Cross-Cultural Communication 30-Day Challenge – Build Trust
Cultural awareness plays an important role in cross-cultural competence. It is easy to be assume that what we perceive is true. In many cases our cultural awareness is progressive. Cultural awareness often takes time as we go through a series of steps to a better global understanding.
Smoothing Differences
This cultural awareness helps us to smooth our cultural differences and avoid mistrust.
Yesterday we touched on the need to know our own cultural body language. Let’s say you spend some time working with one different culture. You will have learned a fair bit about that culture and how they react to the cultural differences they see in you. What you learned is not static. It can change and be different in another group of people.
The more interaction we have with other cultures the more we learn about ourselves. But we do need to make the effort, this is why today’s tip is important.
Trust In Cross-Cultural Communication Challenge – Tip 2
Be aware of the cultural differences others see in you
We need to always be aware of the cultural differences others see in us. If you notice that someone reacts to the cultural differences you bring, you can:
- Pay more attention to the conversation for signs of mistrust
- Explain the differences
However, before you can do anything you need to be on the look out for any reactions your own cultural baggage has on the cross-cultural encounter. In fact, experienced international professionals will always keep this on their radar. It is one of the multiple things they process continually throughout a cross-cultural encounter.
Today’s short time is a very important one… especially when it comes to avoiding mistrust and building a solid foundation to create trust.
Warning Signs Before Cultural Blunders
Many cultural blunders can be avoided simply by keeping radars tuned in to notice how other people react to our own culture.
There are often little warning signals. You could notice someone physically taking a step backwards, or the facial expressions might give away that something is not quite right. You also need to question any lack of dialog, or if you seem to need to repeat something, or to justify something more than once. Of course, not all of these mean that there is a cultural blunder looming in the future. But many cultural blunders can be avoided through better cross-cultural awareness.
Awareness Improves Communication
The more you are aware of how others perceive your culture and your own cultural baggage the better your cross-cultural communication.
Get All Cross-Cultural Communication Tips:
- Read more about all of the 2009 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges
- Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 1 – Expand Your Mindset
- Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 2 – Get Extreme With Clarity
- Cross Cultural Communication Challenge 3 – Build Trust
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| Mindset | Clarity | Trust |
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| Expand Your Mindset | Get Extreme With Clarity | Build Trust |
She is who I turn to when I have questions and you should too"
-- Chris Garrett, co-author of the "Problogger" book
