Empathy In Cross-Cultural Communication

Have you ever wondered why some people have stronger people skills, how they are able to connect with others faster and on deeper levels than others? It’s most likely they have a larger capacity for empathy towards others.

What is empathy? In cross-cultural communication I like to think of empathy as the capacity of putting yourself in another person’s shoes and truly seeing the world as he sees it, with the same perceptions and thought processes as he has. But it’s not easy. Part of the problem is putting aside out own cultural makeup long enough to try to take on another person’s cultural identity.

Many people feel empathy is the most important skill to develop for cross-cultural competence. For international business some other cross-cultural skills are also very important, such as clarity and flexibility. But empathy is without a doubt, one of the fastest ways to improve your international business success is to improve your skills in empathy.

Mastering and improving your empathy skills plays a critical role in your international business success. Without a minimum level of understanding of another person’s point of view you cannot build trust and create relationships with your international cllients. And these relationships are critical in international business. This article series covers the role of empathy in cross-cultural communication and how you can improve it.