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From NetSpeed Leader Volume 31, February 2007
In a business world that knows no international boundaries, smart managers are also culturally competent communicators. Even if you have completed a communication style assessment or personality type indicator in your past, it's important to be aware of cultural communication differences as well.
Why? Because how we communicate with one another reflects our values and attitudes and the values and attitudes of someone from a different culture may be different from our own. Though there are no shortcuts to fully understanding a culture you weren’t raised in, a few simple practices can help you navigate an unfamiliar intercultural communication situation:
1. Understand your own culture. You will bring more understanding to the attitudes and beliefs of others if you know how you came into your own cultural expression. What do you value as a business person? Why do you hold those particular values? How did they develop? What habits and patterns do you take for granted in how you conduct business?
2. Jump right in&mdashrespectfully. Understanding how to communicate effectively in another culture will be easier if you have some experience with its people. Though you may not be able to jet off to Japan for a weekend to prime yourself for an upcoming international meeting, you can visit the international district in the nearest large city or read the English version of a local Japanese community newspaper. You might visit a Shinto or Buddhist temple or explore Japanese business practices on the Internet. A web search for "Japanese business culture" yielded over 51, 000,000 hits. Be sure you are respectful in unfamiliar situations. For example, it might be a good idea to call and express your interest in attending a religious event before showing up. Some events and activities are not open to the general public.
3. Focus on commonalities, not differences. We tend to look for what's different about others&mdashit's one of the ways our busy brains keep track of information and differentiate between people and events. We often draw mistaken conclusions, however, when we use our own cultural standards to judge the behavior of those from unfamiliar cultures. For example, someone who was raised in the United States will often value direct eye contact, interpreting someone's willingness to make eye contact as an indication of openness and trustworthiness. In some cultures, however, making eye contact is interpreted as confrontational and impolite. Consciously concentrating on similarities, however, can help us find common ground. Eye contact or no, you can look for other clues in the body language, actions or group dynamics of an unfamiliar situation.
4. At the same time, don't overgeneralize. This leads to stereotyping and although many cultural attitudes are deeply ingrained, every cultural group has its anchors and its adventurers, its introverts and its extroverts. Again, our brains like to put things in neat packages, but there's nothing tidy about humans or about human interactions. Keep an open mind!
5. When in doubt, ask. Be aware of the limits of your expertise in unfamiliar situations. Most people in most cultures want their business interactions to be fruitful and will provide you with information if you ask for it.
The global business market provides a wealth of opportunity for those who are willing to explore and embrace cultural influences on business practices. Being aware of cultural values and attitudes and how these influence your ideas of correct behavior in a business environment can make all the difference.
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