Seeing difference more clearly in The Culture Map
Some books change how you interpret the world rather than what you do next. The Culture Map is one of those.
I came to Erin Meyer’s work through conversations about international teams and cross-border collaboration, often framed as issues of communication or “ways of working”. What the book does so effectively is reveal how much of what we take for granted is cultural, even when we believe we are being neutral or rational.
Meyer’s framework for understanding cultural differences, from communication styles and decision-making to trust and disagreement, is presented with clarity and care. The value lies not in memorising where different countries sit on a scale, but in recognising that misunderstandings often arise from good intent colliding with different norms.
As I read, I found myself revisiting moments from my own work: meetings where enthusiasm was mistaken for agreement; silence read as consent; directness interpreted as rudeness, or politeness as evasion. The book gently exposes how easily we project our own cultural logic onto others.
What makes The Culture Map particularly useful is its practicality. The examples are grounded, the language is accessible, and the tone is curious rather than judgemental. Meyer does not ask us to become cultural chameleons, but to develop awareness and adaptability.
In a world where collaboration increasingly crosses borders, time zones and assumptions, this book offers a valuable reminder: difference is not the problem. Unexamined difference is.
