Three Ways to Improve How You Communicate with Colleagues from Other Cultures Presented by : Dr. KhalidAL-Dossary http://www.dawahmemo.com/eng/

Are you having trouble improving how you communicate with colleagues from other cultures ?

So you are not alone if you are encountering difficulties . If so, this should not come as a surprise , since most of us have not learned how to communicate interculturally ! ... We have never been shown how to adapt our speaking, writing and listening to an intercultural context . So you are not alone if you are encountering difficulties .

My claim is that when we are obliged to use English for business , we do not see that everyone is bringing his or her own cultural communication style to how the English is actually used ! .

Everything I do is aimed at showing people what to adapt and how Everything I do is aimed at showing people what to adapt and how . In what follows are three simple things you can do to quickly improve how you communicate with colleagues from other cultures …

1 : Tell your listener or reader how what you are communicating is relevant to them ..

How is what you are saying or writing relevant to your listener ? Your communication , whatever it is, means nothing in isolation . It is only in relation to what your listeners or readers want, need, fear or desire that your communication becomes relevant .

All of us are used to asking the question , “ What do I want to say ? ” But few of us also ask, “ What is relevant to the listener or reader ? ” I recommend that you take the time to decide why what you are communicating is relevant and then to tell that to your listener or reader .

That will motivate them to keep listening or reading That will motivate them to keep listening or reading . This is especially important when communicating interculturally , since you cannot take for granted that people from other cultures share your assumptions about relevance ...

2: Keep your communication short, simple and direct .

Too many of us within intercultural business contexts are being unrealistic in our expectations of our listeners and readers . Do you expect a lot from your listeners and readers ? First, do you expect them to listen to and read everything that you communicate? Due to time pressures no one can listen to, and read, everything .

Second , do you expect them to understand complex explanations and recommendations ? Intercultural contexts are not the place to demonstrate an extensive vocabulary, thoroughness and nuanced reasoning . Short , simple and direct is a better formula than long, complex and indirect .

3 : Tell your listeners or readers why they should trust you ?! ..

If your listeners and readers do not trust you , they will stop listening and reading . We typically build our identities and inspire trust by the actions others see us taking , day in and day out . However, often within intercultural business contexts we have to communicate with people who do not work with us regularly or who do not know us .

Nothing undermines trust more than unclear communication . Despite this, we expect them to trust us . But you cannot expect trust to be given automatically, especially within intercultural contexts . Nothing undermines trust more than unclear communication .

That is why the priority cannot be to simply “ speak English better ” . Rather, it has to be communicating as clearly and concisely as possible , so that we can understand each other better . I am convinced that without understanding, there can be no trust . Without trust, there is less cooperation and more conflict .

So, regardless of the purpose of any single communication, your objective for all written and spoken communication should always be to lay the foundations for mutual trust .

I am convinced that it is within everyone’s power to improve how they communicate in English as a second language with their colleagues from other cultures. I encourage you to be the one leading the way .