Individualistic cultures breed lonely heroes. The ideal employee is like a rockstar – visible, loud, effective. Such a person, wanting to make a good impression, will talk about what they’ve done in the past. What successes they’ve had, what they’ve learned from their failures and what plans they have in the future. It makes a good impression when it looks like an individual “can do everything”.
When an individual is part of a group though, this type of presentation will not only fall flat but it will be given a low rating. You are perceived as paying too much attention to yourself and you don’t talk about what you can bring to the team. Relationships are more important, they are the foundation of trust. How can you trust someone who has so many skills? It doesn’t guarantee anything.
As you can see, each deep truth has its counterpart in another deep truth. It all depends on who is asking and who is responding. Cultural differences require advice: without it, they can be a minefield.
