for the long term Sia Lo, attorney and advisor to the Hmong Council of 18 said the more than 300 small businesses in the Frogtown district are an indicator of the Hmongs' entrepreneurial success less than 10 miles away. Beyond that, Hmong Village, located on St. Paul's East Side, houses more than 200 vendors; and the Hmong business community expands outward from there. Lo encouraged audience members to bring their children to the Village to experience Hmong culture and interact with Hmong business owners. "You don't have to travel to southwest Asia to get that experience," he said. The Hmong New Year and Freedom Celebration are two prime opportunities to facilitate cross-cultural business relationships, he said. While the holidays coincide with Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, respectively, Lo said there's lots of potential to build name recognition by sponsoring or partnering in events. According to 2010 Census data compiled by the nonprofit Hmong National Development, St. Paul is home to more Hmong than any other city in the country. Ramsey County has 14 of the top 25 neighborhood census tracts in the U.S. by population size. "The east side of Maplewood contains one of the largest Hmong populations in the state," Lo noted. That makes it vital to practice culturally -sensitive business etiquette. "Don't look them in the eyes," he advised. "In business we like to look people in the eye when we're talking to them. But in the Hmong community, it's too confrontational and a sign of disrespect." Also, "don't hug," he said, triggering a round of laughter from those who recognize this gesture as a trademark of "Minnesota Nice." Initiating a male-female hug can place Hmong clients in an especially uncomfortable position, he said. Another Hmong panelist, Chue Vang, board of director chair for the Hmong Chamber of Commerce, cautioned business owners that winning Hmong clients takes a long-term commitment. "it took my Realtor four years to get a business [deal] with me, but he made the sale," Vang laughs, adding he now refers others to that person. One result of the cautious approach to forming business ties is that unethical business practices and pressure sales will doom business relationships with Hmong partners and clients -- relationships that otherwise could have lasted for years. "if you get caught in a lie or you don't deliver your services or promises, a Hmong business person will probably shut you out for life," he said. Those who practice patience and cultivate the relationship, he added, will generate business. "Without trust, there's no business," he said. "I find that to be true across all cultures." More to the story Identifying as a Palestinian, an Arab and a Muslim, Hussein Khatib, founder and executive director of Unity Cooperative Council, also touched on the importance of building trust -- especially considering the burden U.S. Arabs and Muslims face from the negative, politically -charged images of the Arab region in the media. http://www.bulIetin-news.com/articles/2015/03/04/maplewood-gathering-offers-cheat-sheet-cross-cultural-business-etiquette 3/4 2/8/2016 Maplewood gathering offers cheat sheet for cross-cultural business etiquette I Lillie Suburban Newspapers - LillieNews.com "Unfortunately there's unjustified fear when dealing with the unknown, the new," Khatib said, asking participants to seek out more in-depth and credible sources of information about their neighbors here. "I invite all of you to face that fear, that hesitation. We have so much in common." He reminded those in the audience that not all Muslims feel it's appropriate for a man and woman to shake hands. But in conservative religious belief, he noted, it's disrespectful to initiate male-female contact and to hold direct eye contact. Religion feeds into another common business etiquitte faux pas -- inviting a Muslim to a business dinner during the holy month of Ramadan. Many Muslims fast during this time, Khatib reminded guests. Also, since Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, the dates shift each year. Family -focused Mohamud Abdirahman, executive director of the Minnesota Somali Chamber of Commerce, the other Muslim panelist, noted that Khatib's advice resonated with him. In addition to encouraging guests to accept offers of food and drink before talking business with those in the Somali business community, he said taking the time to show a vested interest in their family also goes a long way in building relationships. "We know everybody comes from a family and when your whole family is happy, I'm sure you will be happy," he said, giving context to the custom. Age may also play role Guests lingered long after the event ended at 8:30 p.m., trading contact information, telling anecdotes and clearly enjoying one another's enthusiasm for building a diverse, thriving business community. Three young Hmong women working for a credit union added another perspective in the informal discussions that followed. Shirly Yang -Lor, 24, said it's true that some Hmong interpret direct eye contact and male-female handshaking as a sign of disrespect; but she generally breaks these norms when interacting with Hmong customers at work. "I think it applies to the older generation," she said, touching on another nuance of cross-cultural business etiquette. While Abram, along with the other event planners, is still reviewing survey responses from participants, it seems likely that another multi -cultural business event may soon be in the works. "The huge success of the event confirmed there is a need for a venue for businesses to build bridges across cultures," Abrams said. Event sponsors included: City of Maplewood, White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce, Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, Ramsey County Minnesota Chamber of Commerce - Grow Minnesota!, FBI Community Outreach, ESABA, SCORE Saint Paul, SBA, Sunrise Bank, LEDC, Minnesota Somali Chamber of Commerce, Hmong Chamber of Commerce, Latino Roundtable, Unity Cooperative Council Erin Hinrichs can be reached at 651-748-7814 and ehinrichs@lillienews.com. Follow her at twitter.com/EHinrichsNews. http://www.bulIetin-news.com/articles/2015/03/04/maplewood-gathering-offers-cheat-sheet-cross-cultural-business-etiquette 4/4