Which of the following is the best way to overcome challenges with intercultural communication?

A Home for Culture Vultures

We live in an increasingly complex world.

One element of this complexity is the mixing of different cultures, languages and faiths.

Within the business world intercultural communication is vital for success.

Effective communication between colleagues from different cultural backgrounds ensures a team is working harmoniously.

The six steps to intercultural communication are basic pointers for intercultural team members.

These steps help culture to become a good thing - rather than a barrier. 

The Six Steps to Great Intercultural Communication

1. Break Assumptions

Everyone makes or has assumptions about others. Assumptions are beliefs rather than objective truth and are usually influenced by a number of subjective factors. For intercultural communication to truly work, people need to assess their assumptions and ask themselves why they hold those ideas or beliefs. By doing so and even openly examining them with others, the initial barrier to intercultural communication is overcome.

2. Empathise

In order to come to appreciate and understand people from different cultures, empathy is vital. Through putting yourself in someone else's shoes you come to see or appreciate their point of view.

3. Involve

Involving others in tasks or decision making empowers and builds strong relationships. Using intercultural diversity is in essence a more creative approach to problem solving as it incorporates different points of view.

4. Discourage Herd Mentality

Herd mentality refers to a closed and one dimensional approach. Such a way of thinking curbs creativity, innovation and advancement as people are restricted in how to think, approach and engage with people or challenges. Intercultural communication can only flourish and therefore contribute if people are encouraged to think as individuals, bring their cultural influences to the table and share ideas that may be outside the box.

5. Shun Insensitive Behaviour

People can and do behave in culturally insensitive ways. By attacking someone's person, you attack their culture and therefore their dignity. This can only be divisive. Intercultural communication is based upon people thinking through words and actions to ensure they do not act inappropriately. When insensitive behaviour is witnessed it is the responsibility of all to shun it and ensure it remains unacceptable.

6. Be Wise

Wisdom is not called wisdom for nothing. People need to be aware how to interact with people with respect and knowledge. Intercultural communication is essentially founded upon wisdom, i.e. showing maturity of thought and action in dealing with people. Through thinking things out and have background knowledge to intercultural differences much of the communication problems witnessed within business could be avoided. 

If you work across cultures and want to maximise your business outputs, then enrol on our Online Cultural Competence Training course. 

Jam packed with expert direction and critical insights, this fantastic online cultural training course will help you to gain credibility when working internationally. 

Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash

Global business professionals require skills in intercultural communication strategies or cross-cultural communication, because they typically exchange information with people from all over the world. Without knowledge of other cultures, people tend to make embarrassing mistakes when conducting international business. These errors confuse and offend business partners and make effective communication difficult. Using techniques such as active listening, including paraphrasing or repeating what the other person has said, people confirm their understanding to prevent misinterpretation. But they also need to consider cultural conventions, such as timing and tone, to be truly effective. Effective intercultural communication strategies prepare people to live or work in other countries, help business departments understand each other better or prepare a company for a merger or acquisition.

Successful companies treat acceptance of diversity as a legal and moral obligation. Benefits include improved morale, creativity and productivity. Employees gain respect for one another and trust one another as a result. By 2045, the people of color will surpass White's as the majority in the U.S., according to the Brookings Institute. Cultural competency is fast becoming a necessity, rather than a nicety. Addressing intercultural communication problems and solutions ensures a competitive edge in the marketplace.

By recognizing that different groups of people solve common problems in different ways, people come to value their differences and appreciate the different approaches. Becoming competent involves learning how to communicate and interact with people from other cultures in one-to-one situations, small groups and large teams. Creating a diverse work culture enables all employees to feel safe and maximize their productivity. Providing training in negotiation techniques helps people develop skills in using conflict-reducing words.

By discouraging behavior that makes other people feel excluded or unwanted, companies help prevent stereotyping and demeaning jokes or remarks. Effective leaders establish rules for appropriate behavior and take disciplinary action when violations occur. Everyone should feel safe at work. The first step involves accepting differences. For example, the types of food people consume create an expression of cultural identity. Encourage people to share their favorite foods.

Similarly, the customs associated with gift exchanges, such as symbolism, obligations and reciprocity, differ between cultures. Research and observe local customs. Additionally, cultures differ on whether they value the individual or the group, how they treat women and how they perceive time. They also differ on how they respond to authority, how they treat personal space, how they show emotion and how they negotiate.

