How a message or service is offered can be as important as the message itself in terms of whether or not it will be received as it was intended. Understanding the culture of the people one is communicating with or trying to serve is essential.

I love this video about a retired school teacher who wanted to turn children in remote and poor villages in Italy into readers http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190125-the-tiny-library-bringing-books-to-remote-villages.

Towards the end of the video, the teacher explains the reason for choosing his particular “vehicle” and in so doing, demonstrates his intercultural competence.

Intercultural competence (the ability to understand and interact well with different cultures) is not only an essential skill for reaching across borders but also for reaching across social and economic difference within one’s own country.

Are you using the right vehicle to deliver your message or your service? Do you need to work on developing your intercultural abilities in order to be sure that your message or your service are received as you intend?