To succeed overseas COMMUNICATION LEARNING IN INTERCULTURAL SETTINGS To succeed in this global village you must be able to work effectively across cultures In Box 2 2, you will find a profile of the interculturally effective person This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes the main skills and traits an interculturally effective person possesses Take a look at this inventory and identify your areas of strengths and weaknesses Don’t despair if you find you don’t have some of these attribut.
COMMUNICATION & LEARNING IN INTERCULTURAL SETTINGS To succeed in this global village you must be able to work effectively across cultures In Box 2.2, you will find a profile of the interculturally effective person This is not an exhaustive list, but it includes the main skills and traits an interculturally effective person possesses Take a look at this inventory and identify your areas of strengths and weaknesses Don’t despair if you find you don’t have some of these attributes Keep in mind that you will develop and/or enhance many of these qualities when interacting with a new culture Box 2.2 A Profile of the Interculturally Effective Person Adaptation Skills Interculturally Effective Persons (IEPs) have the ability to cope personally, professionally, and in their family context with the conditions and challenges of living and working in another culture An Attitude of Modesty and Respect IEPs demonstrate modesty about their own culture’s answers to problems and a respect for the ways of the local culture, are humble about their knowledge of the local context, and are therefore willing to learn much and consult with locals before coming to conclusions on issues An Understanding of the Concept of Culture IEPs have an understanding of the concept of culture and the pervasive influence it will have on their life and work abroad Knowledge of the Host Country and Culture IEPs possess knowledge of the host country and culture and try constantly to expand that knowledge Relation ship Building IEPs possess good relations hip-building skills, both social/personal and professional Self-Knowledge Knowledge of one’s own background, motivations, strengths and weaknesses Intercultural Communication IEPs are effective intercultural communicators Organizational Skills IEPs strive to improve the quality of organizational structures, processes, and staff morale, and promote a positive atmosphere in the workplace Personal an d Professional Commitment IEPs have a high level of personal and professional commitment to the assignment and the life experience in another culture Source: Thomas Vulpe et al (2000), A Profile of the Interculturally Effective Person (Gatineau, Quebec: Centre for Intercultural Learning, Canadian Foreign Service Institute) Ten Tips for Effective Cross-Cultural Communication by Neil Payne Communicating across cultures can be confusing and uncertain— unless you have the right frame of mind and approach These practical strategies from Neil Payne of Kwintessential can help you prevent misunderstandings and communicate effectively across cultures Slow Down Even when English is the common language in a cross cultural situation, this does not mean you should speak at normal speed Slow down, speak clearly and ensure your pronunciation is intelligible Separate Questions Try not to ask double questions such as, “Do you want to carry on or shall we stop here?” In a cross cultural situation only the first or second question may have been comprehended Let your listener answer one question at a time Avoid Negative Questions Many cross cultural communication misunderstandings have been caused by the use of negative questions and answers In English we answer ‘yes’ if the answer is affirmative and ‘no’ if it is negative In other cultures a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ may only be indicating whether the questioner is right or wrong For example, the response to “Are you not coming?” may be ‘yes’, meaning ‘Yes, I am not coming.’ Take Turns Cross cultural communication is enhanced through taking turns to talk, making a point and then listening to the response Write it Down If you are unsure whether something has been understood write it down and check This can be useful when using large figures For example, a billion in the USA is 1,000,000,000,000 while in the UK it is 1,000,000,000 Be Supportive Effective cross cultural communication is in essence about being comfortable Giving encouragement to those with weak English gives them confidence, support and a trust in you Check Meanings When communicating across cultures never assume the other party has understood Be an active listener Summarize what has been said in order to verify it This is a very effective way of ensuring accurate cross cultural communication has taken place Avoid Slang Even the most well educated foreigner will not have a complete knowledge of slang, idioms and sayings The danger is that the words will be understood but the meaning missed Watch the humor In many cultures business is taken very seriously Professionalism and protocol are constantly observed Many cultures will not appreciate the use of humor and jokes in the business context When using humor think whether it will be understood in the other culture For example, British sarcasm usually has a negative effect abroad 10 Maintain Etiquette Many cultures have certain etiquette when communicating It is always a good idea to undertake some cross cultural awareness training or at least some research on the target culture Cross cultural communication is about dealing with people from other cultures in a way that minimizes misunderstandings and maximizes your potential to create strong cross cultural relationships The above tips should be seen as a starting point to greater cross cultural awareness © Kwintessential Ltd Following years of traveling, studying and working in the Middle East and Islamic world, Neil successfully completed a Masters at SOAS University, London in Middle Eastern Studies Using his experiences in academia, translation, interpretation, teaching, lecturing and cross cultural training he established Kwintessential Kwintessential was born out of the idea that the current world climate is in desperate need of cross cultural dialogue and aims to promote inter-cultural communication within communities, businesses and organizations Visit Neil & Kwintessential at www.kwintessential.co.uk The Case for a Culturious Lifestyle Four Reasons to be Globally Aware by Kate Berardo Intercultural skills improve communication abilities, social benefits, job opportunities and job stability Intercultural awareness is an enriching lifestyle and mindset, not an