08 | CULTURE CLASH: What Remote Teams Get Wrong About Communication

How do you build strong remote teams when your colleagues come from completely different cultural backgrounds? In this episode of the Nomad Summit Podcast, we unpack the realities of cross-cultural communication in distributed teams – and why good intentions often go wrong.

Christoph Huebner and Palle Bo are joined by two seasoned experts:

• Renita Kasper, a global talent acquisition leader and remote team builder from Estonia.
• Miguel Piñas, COO and co-founder of Companio, who leads a remote-first team spanning 10+ countries.

Together, they share candid stories from their experience – from awkward email misunderstandings to successful strategies for building cultural intelligence inside companies. Whether you're managing a team or looking to land your next remote job, this episode will help you navigate the hidden cultural dynamics that shape remote work.

Key Takeaways

• Direct vs. indirect communication can make or break remote collaboration.
• Cultural awareness isn't intuitive – it requires structure, training, and ongoing feedback.
• Miscommunications often stem from differing workplace norms, not bad intentions.
• The book The Culture Map by Erin Meyer is a highly recommended resource for teams.
• Hiring for diversity means more than skills – it also requires systems that support inclusion.
• Companies should stop pushing “headquarter culture” onto international teams and co-create values instead.
• Candidates applying for remote roles should research the communication style of the company beforehand.

Relevant Links

• Miguel Piñas on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguelpinas
• Renita Kasper on LinkedIn
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/renitakasper
• Companio
  https://companio.co
• Book: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer
  https://go.nomadsummit.com/book-culture-map
• Global Nomad Pass
  https://globalnomadpass.com
• Unlock a free month of Global Nomad Pass
  https://go.nomadsummit.com/gnp-podcast
• Nomad Summit
  https://nomadsummit.com
• The Radio Vagabond (Palle Bo)
  https://theradiovagabond.com/link-tree
• Episode produced by RadioGuru
  https://radioguru.co.uk

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