As the economy has become globalized, the organizations today are comprised of members of varying backgrounds. Diversity has brought about creativity, wider visions, and adaptability in the marketplace. They can better service global customers, come up with new ideas, and solve problems differently. But it also poses challenging communication issues. Misperceiving, communication style variances, and varied perceptions may act as stumbling blocks to people communicating well with one another and organizational harmony. To be in a position to overcome such kinds of problems effectively, there are intentional measures which result in understanding, accommodation, and openness. Multicultural organizations need effective communication to be their mission to perform effectively, but towards a quality working relationship with respect. Staff and leaders must become culturally competent and employ inclusive communication. In this article, these essential strategies on dismantling barriers to communication in multi-cultural environments like cultural awareness and sensitivity building, inclusive communication, and prudent use of technology are shared.
Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Building
Establishing cultural awareness in the organization is among the most significant means of dismantling barriers to communication. Knowing the values, cultures, and communication styles of employees in fact minimizes misunderstandings. To illustrate, directness and expressiveness are highly valued in Western cultures, but most Asian cultures highly regard indirectness and harmony developed through collective interaction. It can influence the reception and delivery of feedback in the corporate environment, or the way a problem is debated during a meeting. Ignoring would lead to assumption or feelings of disrespect. Organizations thus have to invest in cross-cultural training and open discussion of cultural norms and expectations. Training may be accomplished through cultural immersion, scenario learning, and workshops.
Preparation of employees to present their own cultural experience also generates empathy and sensitivity. Sensitivity to cultural conditioning also includes unconscious attitudes that may influence communications. Humans have the tendency to make judgments of others’ actions based on their own culture, and this may result in misjudgment. For example, avoiding eye contact with a person might be deceptive in some cultures but considerate in others. Being aware of such assumptions and trying with all intention to be respectful to other perspectives ensures that the employees improve their cooperating ability to work respectfully and efficiently.
Fostering Inclusive Communication Practices
Inclusive communication is the way in which practices and language are employed that are respectful and simple to be understood by individuals of all walks of life. In multi-cultural companies, this would mean eschewing idioms, jargon, slang, or culturally identifiable referents not of universal comprehension. “Hit the ground running” will be baffling to American non-native speakers, and even to Americans unacquainted with American idiomatic usage. Clarity and precision in language should come first, particularly in formal modes of communication like e-mails, reports, and presentations. It also captures meetings that facilitates comprehension and enables members to learn at their own convenience. Besides simplicity, inclusive communication also entails establishing a setting in which all the members have no reservations offering their inputs and feedback. Feedback from team members who are not so forthcoming in offering suggestions because of cultural beliefs or language differences should be requested.
Some cultures do value authority, i.e., nobody would like to argue or disagree with a manager’s idea. Progression from facilitation to participation may be facilitated by the utilization of active solicitation by managers of all participants, rotation of the facilitator during a meeting, or electronic anonymous comment facilities. Having a variety of choices of communication like follow-up emails, visual aids, or meetings one-on-one gives each person the choice of employing the mode of his/her preference.
Technology as a Bridge
Technology can be a gap bridge between communications gaps for multi-cultural companies. Computer translation software, video conferencing software, and virtual collaborative workspace enable teams to bridge geographical and language gaps. For instance, Slack or Microsoft Teams enable multilingual communication using inbuilt translation features. These technologies enable team members to converse in real time, resolve issues in real time, and keep workflows running smoothly.
Technology can be engineered to make communication better and not more complicated. Simple information sharing may be achieved through automated translation software, but cannot pick up tone, nuance, and cultural context. Misinterpreting sensitive dialogue can lead to confusion or hurt feelings. Human discernment and culturally sensitive proofreading are still needed in sensitive communication. Asynchronous communication is also assisted by technology, sometimes particularly well-suited to distributed teams dispersed around the globe across time zones. Employees can offer suggestions or comment at their own pace, relieving pressure from real-time comment and tolerating varying work habits.
Conclusion
Organizational communication in multicultural organizations is complex but full of promise. By enhancing cultural sensitivity, encouraging respectful communication habits, and leveraging technology to its maximum ability, organizations can break barriers and create more harmonious and cooperative work teams. This takes commitment from leaders and involvement from all employees. Further communication cost is not only called for by intra-corporate concord but also by competitive superiority in integrated markets of the times. Finally, cross-cultural communication is not a short-term but a continuous process of learning, accommodation, and respect for each other by reciprocals. With honest and respectful communication, workers feel motivated to cooperate so that they function best, develop innovative ways of overcoming problems, and achieve organizational prosperity.
