Osnat Lautman reminds us that the world is not so flat after all.

After meeting Osnat Lautman, and having several phone calls with her about her consulting business, it struck me that it’s not what she does, it’s how she does it.

It’s also a reminder that even in our global, online, always connected world, sometimes when you are dealing with another person at the end of the line, they may not be just like you.

We are dealing with human beings from all over the world –and in this case – and because my column is focused on the narrative of the startup world in Israel, you may be from far away dealing with someone who is based in, or is from this magical part of the world.

With that magic, often comes a bit of chutzpah, over-zealousness, and even – yes – heaven forbid – a bit of an argumentative personality.

Don’t take it personally.

It means the person on the other end is just they way they are, as you are the way you are.

And that’s a good thing.

So where does Osnat come into all of this?

Well, she’s got this really great knack, and this incredibly way of helping businesses in her role as an organizational consultant specializes in cross-cultural communications.

Having lived both in Israel and the U.S., she recognized an opportunity to help organizations make sure that when you are doing business here, you go a bit deeper into the subtleties that make all the difference in the world, resulting in a positive outcome.

You can retain Osnat as a consultant, and now, you can buy her book, Israeli Business Culture, which is a great read and a terrific primer on Israeli business culture.

Even for someone like me, who’s traveled back and forth to Israel for twenty-two years, and makes this magical place the center of my universe, reading Osnat’s book is a gentle and important reminder that being cognizant of, and embracing the differences and similarities, can make all the difference in the world.

Highly Recommended.