By contrast, other cultures take a polychronic approach to how they see and manage time. People from polychronic cultures are comfortable doing multiple things at once, punctuality is far less important and interruptions are acceptable and managed easily. These cultures tend to be people and relationship-focused and will aim to build long-term relationships as a priority in most interactions. A meeting in a polychronic culture may not begin on time and a significant portion may be devoted to relationship building before business is conducted. A lot of Latin America, sub-Sahara Africa and the Middle East (with the exception of Israel) are polychronic cultures.
But the world isn't neatly divided into either extreme. Cultures tend to exist along a spectrum when it comes to their attitude to time. For example in Japan whilst it's considered important to stick to schedules (a monochronic characteristic), the culture also values relationships and prefers to discuss matters in depth – these are both polychronic traits.
The differing cultural approaches to time often lead to conflicts between cultures because our values are at stake. In polychronic cultures it's usually not a big deal if you interrupt someone who is busy, or turn up late to a meeting.
In monochronic cultures, both would be seen as disrespectful and poor behaviour. In polychronic cultures it's usually important not to skip straight to business without first establishing relationships. In a monochronic work context, great value may be placed upon adherence to deadlines, such as finishing a meeting on time. In a polychronic culture, this may be seen as less critical and interpersonal interaction is valued above schedules and deadlines.
Companies that judge the success of projects in terms of meeting objectives on time may find it difficult to suspend anxiety when dealing with a polychronic approaches from overseas partners. Polychronic people may find it hard to deal with monochronic partners who don't invest in relationships with them, and may find working relationships to be formal and even cold.
The differences between monochronic and polychronic cultures extends beyond concepts of time. People from monochronic cultures tend to have respect for property rights and avoid either lending or borrowing money. There's an overall tendency in such cultures to respect privacy and stick closely to plans and rules. The tendency of polychronic cultures to place less value on these ideals may violate deeply help beliefs for those from a monochronic background.
In fact people from a polychronic background may even adjust more easily to some tasks than others. This includes interpretation, where it's necessary to both listen and speak almost simultaneously.
It's helpful to have a level of self awareness when dealing with a culture from the opposing end of the spectrum. Recognising your own approach should help you to communicate more effectively and understand that your values are not necessarily shared by your partners. It's important to find a way to work together in cross-cultural situations and negotiate towards a mutually-agreed approach.
You can quickly see the problems. Recognising whether you are dealing with a polychronic or monochronic culture and the attendant differences in how time and relationships are valued is crucial to being able to communicate effectively across cultures. To reach a level of understanding with your working partners it's first important to understand the perspective of both sides.
People dealing with teams from different cultures usually find that good communication is the key. Expectations need to be defined clearly at an early stage, which would include aspects such as the correct time to arrive for the working day or for a meeting.