obligation or one-time training Job Opportunities Being able to work and communicate with people from different backgrounds and cultures is essential in today's world and workplace A global skill set ensures a bright future and an interesting and more enriching life path To work internationally today, an understanding of other cultures is essential So is an ability to effectively communicate and work with people from these cultures Without intercultural competence, the chances of landing and keeping a job internationally are slim to none Not to mention that we live in a constantly globalizing world and in a diverse country with a diverse population Increasingly, these days, cultural competence is essential to work within the US A decade ago, an understanding of computers was a highly marketable skill as business and computer technologies became highly interdependent In the 2000s, it’s not an understanding of computers (now commonplace), but an understanding of how to work with people from different backgrounds that is essential for most jobs today Job Stability You may still be able to land a job without demonstrating cultural competence for a small time in the future, but keeping it is another story People who know about other cultures are more able and adept at working in today's world People who know how to work across cultures can turn differences into opportunities and can find success in situations where others find only failure They can communicate effectively, solve problems creatively, and keep an open mind when others shut down This means a job well done Social Benefits Interculturally aware people are interesting They engage in compelling conversations in a wider variety of settings, take advantage of opportunities that others shy away from, and think with an adventurous and open mindset that enriches their lives and life experiences They have interesting things to say and can express themselves well Ongoing Rewards Intercultural awareness is an enriching lifestyle and mindset, not an obligation or one-time training It adds colors to your life, opens doors of opportunity, and leads to extensive, dynamic growth Kate Berardo is a Northwestern educated intercultural specialist who helps people from different cultures, backgrounds, and schools of thought understand each other and work effectively together She is the co-author of Putting Diversity to Work with colleagues George Simons and Simma Lieberman, the Executive Planet Guide to Doing Business with the US, and the founder of www.culturosity.com, the culture destination portal dedicated to building intercultural awareness in daily life 10 Strategies for Success Abroad by Kate Berardo Working across cultures requires a diverse skill set and a different approach from business in general Regardless of which cultures are being bridged, certain strategies are crucial to international business success Here are our top ten strategies for interacting with people from different cultures Learn about the business beforehand This general business strategy becomes increasingly important when dealing with businesses across cultures Get on their website, check out their promotional material Get a feel for the atmosphere, attitude, and angle that the business has Many cultural factors are passed down from the societal level to businesses However, each organization will have its own culture, personality, and way of doing things Observe Because your mind is processing a lot of information in new environments, your observation skills when working across cultures may be flooded or unfocused Keep your observation skills engaged and alert to elements that will help you business Notice how people act, dress, and treat each other Especially if you come from a culture that emphasizes verbal communication, make a point of looking for messages that are conveyed without being said Being able to read a situation will greatly improve your ability to have a successful meeting Ask questions Many people don’t want to reveal how little they know about other cultures, so they don’t ask questions Ultimately, they limit their ability to work in other cultures Questions show you are interested in your colleague’s culture This interest and consideration helps build your relationship, which is especially important if your culture has a reputation for trying to culturally dominate others (e.g the U.S.) Demonstrate that you are working to create synergy between your cultures with questions In doing so, you create room for the mistakes you may make; people are more willing to look past cultural blunders if they know you are trying to learn Stay aware of yourself Some people feel like they have somewhat of an out-of-body experience when in cross-cultural situations because they are focused on everything new outside of themselves There can be so much going on around you that you forget to focus on yourself as well Take advantage of down time (and make time for it) so you can get in touch with your body and feelings What’s your gut feeling? Where is it coming from? This process can help you feel more grounded and secure in your experience abroad Allow for more time Working across cultures takes more time Communication may be slowed and logistics may be different You may be working with a culture with a different concept of time altogether Expect most things to take longer than they would when dealing with a business from your same culture or country Also give yourself more time to process all the information before making decisions Look for individual differences Overviews of cultures are meant to be guidelines only Individuals may have values and behaviors that vary greatly from those of their native culture Many people make the mistake of trying to fit people they are working with into cultural molds, when often they don’t fit People’s values and behaviors are influenced in part by their culture, but also by their background, experiences, and personality Be careful not to attribute too much of what you observe to a cultural difference Find the humor Humor heals and helps you through difficult situations Travel can be stressful, as can new environments and change in general This stress can limit both your flexibility and your ability to handle crosscultural situations Combat stress with humor Be able to step away (at least mentally) from situations and find the humor in them Learn to tolerate uncertainty This is an essential skill, and one that can be extremely difficult for people from some cultures where directness and exactness are valued (e.g Germany, the US) There will be a great deal of unknowns when doing business across cultures Definitive, concrete answers may not always be