From gestures, to eye contact, to the firmness of a handshake – they all mean different things to different people.

Different cultures influence different behaviours, so it's best to learn about them in order to avoid faux-pas and misunderstandings that result when intentions get lost in translation, says a speaker hosted by Ponoka FCSS at the Legion on Wednesday.

Tina Varughese is a professional speaker from Calgary specializing in inclusive leadership, work-life balance and cross-cultural communication, drawing on her experience of running a relocation and settlement firm for newcomers to Canada.

About 20 per cent of people in Canada are born elsewhere. In major urban centres, that proportion is higher. Even in small communities like Ponoka, that number is climbing, Varughese says.

As a community grows, its people will need to embrace diversity, she continues.

Varughese says the majority of communication occurs non-verbally and it's easy to send the wrong message.

“Simple gestures, like even the thumbs-up. In Canada, we would perceive that as a positive thing. We would think of that as A-O.K., good job, good work. We do it naturally to our colleagues if they do something well,” Varughese says.

“But in parts of the world, it's a very offensive gesture. It's essentially flipping the bird.”

Cultural awareness is a strength in the business world, Varughese says.

She demonstrates this by pointing out big companies who lacked it, ended up offending the very markets they were trying to target and squandered business opportunities.

One example: Nike. In the 1990s, the company sold shoes that featured a flame-like logo near the heel as well as on the sole. The symbol was intended to read “Air” but strongly resembled the word “Allah” in Arabic script. In Arab culture, it is an insult to show one's sole. Nike apologized and recalled the shoes.

“I'm a big believer that cultural differences absolutely have challenges and opportunities. We need to understand both. We need to understand what those challenges are so that we can also embrace opportunity,” Varughese says.