Bringing inclusive communications home

For the first 20 years of my career, I barely left North America. I’ve written before about my experiences leading the Microsoft Canada team, but along with a few vacations in Europe, that was the extent of my international experience.

When I moved into a role leading our worldwide partner ecosystem, that changed dramatically. I visited more than 40 new countries in just 3 and a half years. It was a crash course in the vital importance of anticipating and appreciating cultural differences, especially when it comes to communication. If you aren’t careful, the message that lands isn’t the one you wanted to convey.

Think of an audience in Japan relying on a real-time translator – using American idioms isn’t likely to get your message across. Even in countries without a language barrier like the UK or Australia, cultural norms can vary widely.

For me, this meant that the process of preparing for a trip changed significantly. Instead of just focusing on what I would say and the content I’d present, I focused on how I would be understood. I realized that my audience shouldn’t need to adapt to me – instead, I needed to adapt to them.

Why should it be any different now that I’m back in the United States?

Inclusive communication goes well beyond language or cultural differences. It extends to styles of communication as well.

When I’m connecting with someone, I need to understand whether they prefer to get “just the facts” in a short summary, or if an emotionally resonant story will get the point across better. Some people need to see the data, while others will glaze over if you present a detailed spreadsheet.

People engage differently. To be inclusive in your communications, you must recognize those differences and adjust appropriately. Otherwise you may be leaving your audience behind.

So how do you identify what communication style may work best to include the person across the table? You listen to them.

Honing your active listening skills is one of the most fundamental tools for success in your professional and personal life. It’s also one key to inclusive communication, and ensuring you’re adapting to your audience’s needs.

When you listen with your complete attention, you can pick up on the verbal and nonverbal cues that reveal the best way to communicate with someone.

When do they lean forward with interest? What kinds of questions do they ask? When do they seem to tune out? Do they speak up proactively, or do they wait to be drawn in with a question?

We’re used to preparing for important executive meetings. We check out LinkedIn profiles; we find out what questions came up in previous reviews; we ask for tips from colleagues. But I think your more casual meetings, like a weekly 1:1 or a monthly team sync, also deserve thoughtful preparation. Take a moment to think back over previous meetings, review what you observed and what you heard, and think about adjusting your approach to make sure you’re including the best of everyone you are meeting with.

That’s what inclusion is all about. When inclusion is a priority, people bring the very best of themselves to the challenge at hand. When that happens, you surface questions you didn’t know to ask, you consider perspectives outside your own, and sometimes, you find solutions you never would have expected.