We’re hurtling toward a more global economy at an accelerated pace. It’s one of those things people have said for centuries. I’m sure children in second-century China heard this as much as we do today.

“Back in my day, we didn’t have the Silk Route,” their parents probably said to them. “You kids will have to do business with Europeans and Indians and sell them designer handbags for $34.50.”

My point is technology has made the world’s marketplace more global, and we are now at a point where being able to work with different nationalities is not merely a specialty, but a basic skill for an aspiring employee.

In a global workplace, understanding your clients and coworkers is crucial.

Cultural diversity suddenly becomes an obstacle, complicating the simplest things, such as greeting people. My friend brought it to my notice that a part of this issue was the difference in how each culture treats time.

“Out here, we follow the Indian Stretchable Time,” my tenth grade math professor always said.

My friends and I have noticed a strong culture of punctuality in the work ethic in the U.S. When you’re told a task will be accomplished by a certain time, there is a high probability the deadline will be met.

This is a stark opposite of the relaxed attitude toward time in many developing countries.

The relaxed attitude arises due to multiple reasons.

It could be because of a strong bureaucratic culture that results in a slower working pace, or simply because of a lower value for time management, or simply because being late is so common, people do not realize it’s rude to show up an hour after a meeting’s scheduled time.

One way or another, work needs to go on and it can be extremely frustrating for people who are punctual to sit around waiting for their tardy counterparts to catch up.

Chances are, at some point in your career, you might end up having to work with tardy people.

In such a case, it is important to take the cultural differences into account and not view the other party’s tardiness as a sign of disrespect or disregard. The lack of punctuality can often be handled by clarifying ahead of time. Understanding your attitude toward time and your client/coworker’s attitude will help you better communicate what you define as 11:30 a.m. when you do have a deadline to meet.

And if you’re the tardy one, make changes.