Effective managers help build a productive team environment by encouraging employees to minimize their differences and focus on achieving the company’s strategic goals. By bringing diverse groups together in social situations and allowing employees to see that differences are not threatening, managers help their teams work together more cohesively back on the job. Employees who accept their differences and adapt their behavior to suit the styles of another culture tend to get better results. By adopting aspects of another culture into their own, employees enrich their cultural identity and ability to succeed in any situation.

Dealing with intercultural communication involves including everyone in the process. By focusing on observable behavior and not attitudes, employees maintain a productive work environment. By choosing words carefully, not making assumptions about intentions, and making adjustments so that everyone feels accepted, employees learn to negotiate effectively with people from different backgrounds.

Conducting workshops about topics like bias and microaggressions will help employees learn more about how to create an inclusive working environment. Microaggressions are racial slights that are often made out of ignorance, rather than purpose, emphasizes leaders from the Teachers College, Columbia University. Training can help bring the workforce together and encourage cultural awareness and improved intercultural communication in the workplace.

This is Part 2 of a three part series on intercultural communications. Part 1 addressed the complexity of culture and how it can impact communications when individuals from one culture interact with individuals from another. In this feature, we focus on the lessons we’ve learned from our cross cultural interaction and how you can use those tips to achieve impactful, successful cross-cultural communications. 

How can you improve intercultural communications?

There are a number of strategies that can be used to better understand and improve intercultural communications. And, while it depends on the situation and what component of culture you are dealing with, the guidelines listed below can be used to help in any cross-cultural situation to make sure your message and intention is clear, and that you understand what others are saying. 

Tips for Achieving Successful Intercultural Communications:

1. Do your homework.

If you know ahead of time who you will be speaking with or what country you will be visiting, it makes sense to research cultural norms and standards, and communication methods for that particular place. Do not walk into the situation unprepared if you can avoid it.

2. Ask.

It might be uncomfortable for you and the person you are asking, but by showing your willingness to ask when you don’t understand or when you lack the cultural knowledge necessary to avoid cultural faux paux, you are demonstrating your willingness to learn more about a new culture and the prevailing communication norms instead of rushing through unaware.

3. Accept that you’ll commit errors.

Even with all the research you’re going to do and the questions you’re going to ask, you will still make mistakes. Don’t take it personally, rather do your best to be self-aware, actively learn from your mistake and apologize if you offend anyone or cross boundaries. Mistakes will always happen, the problem begins when you don’t use a mistake as an opportunity to learn to avoid the same issues in the future.

4. Avoid colloquialisms, jokes, and idioms.

Humor is culture oriented and until you have spent significant months or years learning it, jokes should be avoided as it can be easy to offend or belittle, and in professional situations that can spell disaster. Idioms should be avoided for a different reason, and that is that they vary greatly by culture and often aren’t translatable. In Colombia, “Hacemos la vaca” means to collect money to buy something together. It has no literal meaning and if you weren’t with someone who could explain, you would be very confused as to why people were making a cow.

5. Practice actively listening and observing.

Listening is a highly regarded skill. When communicating with others from another culture, it is incredibly important to actively pay attention and listen to what people are telling you. Listening can help you understand that there isn’t one right way to conduct interactions. Additionally, varying viewpoints or ideas might contradict your own, but you’ll still need to listen respectfully.

6. Repeat or confirm what you think was being said.

It can be helpful to repeat or confirm what you believe to have been the objective of the conversation. This process will help you avoid misunderstandings, especially when speaking different languages. Write it out if you have to, but make sure you align everyone’s understanding before moving forward.

7. Don’t ask yes or no questions.

Instead, use open-ended questions to avoid confusion. With open-ended questions, the person with whom you are interacting must explain or clearly outline their point, making it easier to understand their response and the context surrounding it.

8. Pay attention to nonverbal communication.

Communication is also extremely nonverbal. Pay attention to nonverbal cues such as intonation, eye contact, and posture. Observe how people conduct interactions with others from their same culture and follow their lead. Certain cultures avoid strong eye contact when speaking, so you’ll make someone highly uncomfortable if you are trying to force strong eye contact they are not used to doing the same.

9. Speak slowly and clearly.

This will help you avoid mistakes and seeming nervous. Speaking slowly and clearly is often interpreted as being confident. Additionally, taking time to think before you speak can help you to avoid communication issues and words you might regret later.

10. Take a deep breath and enjoy it!

It can be a challenge to communicate effectively with people from other cultures, and you are bound to find people with whom you can communicate more effectively and more enjoyably than others. Remember, that the whole process is a lifelong lesson in empathy, understanding, and self-awareness which can translate to vastly improved professional and personal interactions and successes beyond just intercultural communications. So, take a deep breath and start communicating!