Communication Style Differences

In the U.S., you can grab coffee with a CEO in two weeks. In Europe, it might take two years to get that meeting. I ’ve spent years building relationships across both U.S. and European markets, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: networking looks completely different depending on where you are. The way people connect, build trust, and create opportunities is shaped by culture-and if you don’t adapt your approach, you’ll hit walls fast. So, if you're an executive expanding globally, a leader hiring across regions, or a professional trying to break into a new market-this post is for you. The U.S.: Fast, Open, and High-Volume Americans love to network. Connections are made quickly, introductions flow freely, and saying "let's grab coffee" isn’t just polite—it’s expected. - Cold outreach is normal—you can message a top executive on LinkedIn, and they just might say yes. - Speed matters. Business moves fast, so meetings, interviews, and hiring decisions happen quickly. But here’s the catch: Just because you had a great chat doesn’t mean you’ve built a deep relationship. Trust takes follow-ups, consistency, and results. I’ve seen European executives struggle with this—mistaking initial enthusiasm for long-term commitment. In the U.S., networking is about momentum—you have to keep showing up, adding value, and staying top of mind. In Europe, networking is a long game. If you don’t have an introduction, it’s much harder to get in the door. - Warm introductions matter. Cold outreach? Much tougher. Senior leaders prefer to meet through trusted referrals—someone who can vouch for you. - Fewer, deeper relationships. Once trust is built, it’s strong and lasting—but it takes time to get there. - Decisions take longer. Whether it’s hiring, partnerships, or leadership moves, things don’t happen overnight—expect a longer courtship period. I’ve seen U.S. executives enter the European market and get frustrated fast—wondering why it’s taking months (or years!) to break into leadership circles. But that’s how the market works. The key to winning in Europe? Patience, credibility, and long-term thinking. So, What Does This Mean for Global Leaders? If you’re an American executive expanding into Europe… 📌 Be patient. One meeting won’t seal the deal—you have to earn trust over time. 📌 Get introductions. A warm referral is worth more than 100 cold emails. 📌 Don’t push too hard. European business culture favors depth over speed—respect the process. If you’re a European leader entering the U.S. market… 📌 Don’t wait for permission—reach out. People expect direct outreach and initiative. 📌 Follow up fast. If you’re slow to respond, the opportunity moves on without you. 📌 Be ready to show value quickly. Americans won’t wait months to see if you’re a fit. Networking isn’t just about who you know—it’s about how you build relationships. #Networking #Leadership #ExecutiveSearch #CareerGrowth #GlobalBusiness #US #Europe

Six weeks ago, I went underground. Not off the grid. Just deep into the private Discord servers where sneakerheads spot fakes before they hit the market. The Slack channels where CMOs trade budget hacks they’d never tweet. The WhatsApp threads where collectors swap intel like it’s insider trading. I was lurking. Reverse-engineering how trust gets built in dark social. It seems like increasingly, we're seeing public feeds are for performance. And private chats are for proof. Back in 2010, Bitly found 69% of social shares happened in DMs and emails. Today, it’s closer to 90%. These spaces aren't controlled by algorithms, they're ruled by humans. Want in? Here’s how AI can help you: 1. Find the watering holes without wasting 100 hours: Tools like SparkToro reveal where your audience actually talks and track how those spaces shift over time. 2. Decode the language in minutes, not months: Drop top conversations into Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini and ask: “What slang, inside jokes, or recurring complaints stand out here?” A skincare brand did this and found its audience was skeptical of clinical claims—so they pivoted to raw, unfiltered before-and-afters. 3. Pre-test content before you post: Use Perplexity to analyze which links get shared most in those communities. Run your hooks through ChatGPT and ask: “Would this grab attention in a thread full of X jargon?” Last month, a supplement brand nailed this. They scanned 500-plus Reddit, Inc. threads on workout fatigue, discovered that everyone hated the term biohacking, and switched their messaging to old-school muscle science. Engagement tripled. Your move this week: 1) Pick one niche community, whether it’s Discord, Slack, or a tight-knit Substack. 2) Use AI to extract three insider phrases and identify one unaddressed gripe. 3) Draft content that speaks their language, not yours. High impact means going beyond being data-driven to being community-fluent. And fluency starts with listening smarter. AI can help. #hicm #DarkSocial #SocialListening #AI

