Growing Globally? 5 Ways To Level Up Your Intercultural Communication at Work

To run a successful global company, a team that can communicate effectively across cultural differences is essential— but intercultural communication can be challenging. With communication styles at odds, misunderstandings due to pronunciation and grammar, and cultural assumptions resulting in missed opportunities, an otherwise successful collaboration can totally break down. Many companies require second language learners to undergo communication training, but not much is done in terms of raising the awareness of how native English speakers can contribute to the solution.

Through embracing these 5 simple strategies to promote interactions with non-native speaking colleagues, your company can develop a much stronger global team.

1) Build Rapport.

Get to know your team-members. Schedule team lunches and other social events to build rapport. Make sure these invitations are inclusive and make it a point to initiate small-talk and move the conversation into more deeper topics. If you want to see meaningful intercultural dialogue in your org, model it. 

It’s important to know that familiarity is very comforting. If you have a set of cultural norms you’re used to, it may at first feel uncomfortable interacting with someone who is likewise not familiar with your culture. Something as minor as small-talk or body language may feel strange. The key to building comfort: experience. 

2) Become a Global Citizen.

A common complaint we hear is, “Americans only talk about American football and American celebrities. I know nothing about these topics, so I end up not talking to Americans and feeling awkward at work.” 

During small talk before meetings, if you notice some of your co-workers aren’t responsive to a topic, move the conversation to something that puts the non-native speakers into the limelight. As you then segue into the meeting, notice if these colleagues participate more.

If many of your peers are from a particular country, in your own time, you might consider queuing up a movie that was filmed and produced in that country. In other words, learning about your colleague’s culture is your new hobby. You won’t get a bonus for doing so, but you will become a global citizen. You can even mention that you saw these movies in small talk with your overseas—a small gesture, but it can go a long way.

3) Slow Down, Simplify, and Enunciate!

Do you cover your mouth when you speak? Rush to your point when excited about a topic? Ramble to hold the floor in meetings? Use big words to impress? Whether you intend it or not, all of these speaking quirks can be frustrating for non-native speakers of English because they can make it difficult to understand your message.

In dialogue with your international colleagues, rather than pretending there is no language difference, help your intercultural team member understand you.  Project your voice, keep your hands away from your mouth, and enunciate simple, key words. In doing so, you show consideration for your coworkers and facilitate clear communication — not pander or test them with your language.

4) Listen with your Eyes.

While speaking with a non-native speaker of English, gauge their comprehension by keeping close attention to their facial expressions and other non-verbal cues. In other words, listen with your eyes.

For example, you say an idiom like “birds of a feather flock together” and you notice a small reaction on their face. Maybe they momentarily looked away. Take a sharp breath in. Or, tilt their head ever so slightly. Chances are, this idiom made no sense to them and that’s ok. Immediately clean it up by adding to the end of the sentence, “By this, I meant….” Then continue. Nobody will give it a second thought,

When you keep an eye on non-verbals and see confusion, don’t ignore it. Either paraphrase what you just said or ask, “Does that make sense?” “Did that answer your question?” or “Does that help clarify?” and get conformation to move the conversation forward.

5) Seek Clarification.

In our daily lives, we often say Huh? when we want the other person to know we are lost or confused in the conversation. This verbal cue signals to our conversation partner to go back and clarify or repeat what they just said.

Saying Huh? one or two times in a conversation is acceptable. But if you continually say Huh? throughout a conversation, it can wear down the confidence of a non-native speaker of English. Learning to speak in a second or third language takes guts and years of practice. They are most likely trying their best, making the effort to interculturally connect, and fearful of judgement and biases. That is to say: it can make one feel vulnerable. 

Skip Huh? and instead ask specific questions to bring clarity to the conversation.

• Paraphrase and ask:“I think you are saying X. Is this correct?”

• Ask for an example: “Can you give me an example?”

• Ask for spelling “How do you spell that word?”

• Ask to repeat: “Will you repeat that, but this time more slowly?”

Challenge yourself. These five challenges are simple, but when employed by managers and leaders they have the potential of changing a whole business culture. If we engage with our multicultural colleagues with curiosity and empathy, suddenly human connections exponentially grow, communication becomes more productive, and projects finish on time. As more and more businesses go global, your company will grow stronger through each intercultural relationship your team takes the time to build.