given, especially if you are working with a culture with a high tolerance for uncertainty Focus on what you can determine and try to let go of minor details that are unclear (Similarly, if you come from a culture that doesn’t place a high value on exactness and are working with someone from a culture that does, try to provide clarification and details when possible.) Go early If your meeting is face-to-face and you’ll be traveling abroad, go at least two days before your scheduled meeting Give yourself time to adjust; you will have to deal with physical adjustments (jet lag, different foods) as well as a number of cultural adjustments as well These changes can be overwhelming and should be spread out to make them manageable Give yourself time to adjust physically and then your mind will be better able to make cultural adjustments that are essential for success 10 Build your intercultural skills When working with people from different cultures, you need a solid understanding of the norms of that culture You also need communication skills and business strategies that can be applied across cultures The items listed above reflect some of the necessary skills for intercultural work in general However, individuals 10 should develop a list of skills they need to develop to further their intercultural communication skills based on their own situations and needs To determine these skills, reflect on past intercultural experiences (for people with limited experience abroad, think of experiences working and interacting with people and groups different from you) When you become uncomfortable, rigid, or shut down? What mistakes have you made in the past? Commit yourself to continually developing the skills that will help you in similar situations in the future View your experiences with different cultures as a trajectory, rather than a string of individual experiences Link the different experiences you have and you can link the personal development and learning that comes with them Kate Berardo is a Northwestern educated intercultural specialist who helps people from different cultures, backgrounds, and schools of thought understand each other and work effectively together She is the co-author of Putting Diversity to Work with colleagues George Simons and Simma Lieberman, the Executive Planet Guide to Doing Business with the US, and the founder of www.culturosity.com, the culture destination portal dedicated to building intercultural awareness in daily life 11 Ten Ways to Manage People through Change by Simma Lieberman Increasing intercultural awareness and diversity in an organization means creating change Guest writer and diversity specialist Simma Lieberman helps individuals to successfully manage transitions and change Communicate your vision so that others will be inspired to join Speak in terms of results and the steps to getting there Paint the big picture before you hone in on the numerous changes the ideal big picture requires Learn to let go Identify what is in your control to change and know how to let go of things you can't control Identify energy vampires and people who are energy igniters You'll need a lot of oomph to lead a group through change Energy is infectious, so surround yourself with energy and tap into its sources Avoid the vampires and make time for the igniters Be able to inform others and communicate the change Give relevant information at the right time in order to empower people and help them feel secure Create newsletters of weekly updates to report progress In the absence of information, rumors start Listen, listen, listen Listen with your ears, eyes, mind and heart Understand other people's thoughts, feelings and emotions Listen to people's concerns without judging or making them wrong Respond Different people react to change differently, based on their experiences and who they are When you hear a concern, address it When you sense a fear, speak to it Respond in a helpful way to reactions to change by focusing on people's needs and concerns 12 Don't make people wrong for their feelings Acknowledge people's feelings and make it safe to express them Nurture yourself and others during times of change Change can carry an unconscious stress on your body Don't forget about it Find outlets to give your mind and body a break Find out what other people need to be nurtured Don't be afraid to ask about their needs Help people find the support they need (once a week support groups during lunch, employee assistance programs) 10 Be patient Change takes time and can try your patience Recognize it can take a long time for the dust of change to settle and be patient both with the process and the people who are affected by it Your demonstrated patience will give security and confidence to those around you Simma Lieberman works with people and organizations to create environments where people can their best work She specializes in diversity, gender communications, life-work balance and stress, and acquiring and retaining new customers Simma is the co-author of Putting Diversity to Work with Culturosity’s founder Kate Berardo and George Simons of www.diversophy.com Reach Simma at simma@simmalieberman.com and visit her website at www.simmalieberman.com 13 Quotes - an essential stepping stone toward building awareness, appreciation, and understanding of other cultures “Everyone and everything around you is your teacher”- KEN KEYES “…there is nothing in the world as interesting as people, and one can never study them enough." - VINCENT VAN GOGH “Once you can see the boundaries of your environment, they are no longer the boundaries of your environment.” - MARSHALL MCLUHAN “The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery There is always more mystery." - ANAIS NIN Nothing in life is to be feared It is only to be understood - MARIE CURIE “We have a hunger of the mind which asks for knowledge of all around us, and the more we gain, the more is our desire; the more we see, the more we are capable of seeing.”- MARIA MITCHELL “It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." - ALAN COHEN 14 ... University, London in Middle Eastern Studies Using his experiences in academia, translation, interpretation, teaching, lecturing and cross cultural training he established Kwintessential Kwintessential... Benefits Interculturally aware people are interesting They engage in compelling conversations in a wider variety of settings, take advantage of opportunities that others shy away from, and think with... building intercultural awareness in daily life 11 Ten Ways to Manage People through Change by Simma Lieberman Increasing intercultural awareness and diversity in an organization means creating