--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite our cultural training, we…" description: "\"“Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the cultural and political nuances that would affect our ability to run meetings effectively. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg" --- # Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the… ![“Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the cultural and political nuances that would affect our ability to run meetings effectively. The sole advice given to us in the FSI lecture halls was to never promise more than you can deliver or, even better, never promise anything at all.” quote by Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg) > ““Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the cultural and political nuances that would affect our ability to run meetings effectively. The sole advice given to us in the FSI lecture halls was to never promise more than you can deliver or, even better, never promise anything at all.”” [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker warns that lacking cultural and political awareness hampers meeting effectiveness, and advises avoiding overpromising to maintain credibility. **In simple terms:** Cultural ignorance hurts meetings; don’t overpromise. Key Takeaway Be realistic about commitments. Themes communication culture leadership ethics Mood cautious reflective Type advisory practical When to use this quote - international negotiations - team meetings - project planning - client presentations Key Concepts cross‑cultural competence trust building risk management Questions to Reflect On - How can you improve cultural awareness before meetings? - When is a cautious promise better than a bold one? A Different Perspective Overpromising can sometimes be strategic to secure buy‑in, but risks credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [Learn respect for the feeling function: Become aware of and undo some of your (improper) cultural training so that you grant the moods and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/learn-respect-for-the-feeling-function-become-aware-of-and-undo-some/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [“I tried to leave you alone, Fitz. To find what peace you could, even if it excluded me from your life.” Ten years ago,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-tried-to-leave-you-alone-fitz-to-find-what-peace-you-could-even-if/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“And he would say, “Y’all come when you can,” which was of no substantial pith or import, but then he would add, “Be particular.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-conner-brown/and-he-would-say-y-all-come-when-you-can-which-was-of-no-substantial/) Jill Conner Brown > [One of the first pieces of advice I was ever given, on my first job was, you should always buy something to treat yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/one-of-the-first-pieces-of-advice-i-was-ever-given-on-my-first-job/) [Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/) > [Writers and artists never pay attention to advice given by their elders, quite rightly. The only worthwhile advice is the most general: 'Keep trying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/writers-and-artists-never-pay-attention-to-advice-given-by-their/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I find that a lot of people don't take the advice they're given. But I would do what they suggested, and then follow up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shellye-archambeau/i-find-that-a-lot-of-people-don-t-take-the-advice-they-re-given-but-i/) [Shellye Archambeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shellye-archambeau/) > [I went back to my ex a couple of times, and regardless of how many times you hear from your parents or your best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sevyn-streeter/i-went-back-to-my-ex-a-couple-of-times-and-regardless-of-how-many/) [Sevyn Streeter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sevyn-streeter/) > [“We all have the right to cherry-pick the advice given us in order to do exactly what we wanted to do in the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-have-the-right-to-cherry-pick-the-advice-given-us-in-order-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The desire of advising has a very extensive prevalence; and, since advice cannot be given but to those that will hear it, a patient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-desire-of-advising-has-a-very-extensive-prevalence-and-since/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Be who you are. Be happy. Smile. Don't give up easily. Make each passing day count. Accept the good advice given to you. Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine/be-who-you-are-be-happy-smile-don-t-give-up-easily-make-each-passing/) [Josephine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine/) > [“When I agreed to give this address, I started trying to think what the best advice I'd been given over the years was. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/when-i-agreed-to-give-this-address-i-started-trying-to-think-what-the/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [The advice I was given was just to make sure you look out of the window occasionally. It's something no astronaut ever gets tired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-sharman/the-advice-i-was-given-was-just-to-make-sure-you-look-out-of-the/) [Helen Sharman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-sharman/) > [Before you give advice, that is to say advice which you have not been asked to give, it is well to put to yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-william-mackail/before-you-give-advice-that-is-to-say-advice-which-you-have-not-been/) John William Mackail > [Why would they understand? They can't possibly imagine what it means to look at your best friend and see all their hopes and dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-would-they-understand-they-can-t-possibly-imagine-what-it-means/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Not everyone who eats imagines herself a dietician, but nearly everyone who has loved -- which is nearly everyone -- presumes to know something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-len-catron/not-everyone-who-eats-imagines-herself-a-dietician-but-nearly/) [Mandy Len Catron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-len-catron/) ## More by Douglas Grindle > [“when people thought the country was headed in the wrong direction, corruption was their second-biggest concern, after security.3”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/when-people-thought-the-country-was-headed-in-the-wrong-direction/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“One true measure of progress in Afghanistan is the relationship between the government and the people. The more the villagers support the government, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/one-true-measure-of-progress-in-afghanistan-is-the-relationship/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“In midsummer Cip Jungberg, the second USAID officer for the district, arrived. As Antoine Huss left, the district needed two officers to work there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/in-midsummer-cip-jungberg-the-second-usaid-officer-for-the-district/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“A failing district would cause the entire government to fail, he added, and so the government was on course to fail because the districts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/a-failing-district-would-cause-the-entire-government-to-fail-he-added/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“the