Even the smallest mistake can be costly, just when you are not expecting it.
On an oil field in Iraq, a mix-up in the lunch boxes meant that two tribal groups received different fruit. It sounds trivial, but the reaction was far stronger than anyone expected. Both groups walked off site, blocked the roads and stopped all work on the field. They then surrounded the headquarters camp in protest. Neither seemed to care about the cost or the consequences.
The disruption cost tens of thousands of dollars and needed careful mediation to resolve, because the issue was rivalry and sensitivity rather than the food. I lived and worked there and saw it first-hand.
Small details can carry the greatest weight, and that is the kind of risk I help clients see before it happens.
Read more about risk and cultural advice.