Imagine the ideal team. Talents from various backgrounds. Brilliant minds with unique skills. They bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and creative problem-solving to the table. However, there is a language and culture barrier, and suddenly these strengths backfire.
- Misheard and misinterpreted because of accents, expressions, and even sentence structure.
- Gestures, body language, silence, or even seating arrangements hold different meanings in different cultures.
- Some cultures are more direct, while others prefer the compulsory rounds of small talk to ease into the conversation.
The solution to these is effective (cross-cultural) communication. It is crucial for fostering empathy, understanding, collaboration, and productivity among diverse teams.
- Clear communication reduces misunderstandings and promotes mutual respect and appreciation for different viewpoints.
- When team members can effectively communicate ideas and concerns, they collaborate better.
- These, in return, lead to a more inclusive and productive work environment.
However, while promoting cross-cultural communication is essential in the globalised world, many top-down initiatives often miss the mark.
- Generic, “one-size-fits-all” training fails to consider the audience. A factory with a blue-collar workforce will have different communication styles and needs compared to the C-suite engaging with the board.
- Compulsory training might provide surface-level awareness but lack practical strategies for everyday interactions.
- They might not address unconscious bias.
- Without active interest from employees, initiatives lose momentum and fail to create lasting change.
Moreover, building a truly inclusive culture is not about mandates– it needs to grow organically. Beyond equitable hiring practices, generally speaking, there are a few day-to-day exercises to implement in your work life or team operations. These can be:
- Do not underestimate the power of empathy!
- Be open-minded and curious. While developing deeper cultural awareness and sensitivity is a longer process, learning about different cultural norms, values, or communication styles requires low effort nowadays as access to information is quick and easy.
- Sometimes, it is not more than recognising and simply accepting cultural differences. Try not to take anything personally: what may be considered appropriate in one culture may not be in another.
- Great conversations start with active listening.
- Instead of waiting for your turn to speak, give your full attention.
- Following the logic of active listening, try “active looking” in conversation to pick up on non-verbal cues. Observe the speaker’s body language, facial expressions, and overall demeanour to understand the speaker’s message.
- There is no such thing as a stupid question.
- Don’t be shy to ask. Ask clarifying questions or paraphrase what you have heard to ensure mutual understanding.
- It goes both ways: encourage open dialogue to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels confident to ask questions.
- Conversational mindfulness.
- Be flexible and accommodating in your communication style. Avoid using jargon or expressions that may not be familiar to everyone. Be mindful of directness, potential hierarchy, and formality in communication.
- If you are communicating with non-native speakers, speak clearly and at a moderate pace. Patience is a virtue.
- Respect personal space and boundaries.
- Cultural norms regarding physical proximity and touch may vary, including when it comes to greetings and gestures. Generally speaking, following the lead of your conversation partner is a good rule of thumb and helps avoid misunderstandings.
- These reemphasise the importance of active listening – it is not just about words but also being attentive to non-verbal cues that could indicate someone’s comfort level.
- Put it into writing.
- When giving presentations, for example, use visual aids or written materials as supplements to enhance understanding, especially in multicultural settings.
- Provide written summaries, minutes, or follow-up emails after meetings to reinforce key points.
Learning, teaching, and having an open mind are essential when entering multicultural settings. Avoid making assumptions or generalisations based on stereotypes about people from different cultures. After all, even individuals within the same cultural group may have different communication styles and preferences based on age, gender, education, socioeconomic background, or personal experiences. Therefore, it is best to treat each individual as– well– an individual with a unique background and experiences.
Successful initiatives that promote cultural inclusion are about testing, explaining, and having accountability. If something does not work, try another way. Solicit feedback from those around you about your communication style and effectiveness. And once you have that feedback, be open to adapting your approach to improve cross-cultural communication. The rest will come: creativity and productivity will flourish when everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and their ideas.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
