Improve Your Cross-Cultural Communication
It often seems as if cultural miscommunication crops up in the most unexpected place. If you take a closer look, misunderstandings happen due to the wide areas of cultural differences.
You can put most miscommunication between cultures into categories:
Different Values
Different cultures have different core beliefs and national traits. And this effects cross-cultural communication and international business across the board through different:
- Attitudes
- Reactions
- Expectations
Different Habits And Styles In Communication
Some people just communicate differently. There is no meaning to it. This is just what they are used to.
Different styles in communication can be:
- Direct and indirect communication – such as getting straight to business in your first meeting or only after a shared meal.
- Expected or conventional niceties – such as wishing happy new year to everyone you meet for the first time between December 31st through January 31st
- In speech – such as speaking loudly or not
- Other actions while communicating – such as handshakes or kissing ladies on the cheeks
Different Concepts Of Time
Cultural differences in conventions and how things should be done. There are differences of what is usual, acceptable and polite… and what is not.
- You need to adapt the length of your sales cycles to the local cultures.
- In some cultures 7:00 am breakfast meetings and Friday meetings in late afternoon are barbarian.
Different Use Of Physical Space
Some cultures need to talk to each other at very different distances. People need more or less physical space between themselves and anyone else.
When you first start meeting people from different cultures this can be comical to observe. People take steps back and forth, naturally adjusting the space to what they are comfortable with.
And if one of the two people is not at his usual distance from the other, this can effect the whole conversation.
Avoiding Cultural Miscommunication
Knowing where cultural misunderstandings usually happen can help you adjust your communication when you notice a something out of place cropping up.
Practice using this knowledge to improve your cross-cultural communication skills.
More On How To Improve Your Cross-Cultural Communication:
- Do You Have Any Culture Tips To Share?
- Where Cultural Miscommunication Happens
- 7 Tips For Easy Cross-Cultural Encounters
- Avoid Acronyms For Better Cross-Cultural Communication
- Better Cross-Cultural Communication – Rephrase, Don’t Shout
- Cultural Dimensions – A New Tool
More In These Get International Clients Business Guides:
She is who I turn to when I have questions and you should too"
-- Chris Garrett, co-author of the "Problogger" book
