Cross-Cultural Communication in the Same Culture
Excitement and a feeling of confirmation rushed through me as he began sharing how he created this coaching program while living abroad. For he saw coaching as an effective tool to empower the locals within their cultural setting. It was Keith Webb, the founder of Creative Results Management, talking.
Prior to joining Keith’s coaching program, I took multiple Global Studies courses in college. I can remember growing passionate as my Global Studies 220 professor, who spent much time abroad in Asia and various countries, began to teach me how other people lived. I learned about cultural dimensions, the diverse ways people orient their lives based on differing views of time, loyalty to others, and more. I was becoming aware that I assessed other cultures in relation to my “ideal” culture I grew up in.
My coaching training brought my attention back to the heart of these classes: partnering with another begins by understanding the context in which they're coming from.
North Eastern University states that cross-cultural communication skills are needed for a successful workplace because it opens the door for information to be swapped among co-workers, customers, and the organization as a whole. I would argue that cross-cultural communication is even more crucial in the workforce today because of technology increasing our connectedness to other parts of the world.
The key to embracing other cultures and improving communication lies within an individual’s willingness to change and foster an open mind. Without upholding a value for communicating with cultural awareness, conflict is more likely, people fail to be heard, and ultimately individuals will not feel valued in an organization. This may lead to the downfall of an organization as the greater a company understands its customers and employees, the more successful it will be.
Although I have only traveled to a few countries, I notice that my college friends, who grew up in separate states, eat different foods or spend time doing different activities. I move to various areas of California and notice that people’s value for community seems greater in some areas than in others. I even find that among my childhood friends, we all have different perspectives on the futures we hope to have.
When I hear cross-cultural communication, I think that these skills are necessary not only when traveling to a new country or working in an international organization, but also when talking to a best friend or family members. You and I know that none of us live completely the same life. Even if we were to live in the same house and go to the same places every day, we would have different thoughts and feelings from those same experiences.
Similar to the necessary elements in active listening, noted in my previous article, researchers state that improving our cross-cultural communication skills begins by getting out of our comfort zone and challenging our daily routines. Adopting the assumption that there is more than one way to do something right opens our minds to embracing another’s viewpoints. Additionally, creating time for meaningful dialogue with others and becoming cognizant of our own biases establish room for understanding others more.
Regardless of our relation to the people we often interact with, each of us possess unique backgrounds. And if I do not work from a willingness to look beyond my blindspots, I may make assumptions that block me from truly helping another to live more purposefully within their cultural environment.
Source
https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/cross-cultural-communication/
