Check for cultural differences!
Good communication is a priority in the workplace. We rely on good communication for brainstorming, decision-making as well as for goal setting and feedback. We are constantly communicating with our coworkers, subordinates, stakeholders, supervisors, and clients. When we have communication problems our message doesn’t come across and our effectiveness is seriously compromised.
One potential source of communication problems is cultural differences. Today’s workplace has become more diverse and global. However, in my opinion, not enough attention is given to cultural differences. When people from different backgrounds work together, they often behave in the same way as they are used to in their own culture. This often leads to misinterpretation and communication problems.
Even in today’s global companies, the culture of the individuals is usually stronger than the culture of the organization.
I thought that the main source of communication problems among different cultures was directness. Western cultures tend to have a direct style, and expressing a personal opinion directly is expected. Also, non-verbal communication is open and straight. Eye contact is a sign of attention. However, other cultures tend to be more discrete in the way they present their message, and direct eye contact is perceived as rude.
Studies hypothesize that the directness of a cultural group is directly related to how flat their hierarchy is. Cultures that have a low power distance, expressed in flat organizations with less distance between people at the top of an organization and the people at the bottom, tend to be more direct and not afraid of confrontation. People feel that do not need to be so careful to avoid giving offense and can say things more bluntly without causing communication problems.
For example, people from the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France are considered to be very direct. On the other hand, people from Saudi Arabia, Japan, United Kingdom, and Latin America are considered less direct.
However, in my personal experience working in global companies and interacting with people from many different countries, I observed important differences within the groups that are considered direct. For example, even though people from Spain, Italy, and France are as direct as those from the Netherlands and Germany, there are fundamental differences in the way they communicate. This puzzled me for quite some time until I read this article in which the author reviews the book “The Culture Map” written by Erin Meyer, a professor at the global business school INSEAD.
One particular chart from the book seems to explain the differences that I have observed. It adds one more element to be taken into account when analyzing communication differences among cultures: how emotionally expressive the cultures are.
Cultures differ in the directness of what they say and on how expressive they are.
From the above chart one can see that even though people from France and the Netherlands have the same degree of directness, the French have a greater tendency to express their emotions than the Dutch. That can lead to communication problems. Being blunt and open about their emotions will seem perfectly appropriate for the person from France, but it could make the person from the Netherlands feel uncomfortable.
Not everybody from a culture will conform to a particular stereotype, but it is useful to take some general guidelines into account.
Cultures that openly express their emotions, usually need to develop a relationship of trust before feeling comfortable expressing their opinions and doing business. For those cultures, gestures like small talk before a meeting or taking an interest in the other person’s family can facilitate good communication during business dealings.
On the other hand, if the person is from a country more reserved with their emotions, they may feel more comfortable going straight to the business at hand and may even think that taking interest in their families is intrusive and crosses the line.
How can you avoid communication problems when working in a diverse environment? Take these guidelines into account and don’t expect people to behave as you do.
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