The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a staple of L&D teams everywhere. It’s a test designed to reveal your personality. It is also #neurobollocks. You’ve probably done the MBTI at some point. It consists of 93 simple questions like: 👉 You often spend time exploring unrealistic and impractical yet intriguing ideas. 👉 You are almost never late for your appointments. 👉 You find it easy to introduce yourself to other people. The answers identify whether you are: 👉 Introverted or Extraverted (I vs E) 👉 Sensing or iNtuitive (S vs N) 👉 Thinking or Feeling (T vs F) 👉 Judging or Pserceiving (J vs P) Together these four dimensions classify you into one of 16 personality types. I’ve taken the test three times and been INTJ, ESTJ and ESTP – which highlights one of its major flaws, namely it’s not very reliable. If you measured my height as 185cm one day and the came back two weeks later and found it was 165cm, there is a problem – either I’m shrinking at a truly alarming rate or your measure isn’t very good. Studies show that the MBTI gives different results for approximately 50% of the people who take it, making it an unreliable tool. A major flaw in the MBTI is the assumption that personality is categorical. The idea that the entire world’s population can be neatly sorted into 16 boxes, with everyone in each box sharing the same personality, is not just simplistic – it’s absurd. Personality traits are not binary, they are continuous. Sometimes I find being in a crowd energising and exciting; other times I’d much prefer to quietly read a book. Am I an extrovert or an introvert? Neither. Like most people, I fall on the spectrum between the two extremes. Time and time again, studies show that the MBTI is not a good predictor of career outcomes, romantic relationships or anything else we might care about. In contrast, there are scientifically validated personality tests like the Big-5 personality inventory that do offer useful predictive power, including career performance, likelihood of divorce, and even purchasing decisions. If you consider that MBTI was created by a pair of people with no psychological training based on the untested theories of Carl Jung, it is no surprise that it is little more than science-flavoured snake-oil. But the results seem pretty accurate. What’s going on? People tend to believe that their horoscope describes them well, even when they’re reading the wrong horoscope. This is due to the fact like horoscopes, the MBTI offers personality descriptions that contain vague descriptions but are written with enough ambiguity so that people can read into it and conclude that it describes them beautifully. This is known as the Forer effect, and psychics and other charlatans have been using it for ages. The science is clear. It’s time to stop using MBTI for anything beyond entertainment purposes. What do you think? Have you used MBTI? Big-5? Share your thoughts on how it compares to MBTI.

7 terminologies you should know if you’ll be organising or attending an event soon. 1. Delegate vs. Attendee – A delegate represents a group or organization at an event, often with special privileges like voting or decision-making. An attendee, on the other hand, is simply someone who is present at an event without specific responsibilities. All delegates are attendees, but not all attendees are delegates. 2. VIP vs. VVIP – A VIP (Very Important Person) is someone of significant importance at an event, often with special access or privileges. A VVIP (Very, Very Important Person) denotes an even higher distinction, reserved for individuals with top-tier status. For example, a CEO may be a VIP with a reserved seat, while a Head of State may be a VVIP with a private suite, enhanced security, and the best seating. 3. Sponsorship vs. Partnership —Sponsorship involves a business or individual providing financial or material support to an event in exchange for visibility. A partnership, however, is a more collaborative relationship where two or more organizations share goals, responsibilities, and contributions. 4. Event Decor vs. Event Design – Event decor refers to the physical items used to decorate the event space, such as flowers or table settings. Event design, however, is a broader concept that includes the overall creative vision. 5. Open Invitation vs. RSVP- An open invitation is one that allows anyone to attend without confirming in advance. Meanwhile, RSVP is a request for guests to confirm their attendance before the event, to allow the host to plan accordingly. 6. Green Room vs. Press Room- The Green Room is a space designed for people actively involved in the event, such as speakers, to relax, connect, and prepare before going on stage. Meanwhile, the press room is for journalists and media personnel covering the event to conduct interviews and work. 7. Run of Show vs. Programme - A Run of Show is a detailed plan used by event organizers to manage the technical aspects and timing of an event. It includes specific cues, transitions, and instructions for the internal team. Meanwhile, a Programme is an outline of the event, typically provided to attendees to give them an overview of what to expect. Did you find this useful? Share and save for later. It was a pleasure to co-host NLNG’s Grand Award Night alongside Nollywood star Kunle Remi. My name is Temi Badru. With over a decade of experience moderating high-profile events, I enjoy sharing knowledge on this platform. Follow my page for more: Temi Badru #temibadru #eventhost #moderator #voicesandfaces #speaker

I’m tired of connecting with someone on LinkedIn only to get pitched their product or software within five minutes. Yes, sales matter. But relationships matter more. When the first message is a pitch, it tells me you’re chasing transactions, not building trust. It skips the part where we actually get to know each other. Where we learn if there’s alignment. Where we find out if what you’re offering even solves a real problem. The best partnerships I’ve been part of didn’t start with a cold pitch. They started with a conversation. Ask a question. Learn what matters to me or my team. Offer something helpful before asking for time. It’s not about playing games. It’s about respecting people and earning the right to share what you do. Sales will always be part of business. But if you’re not building relationships, you’re building a house on sand. #SalesWithIntegrity #RelationshipsFirst #LinkedInCommunity #TrustMatters #BusinessDoneRight #CustomerExperience #ListenBeforeYouPitch

If your one-on-ones are primarily status updates, you're missing a massive opportunity to build trust, develop talent, and drive real results. After working with countless leadership teams across industries, I've found that the most effective managers approach 1:1s with a fundamentally different mindset... They see these meetings as investments in people, not project tracking sessions. Great 1:1s focus on these three elements: 1. Support: Create space for authentic conversations about challenges, both professional and personal. When people feel safe discussing real obstacles, you can actually help remove them. Questions to try: "What's currently making your job harder than it needs to be?" "Where could you use more support from me?" 2. Growth: Use 1:1s to understand aspirations and build development paths. People who see a future with your team invest more deeply in the present. Questions to explore: "What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?" "What parts of your role energize you most?" 3. Alignment: Help team members connect their daily work to larger purpose and meaning. People work harder when they understand the "why" behind tasks. Questions that create alignment: "How clear is the connection between your work and our team's priorities?" "What part of our mission resonates most with you personally?" By focusing less on immediate work outputs and more on the human doing the work, you'll actually see better performance, retention, and results. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #leadershipdevelopment #teammanagement

