First Level Leadership

Understand Communication Differences from a different perspective

Allow me to open a door of communication with you as you enter this page

What do the following expressions mean to you?   “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.” Here's another one  “Quacking ducks get shot.” And a last one before I share my intent with you-  “The nail that sticks up gets hammered.”

These three expressions help us to understand

how differences in cultural context affect our interactions. The first expression means that the loudest person will get the most attention; the attention is assumed to be favorable. The second and third expressions are equivalent sayings in China and Japan respectively. However, the difference is that standing out as an individual in these cultures is not considered very favorable.

Therefore, this simple and innocuous revelation tells us

that people from some cultures tend to pay more attention to the social context of their verbal message than people from other cultures do.

For example,

if you ask a North American manager posted in China, he will advise you to understand the importance of social context in order to be successful. Also, you may have to acquire the skill of suppressing your impatience and also devoting some of your time to establishing inter-personal and social relationships.

This translates to the discovery of Context

And when understood within the context, this is full of meaning. The emphasis on social context varies among countries. Before I move on any further, let me explain what a social context is…

Social context: social setting, nonverbal behavior, social status, the background information etc.

In a high context culture,

people are generally sensitive to circumstances surrounding social exchanges. The meaning is derived from the context more than from the explicit words. Relationship and trust are more important than business, and the harmony of the group is valued.

In a low context culture,

people communicate primarily to exchange facts and information. Meaning is traced from words; business transactions take precedence over building relationships. Individual well being and achievement are more important than the group.

High context cultures include

Asian and Arab countries; and

Low context cultures include

North America and Northern Europe.

If you are leading cross cultural teams

and you come from a low-context culture, there is every possibility of having conflicts with people coming from a background of a higher context culture.

Understanding this aspect of the communication process will give depth to your style

Once you learn to overcome the differences in communication, you will be able to intercept conflicts with your solutions. However, it is often a neglected area, and you goal should be to expose yourself and your staff to a cultural diversity awareness training.

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