Business Etiquette Around the World

Sometimes we have lofty work goals: become CEO, earn a million dollars before we're 30, make the cover of Time magazine. And other times we have simpler aims. Perhaps the most universal concern of all workers, regardless of gender or industry, is the desire not to appear foolish.

The prospect of committing a faux pas in front of your peers, boss or clients is enough to make you blush. A case of the hiccups or giving a presentation with your zipper down will haunt you for the rest of your career.

The odds of making a social misstep increase when you travel abroad. U.S. workers making business trips to other countries often find themselves trying to put their best foot forward but instead end up stepping on the toes of their hosts.

Don't always clean your plate

The dinner table is the perfect venue to commit a well-intentioned gaffe. Nancy Mitchell of The Etiquette Advocate trains clients on business protocols and etiquette. One of her clients recently admitted that he offended a Chinese business associate on his first trip to Beijing. The business associate invited him to dinner on the first night of the visit. His research taught him that in China, he shouldn't discuss business at such an early stage of his trip, so he went to dinner confident about his efforts to keep the conversation on learning more about China and his host's family.

As the evening progressed, the American politely ate every bit of food on his plate, even as the courses continued and he was full. When the evening ended, the host's warmth had disappeared and he gave the visitor a cold goodbye.

The next morning he found out from a co-worker that in China, cleaning your plate means you weren't given enough food. Several helpings of food signal that the host wasn't generous to his or her guest.

Don't get caught off guard

American travelers can often find themselves in awkward situations through no faults of their own. Asking, "How are you?' can get some surprising responses for Americans, says Elisabetta Ghisini, author of "Communicating the American Way." Americans will normally respond to that question with something quick and cheerful, such as "Fine!" or "Good. How are you?"

"But if you happen to be traveling to Eastern Europe, such an upbeat attitude would be out of place -- 'I'm surviving' or 'Terrible' are perfectly acceptable options," Ghisini says.

In Germany, unlike in the United States, the birthday boy or girl has the responsibility of initiating celebration, a fact Dustin Weeks learned shortly after she began working for a company. She didn't expect any sort of celebration because she was a new employee, so she remained silent on the matter.

"I was rather surprised when the HR manager who hired me came down to the trading floor to wish me a happy birthday and then all of my colleagues knew," Weeks says. "They immediately formed a line to shake my hand and wish me a happy birthday.  I quickly realized that I was supposed to bring in a treat to celebrate my birthday after a few asked me what I had brought."

More tips

Other rules of etiquette American business travelers might find quirky can found in "Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies" by Michael Soon Lee. Among them:

·         You shouldn't give a Chinese person a clock as a gift. This can be viewed as an unlucky action signaling someone's death.

·         Knives don't make good gifts in Japan as they can be seen as symbolic of cutting ties with the recipient.

·         In New Zealand, a common greeting between two people is to rub or touch noses.

·         In Middle Eastern countries, you shouldn't use your left hand for greetings or to hand someone an object, as the left hand is seen as unclean.

Before you head overseas to woo a client and make some important contacts on behalf of your company, do your homework. Buy some books about etiquette and search online for tips. Some countries even have government-sponsored Web sites that tell visitors what to expect. Perhaps your best resource is a friend or colleague who has visited the country because they can give you advice based on their experiences.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.