“Time permitting, everyone will surely want to learn the local language,” says Schroth. Every opportunity can be helpful in this regard, ranging from online courses to spending an hour with a native speaker in between appointments. In many cases, it suffices if you know the basic vocabulary and simple sentences, in order to please the hosts and show them that you are making an effort. It ensures that people will show you good will and paves the way for switching to English. What’s more, basic language skills can help you solve seemingly trivial problems. After all, even in a major metropolis like Tokyo you can’t assume you will be able to communicate with a cab driver in English.

Among the basic cultural skills — in professional and private settings alike — is knowing what should not be done. These are social taboos that visitors should be familiar with, the most well-known example probably being the indecency of blowing one’s nose in parts of Asia. Vietnamese consider it improper to wrap a gift in white packaging, because white is the color of mourning in their culture. In Arabia, on the other hand, presents should never be refused, despite all advisories rightly emphasizing that visitors should be cautious of accepting gifts. In some parts of Asia, you should never make a gift without emphatically asserting its insignificance. Another no-no is to give a present at the last minute before catching a flight, leaving the host unable to reciprocate. Wherever you may be in the world, the intricacies of male-female courtesy and the local sense of humor present particular challenges.

Good networks can be very helpful in this regard, whether through contacts to colleagues in the foreign country, the chamber of commerce, or the Internet. The association Deutsche im Ausland e.V., for example, can help Germans find people who are very familiar with the country in question, and it also maintains a database that can be searched for everything of importance, from German-speaking doctors to good butchers.

No matter where in the world our careers take us, something can be gained everywhere: language skills, the American “can do” attitude, the French sense of savoir-vivre, the Chinese ability to think in networks, or the Latin American art of improvisation. One thing, however, should never be left at home: a sense of one’s own identity. Our hosts don’t want their guests to reflect their own cultures; they also want to learn something about ours. A visitor to Vietnam once found himself in a tight spot at a party because others in attendance had carefully prepared a welcome involving German folk songs. Try as he might, however, he just couldn’t remember the lyrics. What saved him in the end was singing the nursery song “Hänschen klein” at the top of his lungs.