It’s now a regular concern.
The current pandemic now requires us to communicate more via video calls, virtual forums, and hybrid events. So the apprehension about communicating effectively with other nationalities or with ‘foreigners’ isn’t going away anytime soon.
We’ve all endured (or appreciated) over a year of mandatory virtual interactions and limited or non-existent physical interactions. Yet, returning to face-to-face meetings still introduces some angst of how to connect with colleagues, bosses and professionals from other cultures – about whom we know little, or whom we haven’t physically met.
A few days ago, I was facilitating a virtual discussion on business writing for an executive MBA batch at a globally ranked business school in Africa when the question popped up.
‘But how do I communicate effectively with my boss who’s a foreigner and whose English isn’t good?’ asked a rather exasperated female executive, Ms C. ‘I’m not worried about his English. But do I still need to put a lot of effort into my grammar?’
‘Yes’, came my swift response. But I went on to explain to the female executive that although she couldn’t control her boss’ writing skills, she should, as a professional, ensure her writing was still grammatically accurate and clear.
As the group discussion progressed, the female executive, Ms C, explained how she finally solved the problem of communicating clearly with her boss since he was technically inclined. Now, here’s what she routinely does:
She verbally discusses with her Lebanese boss, then follows up with a presentation using more visuals and less text. Afterwards, she recaps key points in a short email. She uses short sentences and writes in a simple style. And if need be, she continues with verbal discussions.
Brilliant.
Ms C, by trial and error, even before my class, had instinctively adhered to my first rule of effective communication – knowing your audience and communicating using their preferred mode.
The need for more collaboration between teams in one country, or with colleagues or business partners in other regions (again spurred by the lockdowns) means that navigating cultural nuances can still make you anxious if you don’t know how to proceed.
So you could be a newbie who was on-boarded remotely and is now required to collaborate with foreign colleagues whom you’re yet to meet physically. Or perhaps your role has expanded to include leading culturally diverse teams. Whatever your current situation, noting the three points below will reduce the headaches (and lost productivity) that arise from miscommunication.
Ignore them at your peril.
1) Empathize with non-native English speakers
Yes, English may unofficially be the universal language, but it’s just good manners to be gracious to your team members, colleagues, or bosses if they’re not native English speakers.
Realise that even if you’re a native speaker, English is quite difficult to master. When you think you’ve nailed the basics, you learn of exceptions to grammatical rules, unusual spellings, and ridiculous idiomatic expressions. Then you’re confronted by the differences between American English and British English.
The numerous conventions of the language can get overwhelming. For example, what people mean when they say something banal, (‘That’s fine’ could have different meanings based on the tone used and other nonverbal cues); how words sound the same but have different means (son/sun, to/two/too), and the punctuation rules.
I’m a communications trainer and coach, who, over the years, has painstakingly developed strong writing skills. Yet, I still get perplexed about some aspects of the English language. And had I not been fortunate to live in the UK for five years during my university studies, I wouldn’t have been able to understand the subtleties of British English in everyday interactions. So appreciate that it’s twice as tough for non-native speakers of English. As long as you can understand what they say and deduce what they mean, hold your tongue or ignore common errors.
Also, remember that those who speak English with accents speak more than one language – often multiple languages, which is an admirable feat in itself. And you, a native English speaker, how many foreign languages do you speak fluently?
Be empathetic. Reassure them they’re doing a great job communicating and offer some support if they’re struggling. Sometimes, just inviting them into your social circles will help them improve their skills. Your colleagues or team members will also appreciate you providing useful tips on interpersonal communication.
My personal experience
I stress this point about being empathetic because of my experience as an international student.
I studied French and some German at university in the UK. But by far the most useful and challenging period was my year abroad in France (a requirement of my degree) where I lived with a French-speaking Italian lady who didn’t speak any English.
I had never been to France, so I excitedly flew from London to Paris, and then I took another flight to Pau – a quaint city situated in the Pyrenees mountainous region in the southwest of France. To accelerate my language skills, I had deliberately chosen a location far away from Paris so that I would be unlikely to meet many English-speaking people. My language skills improved tremendously that year since I had no choice but to speak the language at my residence and in the community. However, in the beginning, I was lonely and anxious because I wasn’t able to communicate as clearly as I’d have liked in public.
Given that I was a foreigner, most people appreciated the efforts I made to speak French, but one uncharitable comment from an older French lady cut deep. I had sought her translation service to translate my English birth certificate into French (a requirement for my residence permit). After some halting attempts to explain what I needed, the lady looked at me, and in a tone laced with venom declared:
‘Vous parlez mal le français’. (‘You speak French terribly’).
That was in 1998. I can’t remember what she looked like, but I’ll never forget how defeated I felt when I left her office, even though I got what I wanted in the end.
Don’t be that toxic person.
2) Prioritise the three beacons of effective communication
Ms C (whose account I shared at the beginning) discovered one foolproof method to communicate effectively with someone from a different culture:
She chose the preferred medium and used short, simple language in speech and especially in writing.
In other words, she kept her communication simple, brief, and clear – the three beacons of effective communication that I routinely preach, which is also my second rule of effective communication.
Whether you’re communicating virtually or in person, keeping your messages simple, concise, and clear (by including a call-to-action) trumps everything else.
If your audiences don’t understand your message and aren’t clear on what you want them to think, feel, or do, you won’t get the results you want.
I can’t underscore this point enough.
3) Don’t assume you know the interpretations of all nonverbal cues
This is one of the biggest faux pas you could make when communicating across borders because it instantaneously alienates your audiences or causes them to distrust you.
When speaking with people from other cultures, realise that the nonverbal cues that are interpreted positively in your culture might be the reverse in another. From gestures to the use of space, don’t assume that one cue automatically translates to what you believe.
For example, are you in a culture where putting your hands in your pockets or placing your hands on your hips is seen as confident or arrogant? Similarly, is eye contact a marker of trust or openness, a tactic to intimidate someone or a sign of disrespect?
The one exception to this rule is the genuine smile, often termed the Duchenne smile, which is universally recognised as a sign of pleasure, enjoyment, or happiness. The Duchenne smile was named after Guillaume Duchenne, the 19th-century scientist whose work included the study of muscles controlling facial expressions.
For other nonverbal behaviours, however, always ask natives what is acceptable and what is not beforehand. Do this especially when the stakes are high, such as when meeting business/political leaders, speaking to potential investors/executives, or delivering keynotes.
In a recent discussion with author and professional speaker Lauren Sergy, we tackled the ever-relevant topic of effective cross-cultural communication, where I highlighted useful angles to consider. I recommend you watch the video below.
Conclusion
So as you proceed to collaborate across regions or work with non-native English speakers, realise that you can ease the flow of communication by considering the three points I’ve listed.
And above all, be a decent human. Being patient and friendly will go a long way to dispel frustrations and coax co-operation. People prefer to work and do business with people they like and trust.
Keep that in mind because the future of work will include flexible work arrangements and more culturally diverse teams.
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Over to you:
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N.B: First image is courtesy of Berkemeyer via Pixabay. Second image is courtesy of Gerd Altmann via Pixabay. Last image is courtesy of Peggy and Marco Lachmann-Anke via Pixabay.