Is It Always a Bad Thing to Make a Cultural Mistake?

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If we haven't been acquainted yet, I’m a professor of organizational and cross-cultural psychology, the author of Global Dexterity and Reach, and an HBR contributor and consultant. I also work closely with coaches, trainers, consultants and teachers to certify them in my Global Dexterity Method.

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Academic research – as well as plain common sense – suggests that you generally want to avoid making costly mistakes in a foreign culture. But is this always the case? Can it ever be a good thing to make a cultural mistake? Here are a few potential "hidden" benefits of mistakes in a foreign culture. See if you can think of others.

1. Mistakes are a tool for learning. We all make mistakes when trying to adapt to the norms of a foreign culture. But we don't need to see mistakes through an exclusively performance-oriented lens. Instead of seeing mistakes as failure, we can look at mistakes as learning opportunities - or even as data for improvement. From this mindset, you might even relish the mistakes you make as opportunities for self-development.
2. Mistakes can become a source of bonding. An American professional recently told me the story of how when she was working in England, her lack of understanding of the daily English tea ritual became a source of bonding between her and her English colleagues. Because she had a sense of humor about her own ineptitude, and her colleagues had a sense of playfulness and willingness to teach her the “proper” British way, the cultural faux pas became a way for the two sides to become closer rather than to be driven farther apart. 
3. Mistakes are a source of empathy. So many of us live our lives in our own native culture - not really thinking about the challenges that people face when they land on our shores. But the fact of the matter is that it can be extraordinarily challenging and draining to live life with an imperfect knowledge of language and new cultural norms. So when you have the chance to be a foreigner yourself - use that opportunity to develop empathy. It will make you a more compassionate and empathic host to others.

What do you think? Is it always a bad thing to make a cultural mistake?