Strategies for effective intercultural communication
Today, intercultural communication plays an important role in business, so we share some strategies for effective communication between business and the culture in which it is being developed.
Understand your own culture
It is often said that you can only understand others after you have understood yourself; something similar applies to cultural understanding. Most people are unaware of how culture influences one's behavior and beliefs. Only when you identify the things that are unique to the culture you belong to, you will also understand that the same applies to other countries and cultures.
Consciously perceive cultural differences
Keep in mind that just because someone else approaches things differently does not mean it is wrong. This other way is not better or worse, just different. Some countries emphasize the collective, while others value individuality more; some countries prefer directness, others subtlety; and so on. Learning to appreciate the variety of customs and perspectives is critical, because this diversity can help broaden horizons, both personally and professionally.
"Reading" body language and understanding nonverbal cues
Communication is not just spoken language, most of the time the real expression lies in what is not said. Learning the language and customs of a country is only the first step. The next is to actively interact with people and learn to use body language to convey the true meaning of what they say. It is also important to learn what nonverbal signals, such as nodding or shaking hands, mean. In view of the fact that, for example, in some Middle Eastern countries and in Bulgaria a shake of the head means "yes". In China, nodding during a conversation does not mean agreeing with what has been said, it is just a signal to the conversation partner that you are being heard. Learning to interpret such non-verbal signals will be helpful in reducing the risk of misunderstanding and confusion. On the other hand, misinterpretations of nonverbal signals can be avoided by expressing intentions directly.
Be curious, listen and observe closely
One way to understand the culture is through research (online and/or offline), reading and learning as much as possible. Of course, the best way to learn about a culture is to communicate directly with people, being open and curious. If you are curious, you ask. Most people are happy when others have a genuine interest in their culture and are always willing to explain it to others. If you observe how people speak and gesture, you will quickly get a good idea of how they communicate with others.
When talking to someone from a different culture, it is best to avoid using colloquial language, abbreviations or abstract phrases. Since most foreign language learners know only formal expressions and often do not know colloquial expressions. The key to success: simplicity