government worked, if it could be trusted, and what they really needed. As Antoine Huss moved out and was succeeded in August by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/the-government-worked-if-it-could-be-trusted-and-what-they-really/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“Taliban commanders have reported the movement derives direct support from Pakistan’s ISI, or Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate, the intelligence service. One study noted, “According to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/taliban-commanders-have-reported-the-movement-derives-direct-support/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“In Afghanistan when a woman is widowed, she is generally taken in by her late husband’s family. His brother might marry her if she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/in-afghanistan-when-a-woman-is-widowed-she-is-generally-taken-in-by/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“The embassy bureaucrat responded that there was no problem with creating a system that did not work very well. He said the Afghan system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/the-embassy-bureaucrat-responded-that-there-was-no-problem-with/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“Only the district could be trusted to make spending a priority, but how could the district do that if it had no money? The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/only-the-district-could-be-trusted-to-make-spending-a-priority-but/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“The bulk of development funding was spent by the international donors themselves, as USAID or the Canadians did when they spent millions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/the-bulk-of-development-funding-was-spent-by-the-international-donors/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“In each village Nazak said the same thing: don’t work with the Taliban; work with me and get projects. Supporting the Taliban will lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/in-each-village-nazak-said-the-same-thing-don-t-work-with-the-taliban/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“Spend a small amount of money that gives big results in the village. Always respond to people’s needs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/spend-a-small-amount-of-money-that-gives-big-results-in-the-village/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“Though analysts differ on the details, they agree that the centuries-old jostling between the Zirak Durranis and their rivals, the Panjpai Durranis and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/though-analysts-differ-on-the-details-they-agree-that-the-centuries/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“How to measure progress has never been satisfactorily answered. In counterinsurgency almost no simple metrics used in a vacuum, such as the number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/how-to-measure-progress-has-never-been-satisfactorily-answered-in/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) > [“The high point of the days at the speedway involved ramming through a car that blocked the road, using the heavy Crown Vic as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/the-high-point-of-the-days-at-the-speedway-involved-ramming-through-a/) [Douglas Grindle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) [Explore all 16 Douglas Grindle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/) ## More Fitness quotes > [I train my muscles, and I do a lot of stretching, and try to kick higher. But for me, practicing kung-fu is a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chow/i-train-my-muscles-and-i-do-a-lot-of-stretching-and-try-to-kick/) [Stephen Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chow/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I do a lot of vocal exercises and drink hot tea, which I hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darci-lynne-farmer/i-do-a-lot-of-vocal-exercises-and-drink-hot-tea-which-i-hate/) [Darci Lynne Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darci-lynne-farmer/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [Spring training means flowers, people coming outdoors, sunshine, optimism and baseball. Spring training is a time to think about being young again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-banks/spring-training-means-flowers-people-coming-outdoors-sunshine/) [Ernie Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-banks/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [“For those filled with regret, perhaps the most needful exercise of proactivity is to realize that past mistakes are also out there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/for-those-filled-with-regret-perhaps-the-most-needful-exercise-of/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [Physical beauty is not everything, but the beauty is more careful than anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/physical-beauty-is-not-everything-but-the-beauty-is-more-careful-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If your goal is to look different, you'll see results faster with strength training than with cardio alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/if-your-goal-is-to-look-different-you-ll-see-results-faster-with/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [“He sighed. "Look, love, I know I seem like a tactical genius, but really, I'm just a magician who occasionally kills a bunny or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delilah-s-dawson/he-sighed-look-love-i-know-i-seem-like-a-tactical-genius-but-really-i/) [Delilah S. Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delilah-s-dawson/) > [There are things you can do in training like learn from the manager and talk with team-mates, but it's the game that tests you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burke/there-are-things-you-can-do-in-training-like-learn-from-the-manager/) [Oliver Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burke/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) [Browse all 13,910 Fitness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the cultural and political nuances that would affect our ability to run meetings effectively. The sole advice given to us in the FSI lecture halls was to never promise more than you can deliver or, even better, never promise anything at all.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Douglas Grindle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/despite-our-cultural-training-we-remained-ignorant-of-the-cultural/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fitness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/despite-our-cultural-training-we-remained-ignorant-of-the-cultural/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bdc/douglas-grindle-31347_fitness_despite-our-cultural-training-we-remaine_1037610.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Despite our cultural training, we remained ignorant of the cultural and political nuances that would affect…” — Douglas Grindle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Douglas Grindle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-grindle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Despite our cultural training, we remained...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/despite-our-cultural-training-we-remained-ignorant-of-the-cultural/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-grindle/despite-our-cultural-training-we-remained-ignorant-of-the-cultural/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```