The Personal Profile Tool

by Erin Meyer

Even seasoned, cosmopolitan managers often have oversimplified ideas about how people from other cultures operate. That's because they tend to zero in on just one or two elements- communication, for example, or decision making. But culture is more complex than that. To get an accurate picture, you need to gauge cognitive, relational, and behavioral differences along the eight dimensions introduced by cross-cultural management expert Erin Meyer in her book: The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business (Public Affairs, 2014).

The Personal Bundle Solution is divided into two parts:

  1. First you are asked to respond to a short questionnaire to determine your cultural profile (Personal Profile) against that of others from your own culture. The Questionnaire allows you to find out how your own style of giving feedback, establishing trust, and making decisions (just to get started) compares to others from your own culture.
  2. Once you have established your Personal Profile, you can compare your results with those of participants from over 65+ countries (those available on the Country Mapping tool), all on one graph. You can pick and chose as few or as many of the 65+ countries available and create a graph that will highlight the main similarities and differences along the 8 dimensions of the Culture Map.

Results are immediate and can be saved and printed if you wish to do so. A brief explanation of all 8 dimensions is also given at the end of the results page so that you can make sense of your results.

What is your nationality or what nationality do you associate with most? If your nationality is not listed, choose the one that you feel is closest to your own or select 'My nationality is not listed'.

Please be aware that the nationality you select as your own impacts the final results of the personal profile. This is required in order to deal with the relative way different societies understand the words in this questionnaire. If you prefer to fill out the questionnaire without your nationality impacting the results then please select ‘My nationality is not listed’ in the drop down menu.



Consider your own preferences at work. Indicate your level of agreement with the statements below.

1. I strive to communicate simply, clearly, and explicitly. I avoid reading (and speaking) between the lines.

2. The most effective presenters spell out what they're going to tell you, then tell you, and then summarize what they've told you, to ensure that the communication is crystal clear.

3. After a meeting or a phone call, it is important to recap in writing exactly what was said, to prevent misunderstanding or confusion.

4. If I've done poor work, I prefer to be told bluntly rather than gently or diplomatically.

5. When I give negative feedback I pay more attention to how the person feels receiving the message than to how clear my criticism is.

6. I prefer to give negative feedback immediately and all at once rather than little by little, building the picture up over time.

7. A good presenter influences by first explaining and validating the concepts and principles behind the point before coming to practical examples and next steps.

8. A good presenter influences by getting right to the point, sticking to concrete examples and conclusions, tools and next steps.

9. Before making a business decision it is important to spend ample time on conceptual debate.

10. If I don't agree with the boss, I say so openly, even in front of others.

11. When meeting with clients or suppliers, I don’t pay too much attention to the hierarchical position of the people attending the meeting.

12. If I have ideas to share with someone several levels above or below me in the company, I will speak to that person directly rather than passing through my immediate boss or immediate subordinate.

13. Even if it takes a long time, it is better to get everyone involved in the decision-making process as that will lead to better decisions and stronger buy-in.

14. Consensus-building ultimately leads to mediocre decisions and wasted time.

15. If the boss makes a unilateral decision I disagree with I will still follow the decision.

16. It is better not to get too emotionally close to those you work with.

17. I often invest time in sharing coffee, meals, or drinks with colleagues, suppliers and clients during which we don’t discuss work much but just get to know each other.

18. I can't really trust colleagues or suppliers until I have spent time getting to know them personally.

19. Expressing open disagreement with other team members frequently is likely to have a positive impact on a team’s success.

20. When I disagree strongly with a point made by a colleague making a presentation I will express my disagreement strongly.

21. Open debate, where team members confront one another’s ideas and opinions, is likely to end in bad feelings and ruined relationships.

22. In order to show professionalism it is more important to be organized and structured than flexible and reactive.

23. If I have a meeting at 9:00, that’s when I will arrive, not 5 or 15 minutes later.

24. A meeting agenda is a guide that should be followed as closely as possible; it’s not simply a guideline that should be altered depending on where the group wants to take the discussion.

Please solve the equation.



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