What are the best ways to practice active listening with colleagues from different cultures?

To better listen and communicate with colleagues from diverse cultures, it's important to first understand and respect their cultural backgrounds. Keep an open mind during conversations, pay attention to body language and other non-verbal cues, and ask questions if something is unclear. Be patient and avoid interrupting, and provide feedback in a kind and understanding way. Adjust your communication style to make it more comfortable for everyone, and be aware of any language differences. Encourage sharing of cultural experiences and keep learning about different cultures for ongoing improvement in communication.

we need to understand culture of each individual and then creat rapport and collaborative approach. this shall foster mutual respect, collaboration wherein everyone feels important. this environment will surely creat an atmosphere where people will actively listen to each individual and motivate each other

Para uma eficiente comunica??o intercultural é necessário estar disposto a estabelecer um novo padr?o de comportamento, e a adaptar-se às diferentes maneiras de comportamentos, gestos, rea??es, express?es, de maneira que se possa n?o somente saber lidar adequamente com o comportamento de cada pessoa, assim como aprender a respeitá-las. Saber ouvir respeitosamente, entendendo que haver?o diferen?as, se posicionar com cordialidade, e procurar o auto desenvolvimento s?o chaves para estabelecer relacionamentos multi-culturais.

Taking a moment to understand our own culture isn't just about recognizing where we come from; it's about understanding our roots, values, and traditions that shape who we are. Dive deep, ask questions, and cherish the rich tapestry that makes you, YOU! ?? Embrace your heritage, celebrate your uniqueness, and let's foster a world where understanding begins at home. ??

Try to put ourself and empty our bottle. By listening and communicate with diverse background may be challenging. It is important seek first understand to be understood. Having open mind on sharing information or just have natural conversation, breaking the ice when dead-air comes. Pay attention to other people, while we may see people grabbing their phones while talking to us. Could it be not interest or they might be really busy.

I find in many aspects of business interactions today we simply 'turn up' often with little preparation or clarity of the purpose/aims/outcomes of each meeting. Better preparation including considering any cultural differences in communications should form part of our planning, out of respect for all if nothing else

Werde "Biculture"! Es ist entscheidend, sich über die wesentlichen Unterschiede im Vorfeld zu informieren. Dabei ist es wichtig, diese mit Empathie sowie Neugier zu erforschen. Frage gezielt bei deinen Kolleg:innen nach, um dich in ihre Kultur einzuarbeiten, und lass dir die Unterschiede erkl?ren. Achte auf Feiertage, insbesondere religi?se, und respektiere gegebenenfalls verschiedene Zeitzonen, um sicherzustellen, dass dein Gegenüber bei der Meetingplanung nicht unter Stress ger?t. In Gespr?chen stelle neugierige, unaufdringliche Fragen und sprich langsamer und klarer als gew?hnlich. Am Ende des Gespr?chs fasse das Geh?rte zusammen, damit Du alles richtig verstanden hast. Informiere dich im Voraus, ob direkter Blickkontakt angemessen ist.

Home work always helps whether in academic or professional setup. In some culture "it will be difficult" equals to no. Some online research on specifically what not to do is always helpful. Also approaching with open mind by clearing your head from stereotyping and generalizing specific culture will let us judge based on merit only

A mi me ha resultado particularmente útil para comprender otras culturas, vivir el día a día común, escuchar las noticias de la radio, ir al mercado, a la tienda de la esquina, etc…cosas cotidianas para comprender el esquema de valores culturales y sociales y evitar definitivamente los estereotipos

I find this article very interesting! I would add to this section that understanding communication styles based on culture is crucial. A book I would recommend is the Culture Map by Erin Meyer. I thought I understood the nuances in cultures but when I read the book I learned so much more!

Adapting yourself to the environment and not the other way around is very important and makes a difference in leadership. You are there to help the others to grow and you will not be able to do it if the only voice you hear is your own.

Para lograr adaptar la escucha activamente con la multiculturalidad, es fundamental observar y analizar cómo prefieren comunicarse tus colegas, prestando atención a su estilo de expresión, tono de voz y lenguaje corporal. Ajustar tu ritmo de escucha según sus preferencias, adaptar el nivel de formalidad en la comunicación y hacer preguntas de acuerdo con sus estilos individuales también son pasos importantes. Utilizar el lenguaje que sea comprensible para tus colegas y reflejar su estilo de comunicación contribuyen a establecer una conexión efectiva. Reconocer las se?ales no verbales, ser flexible en tu enfoque y solicitar retroalimentación directa de tus colegas son prácticas que refuerzan esta adaptabilidad.

