Communicating Across Cultures

Communicating Across Culture is about communicating properly with other cultures in a respectable manner.
Summary

Learning other cultures is essential when communicating across cultures. The first thing one must avoid is being ethnocentric. As a result of the variety of cultures in the world, people tend to think that their ways and believes are superior, and by thinking so, it results in judgment upon others. We tend to come across different cultures everyday because of the immigration rate in North America or because we travel abroad on a business trip. Being able to accustom ourselves to foreign cultures and their practices is a form of building communication. By learning basic foreign customs and phrases, people build a relationship with the client and avoid negative reactions. When being exposed to a different culture, it is important for people to be patient and tolerant and to avoid finishing sentences because it may not express what they wanted to say; for example, in Asian culture, silence and pauses are deliberately made for reflection as well as contemplation. Therefore, one must be patient and avoid making the others feel like they are under pressure, which allow the others to develop a sense of empathy. One of the most significant cultural dimensions is context. Context is a term most popularized by a cultural anthropologist, Edward T. Hall. He uses the term to point out the general difference between societies; for instance, High-context represents cultures with more indirect verbal interactions and rely more on emotions and context as well as working in groups. Low context on the other hand, prefer to be more direct in verbal interactions and prefer working individually.
10 importants points to consider :

1. Define you own culture first as it is the base of self-identity. It will help you to observe the differences between cultures.
2. Learn about the cultures of the people you work and interact with. You may also learn foreign greeting phrases.
3. Improve your tolerance by practicing empathy. Stay open-minded and avoid judging others by your own values.
4. Be patient and consider issues from different perspectives. Find similarities and areas of agreement when a conflict occurs.
5. Determine if the culture you are dealing with is high context or low context to adapt your communication style.
6. Be aware of your non verbal communication. Discover the meaning of certain gestures as well as the use of time, space and territory in different cultures.
7. In oral communication, use simple language, speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Use short sentences and check for comprehension.
8. Listen carefully without interrupting. Don’t make assumptions and jump to conclusions. Accept the blame if a misunderstanding occurs.
9. To improve written messages, adopt local formats and when citing numbers, use figures instead of spelling them. Shape your tone and style to appeal to the reader (high or low context cultures).
10. Seek some training from intercultural experts or find a book to help you communicate more effectively across cultures.

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