In my experience from multicultural projects, there is no clearer manifestation of cultural differences than the communication patterns.
Working with high-context cultures is particularly challenging for people from low-context cultures, but the high-context individuals experience their own share of challenges and frustration.
In a nutshell, low-context people can see high-context people as secretive, lacking transparency, manipulative, ineffective communicators.
And vice versa: the high-context people can see the low-context people as inappropriately stating the obvious, condescending, patronizing, rude, unnecessarily direct, and inelegant.
And vice versa: the high-context people can see the low-context people as inappropriately stating the obvious, condescending, patronizing, rude, unnecessarily direct, and inelegant.
So how can you be effective in high-context cultures if you come from a low-context culture?
Here are some guidelines:
- Listen well, especially on the non-verbal and situational context levels.
- Listen to what is meant, not only to what is said.
Listen “between the lines” and try to understand what is behind the main message. - Reflect more, ask more clarifying questions, search for implicit cues
- Be receptive to body language cues (body frame, gestures, voice patterns, volume, speed etc.) Anything out of the norm is part of the message.
- Ask open-ended questions, not yes-no questions.
- Do not form your opinion too quickly and do not put pressure for quick decisions or actions
- Do not repeat your messages, you can come back and clarify later if needed.
Bottom line: Listen more, speak less and clarify when you are not sure.
What can you do if you are from a high-context culture like India, and you need to be effective and respected within the low-context culture like the US?
Here are some simple strategies for you:
- Be transparent, clear and specific
- Explain your point in exact terms, and be brief
- Assert your opinions transparently
- Recap the most important point, and/or make a written record of them
- If you don’t understand something, simply ask for clarification (don’t read between the lines because most probably there is nothing to read there!)
- Do not be overtly polite: this might give impression of vagueness or uncertainty and people might label you as wishy-washy and lose patience for you, and you will lose the respect that you are trying so hard to build.
Bottom line here is: Be transparent, clear, specific, direct.
The best advice I can give for those of you who work globally or take part in intercultural projects is this: multicultural teams need low-context communication patterns.
Richard Lewis, the leading cross-cultural expert said that “Communication is not just about language, but about the values behind our words and our behaviour.”
I agree. Our preference for how to communicate is so deeply ingrained, that I call it our “cultural DNA”.
The communication patterns and preferences of how we like to give and receive information run deep, and you can change them only if you understand what they are, and only if you practice consciously.
If you are interested in learning more, contact me and let’s discuss how I can help you and your team build the critical cross-cultural communication skills.
With leadership greetings,
More resources for you:
Books:
“When Cultures Collide – Leading Across Cultures – 4th Edition” by Richard D. Lewis
“When Teams Collide: Managing the International Team Successfully” by Richard D. Lewis
“The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business” by Erin Meyer
“Global Dexterity: How to Adapt Your Behavior Across Cultures without Losing Yourself in the Process” by Andy Molinsky
