Discussion: View Thread

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Avoid humor as it often does not translate and could pose a risk in an extreme case.
• Avoid colloquialisms and cliches as they usually do not translate.
• When emailing consider the time of day, especially if it's late at the receiving end and you are wanting something.
• Be aware of local holidays. Knowledge of local holidays can also build rapport.
• Stay current on current events in the various countries in which the folks you're talking to live. Again, can build rapport. Sports is usually a safe topic.
• Be aware of how your message is being received and use direct and indirect styles as appropriate based on cultural norms.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.

Mr. McGarth:
Failure to understand realities in local conditions can lead to many issues beyond measuring systems.  Your wind speed issue plays out in many localities.  Another issue that frequently is inadequately considered is seismic loading.  In my experience, sometimes it seems that engineers who are not local come in with a "we know better than you ignorant locals" attitude.

<o:p></o:p>

Many times if you look carefully, local practices you do not understand are done for good reason.  I saw this frequently in quite a few years of working in Taiwan, with shorter stints in other Asian countries.  One example was our architects not understanding the very heavy roll up doors common there compared to common US practice.  One experience with typhoon winds would cure that one.  Likewise, use of concrete block segments as cover over flat roofs rather than gravel. Ask the people about one of the common forms of window damage in Houston TX during a hurricane a few years back.  There were multiple breaks in windows on the upwind side of taller buildings that were downwind of shorter building topped with the typical gravel covered flat roof. Here is where a look at practices in other countries could be beneficial to ours."  Another is when it comes to seismic issues. If in an earthquake prone area, it is a good idea to learn the Japanese codes as I believe they are far better than just about anyone else's.  A quake making major news in California barely gets more than a mention in that part of the world.  Conversely, ADA considerations seem to be neglected in many parts of the world, or are minimally or awkwardly applied.  Time zones:  Yes.  When you are 12 hours out from the US east coast, emails generally take 24 hour cycles unless you like to do your professional correspondence in the middle of the night. 

Holidays: When you have a personnel office in the US, who misunderstands that your days off and on do not match the US calendar, this can affect your paycheck.  As part of this, understand that in the Chinese based parts of the world the multiday Chinese New Year holiday makes Christmas in the US look like a busy day.  One year working in Hong Kong with the family in Taipei, I could not get out on the last day before the holiday, So, on the next day which was in the holiday, I did get out.  Because a taxi was not to be seen, I went to the airport, by bus, which was running on a skeleton schedule, missed the first flight (which actually did not fly) was first in line for the next one, but there was no line, went through the one customs line open by myself, walked through the ghost town that was the airport to the gate and was greeted by name.  (a surprise as coach passengers are essentially anonymous) and was informed that "you are our only passenger", got on and they backed out of the gate and we took off early.  They flew only because they needed the plane back in Taipei and the crew wanted to be back home.  This was on a 747.  By the way if you were to assume that since this is Asia, Chinese New Year would be a big thing in Japan or Korea, it is not a holiday at all.<o:p></o:p>

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George Harris Aff.M.ASCE
Senior Track Engineer
Olive Branch MS

Original Message:
Sent: 02-21-2022 11:43 AM
From: Richard McGrath
Subject: International Team Challenges - Differences in time-zones, terminology, etc.

My project management thesis was on this very subject and I found that generally, the type of technology used in communicating can be a game-changer--even more significant than cultural differences and time zones.
My company is presently working on a project with an Israeli architectural firm. We're from the West Indies which is where the project is located, and it has been difficult to impress on the architect the significance of basic wind speeds in excess of 165 mph while having to communicate with her through the client rep/contractor (probably due to time zone differences). It is quite exciting though!

------------------------------
Richard McGrath A.M.ASCE
Structural Engineer
Airdrie AB

Original Message:
Sent: 02-07-2022 05:30 PM
From: Christopher Seigel
Subject: International Team Challenges - Differences in time-zones, terminology, etc.

I thought it might be interesting to discuss some things to consider when working in groups that span the globe. Some things I have learned to be cognizant of include the following:

• Date formats - Day/Month/Year can very easily be mixed up with Month/Day/Year when using numbers only formats! I usually spell out the month and name the day of the month to avoid confusion. 
• Time formats - when working on a global clock, telling someone that you'll call them at 8 can mean either very early in the morning, or very late at night. I like to confirm AM or PM, or simply use the 24:00 format instead. 
• Daylight Savings Time - a personal bane since not everyone uses it (or has even heard of it!). I once had an intern from China who was very confused about why all of our timeseries data that we were working with had a gap between 2AM and 3AM in March.