Pop-Up
Basic
Why “common sense” is not always common across cultures






Have you ever left a meeting wondering:
In cross-cultural settings, misunderstandings are often not just about language. They happen because people often read the same situation through very different cultural lenses.
Salon 3: Decode Culture, Connect Better is a one-hour online conversation about what really happens when cultures meet.
Through real stories from international meetings and multinational organisations, we will explore how culture shapes interaction, expectations, and collaboration.
This is not a theory lecture.
It is a practical, story-based conversation for people who work across cultures and want to understand what is really going on beneath the surface.
You are welcome to bring one cross-cultural story of your own to share.
Those “Why did that happen?” moments are often the best place to begin.
Mike van der Vijver
Mike van der Vijver is a leading European meeting designer and an expert in cross-cultural management. He has brought meeting design to more than 50 countries and across more than 50 industries.
Earlier in his career, Mike worked as a conference interpreter in English and Italian, participating in high-level international negotiations. This gave him first-hand experience with the subtle ways culture shapes communication, interpretation, and decision-making.
His long connection with Italian culture, together with his experience as a Dutch professional working internationally, has deeply informed his approach to cross-cultural communication and management.