One skill separates great communicators from average ones: Perspective-taking. The ability to see things from someone else’s point of view. But most people do it wrong. Here’s how to do it right, especially when you’re leading or being led: When you’re the boss, persuading down: You’re trying to convince Maria on your team to do something different. She’s pushing back. Your instinct might be to assert your authority. But that’s a mistake. Here’s why… Research shows: The more powerful you feel, the worse your perspective-taking becomes. More power = less understanding. So if you want to persuade Maria, don’t lean into your title. Do the opposite: dial your power down, just briefly. Try this: Before the next conversation, remind yourself: Maria has power too. I need her buy-in. Maybe she sees something I don’t. Lower your feelings of power to raise your perspective. From that place, ask: → What does she see that I’m missing? → What might be in her way? → What’s a win-win outcome? That shift changes the entire dynamic. Instead of steamrolling, you’re collaborating. And that’s how you earn trust and results. Now flip it. You’re the employee persuading your boss. It’s a high-stakes moment. You’re nervous. So do you appeal to emotion? No. Drop the feelings. Focus on interests. Here’s the key question: “What’s in it for them?” Not how you feel. Not your big dream. → Will it save time? → Improve performance? → Help them hit their goals? Make it about their world, not yours. Why? Because every boss has a mental shortcut: → Does this employee make my life easier or harder? Be the person who brings clarity, ideas, and upside. Not complaints, drama, or friction. In summary: → Persuading down? Dial down your power to see clearer. → Persuading up? Focus on their interests, not your emotions. Perspective-taking is a superpower, if you learn how to use it. Now practice, practice, practice.

🌍 New Series: "Mind the Gap – PR & Communication Across Borders" Ever tried launching a PR campaign in another country and thought, “Wait… why did that land like a lead balloon?” You're not alone. As someone who's navigated international communication for a while, I’ve seen firsthand how cultural nuance can make—or break—a message. So I’m kicking off a new series exploring how PR and communication differ around the globe. 👉 First up: Germany vs. the USA U.S. Communication: Enthusiastic, emotional, and yes—peppered with exclamation marks!!! Storytelling is king. Personal anecdotes and a strong “why” lead the way. Positivity sells. Even problems get rebranded as “growth opportunities.” German Communication: Direct, precise, and suspicious of unnecessary fluff. Facts first. Then more facts. Then a few more, just to be safe. Understatement rules. If a German says something is “not bad,” it might be worthy of an award. Example: An American press release might open with: “We’re thrilled to announce our exciting new partnership that will revolutionize the industry!” A German version? “Company A and Company B have entered a partnership effective May 15. Objectives include market expansion and product development.” Both are correct. Neither is wrong. But the context is everything. Takeaway: If you're crafting messages across borders, remember—it’s not just about what you say, but how it’s heard. ✨ Stay tuned for more posts comparing global comms styles—from Japan’s silence-as-a-power-move to Brazil’s beautifully fluid approach to formality. Have you run into cultural communication quirks in your PR work? I’d love to hear them! Chris Prouty, tell us about your experience as a US PR pro, please. #PR #Communication #CrossCulturalCommunication #Germany #USA #GlobalMarketing #Storytelling #Localization #InternationalBusiness

2 types of HR: 1. The Process-Driven HR: • Guards policy handbooks • Masters compliance matrices • Sees employees as resources • Lives by procedural calendars • Focuses on risk management • Takes pride in documentation • Thinks Innovation = new policies 2. The People-First HR: • Takes pride in changed lives • Sees HR as a growth catalyst • Obsessed with human potential • "Let's build human connections" • Lives in stories, not just statistics • Champions cultural transformation • Innovation = employee empowerment Both approaches have their place. Both keep businesses running. But those who lead with humanity? They don't just build companies. They build futures. Because HR isn't just about human resources. It's about human resilience.

I was on a call recently with someone who doesn’t usually work in the non-profit space. Smart guy. Asked good questions. At one point, he said what he found hardest was not defaulting to jargon. Then he gave examples of the words he was trying to avoid. “Impact.” "Empower." “Strategic opportunity.” I laughed. Because… Welcome to the world of nonprofit communications. So I shared a small cheat I use all the time (one anyone can use, not just comms people). If you’re about to say something like: “We’re here to make impact for children” Stop. And replace the jargon word with what you actually do. So instead of “impact”, you say: “We help children eat three meals a day.” That’s it. Take the abstract word out. Put the real action in. Plain language isn’t dumbing things down. It’s respecting your audience enough to be clear. And clarity is what helps people understand, remember and act. I’ve added a small carousel with examples you can steal, showing how to replace common non-profit jargon with plain, human language. Save it. Screenshot it. Use it in your next proposal or website rewrite.