Cross Cultural Support – An Essential Relocation Tool
The value of cross-cultural support goes beyond relocation as an essential tool for growing global organisations.
Difficulties in coping with a change of culture can be a major contributory factor when a relocation doesn’t work out. Culture shock can add to the pressure on an employee who is already having to cope with the demands of a new job, and may have a negative effect on the whole family, leading to a decision not to continue with the posting – depressing for the family, and costly for the company.
Cross-cultural support is, therefore, of great value, both to individuals and employers when considering international assignments.
Practical cross-cultural awareness programmes for relocation ease the transition for relocating employees and their families, ensuring smooth and successful relocations. They should provide cost-effective, flexible solutions tailored to your organisation’s business needs, from recruitment to repatriation.
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Ten Tips for Cross Cultural Communication
Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cross cultural communication skills: 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.
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What Cross-cultural Training Can Do for You
International business is more complex than ever before. Success in every sector is now seen in global terms. Yet success in working with colleagues from different cultures is no easy goal. In order to connect, we have to communicate effectively and we can only do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding and trust. Cross-cultural training helps you understand the underlying cultural values that drive behaviour–you first understand your own cultural background and then other people’s.
Its outcomes should be first to take the confusion out of cross-cultural encounters. For example, you arrive in Madrid for a business meeting. In your own working environment appointments are made and only changed in exceptional circumstances, and usually with plenty of notice. But when you arrive at your hotel in advance of the next day’s meeting you find a note telling you the appointment has been rescheduled. From your perspective this is tantamount to an insult. You feel angry, frustrated, perhaps puzzled. But that’s because you come from a typically ‘monochronic’ background. Spain is much more ‘polychronic’ and, while you are very time- conscious, punctual, schedule-orientated, many Spanish are easy-going about time, appointments and timetables. It’s not an insult, simply a manifestation of a more relaxed view of these matters.
If you had understood this before doing business in Spain you would not have been thrown by this sudden change in the schedule.