Improve Your Cross-Cultural Communication
Cross-cultural communication skills are acquired through practice and experience. Embarrassing blunders do happen and are often talked about so much, that beginners get nervous.
If you are looking for a few tips to prepare yourself prior to a first cross-cultural encounter, here are a few things for you to keep in mind:
- Empathy - Show the other person you want to get to know him. Empathy is understanding the other person. This is the first step in cross-cultural communication. When you understand why someone does something differently you are able to put aside your own cultural prejudices.
- Congruency - Send the same message in all of your methods of communication. This includes your body language and your actions. Make sure your communication is adapted to this particular person you are with. You can look at the other person and try to meet him where he is.
- Acknowledgment - The way how you acknowledge the other person is important. In some cultures, you need direct eye contact, a handshake, and a few words. Experience will show you the right dose of acknowledgment. In all cultures, it is impolite not to acknowledge the other person.
- Clarity - Communicate with as much clarity as you can. Avoid making assumptions. Give details. Help the other person to see everything in your discussion. Clarity builds trust.
- Initiation - Do not feel too intimidated with different cultures. Remember to initiate friendship. Simple being open and sharing information can be a first step. Ask questions and initiate interaction.
- Connection - With small steps, adjust your communication. Aim for a real personal connection. Be friendly. Show the other person you sincerely want to connect with them.
- Address - Ask how to address the other person. Many cultural blunders happen right from the start. For example, when North Americans assume that using a nick name is a good practice. There are English speaking countries where this is off-putting. And the use of first names can also be unwise. The solution is to ask diplomatically and politely right up front.
Cross-cultural communication helps you to build relationships with people from other cultures. This is why it is a skill you can only learn through practice.
Do not let any cultural differences complicate developing friendships with people. It really is easy if you are sincere and constant in your approach… it is also very rewarding on a personal level.
Read about Cross-Cultural Communication Differences in these articles:
- Curiosity Versus Empathy
- Morphing Into A Foreign Culture
- Free Courses, Content And Culture Scams
- Different Countries = Different Rules
- Different Eye Tracking For Different Cultures
- Music In Cultural Differences
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Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural Marketer and International Sales Specialist, with over 25 years field experience in international business development.
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