Quand nous nous exprimons c'est pour être écouté : entendu et compris. Pour cela il est nécessaire d'être sur la même ligne de compréhension. Celal suppose un choix sur le ton, le débit des mots, le choix des mots et autres

Coming from the east coast of the US where we talk fast and sometimes rather direct and harsh, I had to change a lot of the way I spoke AND listened. Use smaller words when speaking. Keep it simple. If you don't understand something they said ASK! It really shows that you're listening AND you're engaged.

Listening is also about adapting the personal space between you and the person you're talking to. If you notice the other one is coming closer to you and you start feeling uncomfortable, you know it's because of the culture. Try to ignore the uncomfortable feeling and stop the urge to step back. Try to adapt your personal space to that of your counterpart. Same the other way round. You can try to take one step closer if the person seems to be too far for you. But if they take a step further away again, stop getting closer. They need more space than you. Accept it.

"Walk over the bridge to where the other person is, try to see the world from their point of view, and then help them to see yours." - C. Kaufmann, Harvard Medical School. Dieses Zitat zeigt eindrucksvoll, wie wichtig aktives Zuh?ren und echtes Interesse im Kontext verschiedener Kulturen ist. Beim aktivem Zuh?ren ist es ratsam, Etikette und K?rpersprache zu beachten. Zeige, dass du absolut konzentriert bist und die Meinung des anderen dir wichtig ist. Sei den Personen zugewandt und ?u?ere deine Meinung als letztes in Debatten. Stelle Nachfolgefragen, die eine Verbindung aufbauen, und sprich dabei ruhig und klar. Bewerte nicht. Bewahre einen offenen, interessierten Blick, behalte den Fokus. Erkenne durch Gesten die Gefühle des anderen an.

1. Cultural Sensitivity: Frame questions with cultural awareness, avoiding assumptions or stereotypes. Consider cultural norms, values, and communication styles when formulating inquiries to ensure they are respectful and appropriate. 2. Open-Ended Queries: Craft open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses and invite diverse perspectives. These queries often begin with words like "how," "what," or "why," allowing colleagues from different cultures to share their insights freely. 3. Clarification and Recap: Follow up with clarifying questions or summaries to ensure understanding. This demonstrates your commitment to active listening, validates their perspectives, and helps bridge potential cultural communication gaps.

A great exercise for practising active listening, is called 'feedback behind the back'. In this exercise, two people sit back to back. One person starts by giving positive feedback to the other person. The other person just listens and is not allowed to react, speak or ask questions. As they don't see each other, they can really concentrate on listening and understanding. After a certain amount of time, say one minute, they change roles. Of course, active listening involves more than 'just listening', such as asking questions, repeating, paraphrasing, etc., but this exercise is such a good start to improving your patience while listening. It will also greatly increase trust in each other by giving positive feedback.

Al emplear herramientas de escucha activa en la interacción con colegas , se promueve una comunicación efectiva y se fortalece la colaboración en el entorno laboral. Una herramienta clave es la repetición parafraseada, donde se recapitulan y repiten las ideas expresadas por los colegas para confirmar la comprensión. Asimismo, el uso de preguntas abiertas facilita una mayor expresión de pensamientos y sentimientos, promoviendo un diálogo más profundo y significativo.

La distance et la différence de langue ne doivent pas constituer des freins pour une écoute active entre des collègues de culture différente. Nous sommes à l'ère des transferts de savoir faire et technologie :la mondialisation oblige. Et tous les outils pour ce possible doivent être utilisés.

Die wichtigste Voraussetzung für mich ist, ein Mindset zu etablieren, bei dem Feedback als ein Geschenk betrachtet wird. Selbst bei kritischem Feedback sollte grunds?tzlich eine positive Absicht unterstellt werden. Als Feedbacknehmer ist es wichtig zu überprüfen, welche Motivation hinter dem Feedback steckt. Hat der Feedbackgeber einen konkreten Appell an Sie, oder geht es vielleicht eher darum, gesehen zu werden und sich Geh?r zu verschaffen? Bei einer Unterhaltung in einer Sprache, die nicht der Muttersprache entspricht, ist es wichtig zu prüfen, ob sie sich richtig verstanden haben. Feedbacks sollten in regelm??igen Abst?nden und k?nnen gerne auch gegenseitig, mit jeweils einem Redeanteil von 50:50, erfolgen.

One thing I found helpful is to seek constant feedback. It helps to reflect and once tracked constantly, it results in visible traceable improvement Few misconceptions that people fall in while seeking feedback are- 1. Feedback needs to be taken only from supervisors/seniors. One can seek feedback from anyone around with whom we’ve spent time irrespective of seniority. In fact feedback from peers and subordinates are the most crucial to realising the true development area 2. Being repulsive or sighting excuse towards- Quite often we become repulsive towards a feedback assuming that the responder isn’t aware of the situation. 3. Feedback can only be negative- One must embrace positive feedback too as that empowers and motivates.

