In many cultures, “yes” is a simple statement of agreement. In others, it is something far more delicate: I hear you, I understand, I don’t want to embarrass either of us by refusing. Both are honest. Neither is wrong. And when the two meet in a negotiation, confusion follows.
Japanese business culture has long distinguished between the outer “yes” and the inner intention behind it. Across much of Southern Europe and Latin America, a warm “yes, of course” can simply keep the conversation pleasant. In the UK, “yes” sometimes arrives dressed as “I’ll see what I can do”, which, translated literally, means very little at all.
The practical fix is to stop testing agreement with yes/no questions. Ask instead: “What would you need to make that work?” or “What concerns do you have about this timeline?” Open questions invite a real answer; closed questions invite a polite one.
If a commitment matters, restate it in specifics – dates, owners, numbers – and ask your counterpart to walk it back to you in their own words. If they can’t, you’ll know the “yes” was something else entirely.
– fin. Questions? Just ask.
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