If you don't, you can make mistakes. These mistakes can be harmless, or, they can also be very serious.

Working with people from different cultures has become more and more frequent for many of us and, as a result, more important.

Understanding 'culture' is essential because, otherwise, it's easy for people to underestimate the impact cultural differences can have. Underestimating culture is the point at which things can start to go wrong. 

Although it may be easy to learn facts and do’s and don’ts about different cultures, this is not necessarily being culturally aware.

Cultural awareness helps us reduce the chances of making bad decisions and increases the chance of us making more insightful, considered decisions.

An important learning point is that being culturally aware is not about compromising your own culture or sacrificing your values or identity for ‘another’s’.

It is simply about helping us understand how we can best adapt our approaches, thoughts and decisions to ensure we create positive outcomes in cross-cultural interactions.

It is about respecting others’ cultures as well as our own.