One thing I found helpful is to schedule feedback sessions of what are we doing right and what not. I experienced one time where a team in the UK, did not like the motivational speeches, while the middle east and Latin American teams did. So, the feedback I received help me focus the appropriate conversations with the right teams.

La retroalimentación siempre nos va a ayudar a crecer y ser mejores personas y profesionistas. No tengas miedo a preguntar. Si preguntas con respeto, y realmente escuchas atentamente la retroalimentación te va a ir bien. Sobre todo, si actúas sobre la retroalimentación, vas a ganar credibilidad.

La verdad que el encabezado es más que claro y suficiente. Agregaría el feedback necesario para mejor entender e interpretar las culturas pero principalmente desde lo gestual o PNL la programación neuro lingüística. Me ha tocado estar en equipos multi e Inter. Disciplinarios donde la diferencia en los gestos era notoria y podría dar lugar a muy malas interpretaciones u ofensas. El resto es darse el tiempo para conocerse mutuamente.

?Qué es lo que nos une? ?Qué es lo que nos divide? Entender la segunda pregunta nos va a ayudar a ser mejores en identificar lo que nos UNE y cómo podemos ser más fuertes juntos.

Last, but certainly not least: Celebrate these unique perspectives that each person brings to the table. People will always have a hard time communicating their cultural identity to those who don’t provide a safe space for them to speak about it. The expectation that your teams can be their most authentic selves at work depends heavily on the psychological safety created by celebrated cultural differences. By placing a priority on diverse holidays, trainings, and current events conversations, you’re opening the door for meaningful conversation that will hone everyone’s active listening skills.

Une équipe composée de differents membres de cultures différentes nécessite la prise en consideration par chaque membre de chaque culture : toutes les cultures se valent. Relever les similitudes et les divergences et quand il y a absence créer un langage compris par tous les membres. La différence de culture ne doit pas être un frein mais un atout pour l'équipe

Having worked in diverse cultural environment without a commonality of medium of speech, a key perspective I’ve gained is to embrace freedom. Freedom of thought, speech, dressing, celebration, festivities, beliefs and beyond. People tend to open up when they feel empowered, respectful and trustworthy in their surrounding. Picking up key words from small talk and using them in primary communication builds acceptance as shows how one is trying to embrace a new culture. Embracing and getting involved in newer cultures helps to gain the trust and build a coherent team where feelings and beliefs takes over speech as a prime mode of communication.

Avoid being judgmental and create a culture of mutual respect and trust. Diversity can be a real game changer if nourished properly. Sometimes diversity can help broaden up the horizon of target group for products or solutions that was thought impossible

One key element is accepting language & cultural differences and considering their impact on communication. This involves: Recognizing that colleagues have varying levels of language proficiency and cultural norms. Acceptance is the first step toward effective communication. Being aware that cultural differences can influence how messages are conveyed and interpreted. Listening carefully and absorbing the full context of what is being said to understand the intended meaning. Asking for clarification if something is unclear. Use phrases like, “Could you please elaborate ?” Accepting and navigating these barriers with sensitivity and patience ensures that the true meaning behind your colleagues' messages is understood and appreciated.

Face the speaker and have eye contact. “Listen” to non-verbal cues too. Don't interrupt. Listen without judging, or jumping to conclusions. Don't start planning what to say next. Show that you're listening. Don't impose your opinions or solutions. Stay focused.

Active listening is a multifaceted skill that also goes beyond the above great aspects. It's also a practice that requires us to not only tune in to what someone is saying but also actively set aside our own judgments, biases, and assumptions. In doing so, we create a space where others can express themselves freely and feel genuinely heard. This act of active suppression of our own preconceived notions is a crucial aspect of fostering inclusion and building meaningful connections. By embracing diverse perspectives with an open heart and mind, we pave the way for greater understanding and collaboration.

H?ren Sie auf, selbst so viel zu sprechen. Versuchen Sie am Ende einer Interaktion abzusch?tzen, wie viel Redeanteil Sie selbst am Gespr?ch hatten. überprüfen Sie, ob Ihr eigener Redeanteil über- oder unterproportional war. Machen Sie sich Gedanken, wenn er st?ndig überproportional ist. Faustregel: Bei einem Einzelgespr?ch sollte Ihr eigener Redeanteil <50% sein, bei einem Gespr?ch mit bspw. fünf Teilnehmenden <20%.

In many cultures it is important to use the other person's name. Make sure you remember it. If you didn't catch it first, ask them kindly to repeat it. If you know how to spell it, but don't know how to pronounce it, ask them and try to follow their example. Use multiple tries, people are usually happy that you make effort to pronounce their name correctly.