What if the biggest breakthroughs in cross-cultural communication aren’t in what’s said but in what’s left unsaid?

In this episode of The Cultural Quotient Podcast, Dr. Catherine and Ting sit down with Professor Wendy Adair, director of the Culture at Work Lab at the University of Waterloo, to unpack the “space in between” in intercultural negotiation.

From clock-oriented vs. event-oriented time to power plays, body language, and the subtle signals we miss, this conversation dives deep into the hidden layers of cultural intelligence. Plus, Ting shares a real-world story of working with Filipino clients and how meeting culture “at home” revealed unexpected insights into time, hierarchy, and empathy.

Listen in to learn why the unsaid might just be the mostimportant thing in the room.

[00:00] Welcome + introducing Professor Wendy Adair

[01:00] The “space in between” – what’s not being said in communication

[02:30] Cultural norms and negotiation styles (US vs. Japan/China examples)

[05:30] Nonverbal cues and power: posture, space, tone

[07:30] How to measure the quality of cross-cultural understanding

[10:00] Clock time vs. event time – different cultural orientations to time

[12:00] Ting’s real-world example: negotiating with Filipino clients from Singapore

[14:00] Is it a power play—or just cultural difference?

[16:00] Why time differences are the hardest challenge in multicultural teams

[18:00] Power distance and when “being late” sends a message

[21:00] How “in-group” and relationship building shift negotiation dynamics

[24:00] When both sides are adapting—and don’t see each other doing it

[26:00] Catherine’s toughest negotiation story: power imbalance in Beijing

[29:00] Where negotiators derive power: BATNA vs. status vs. relationships

[32:00] Personality vs. culture: how can you tell the difference?

[36:00] Corporate culture vs. local culture in global organizations

[42:00] Everyday negotiations: small cultural clashes and relationship repair

[48:00] Practical advice: what to focus on first as a cross-cultural negotiator

[52:00] Why slowing down might be the most powerful CQ skill

[55:00] Wrapping up: the relationship “in between” that makes negotiation work