One of the great parts of being a longer-term expat is that you start to develop what I would call a “Spidey-sense” in your interactions.
Different cultures have differing expectations of leaders and patterns of relating that is often more complex than the interactions that take place in the USA. The result is that interactions that might seem innocuous to the outsider are actually filled with significance.
Depending on the context, the role you play in the meeting, the order of the interactions, who says what, who doesn’t say anything, and what vocabulary is used the meaning of an interaction can be wildly different.
Americans, along with the Dutch, are notoriously blunt. (Sorry!)
The Japanese and some Indonesians are among the most indirect.
Some culture have distinct hierarchies, and bosses are obeyed regardless of the wisdom of their choices.
Other cultures have a flatter hierarchy and employees feel it is their duty to challenge their boss if they feel the boss is making a mistake. Fairness, balance, saving face, making examples of people, giving opportunities, expectations on bosses and caring for the weakest member of a team are all areas of potential cultural influence.
The hope for every expat is to start to develop their Spidey-sense so that when these situations start to occur, you at least know that there is something going on. You may not know exactly what in the moment, but you find a confidant to explain to you outside of the situation has transpired and how the situation might better have been handled. Just make sure not to ignore that sixth-sense, because it is likely your mind trying to notify your conscious self of something that you don’t have the words to express just yet.
The best book on this topic in my opinion is the Culture Code by Erin Myers. You can read my summary of this book here.