Cross-Cultural Communications For Career Success

Cross-Cultural Communications For Career Success?

As you advance through your career, you will want to exercise your cross-cultural communication skills.?The reason for this is there are many people you will meet who may have differing points of view, as well as expectations due to their culture. The more you are able to successfully communicate across cultures, the more growth you will find in your career.

Our CEO and Founder, Jessica Chen, recently hosted a?Soulcast Media | LIVE event on LinkedIn where she interviewed Founder and CEO of Chesapeake Bay Candle, Yes She May, and best-selling author, Mei Xu.?

They shared key tips and personal experiences on how cross-cultural communications are key for career success. This?Soulcast Media | LIVE?event is brought to you by our amazing sponsors at?NeedThat?

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Learning how to navigate cross-cultural communications will help you become an asset to your team and a better leader.

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1. Communication

It may seem simple, but the truth is, having strong communication skills will help you as you navigate cross-cultural communications.?

During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Mei shared a story about her experience working with Target when she first started Chesapeake Bay Candles. She talked about how her cultural background played a part in misinforming Target of her production capabilities.?This was simply a case of cultural miscommunication.?

There are several ways you can navigate cross-cultural communications:

• Keep Everyone Informed - One easy way to ensure there are no miscommunications is to keep everyone informed every step of the way.?This will help avoid confusion.?
• Set Boundaries - Every culture has different expectations when it comes to the workplace.?It is important for you to set clear boundaries before work begins.?This is important because if you don't set those boundaries, the expectations may not be met and this can leave people upset and confused.?
• Be A Problem Solver - The last thing any team leader wants to hear is simply the problem.?Coming to the table with a problem AND possible solutions will not only build your credibility, but will also show good faith with those you are working with.?And this is important when you are working cross-culturally because it shows you are being transparent.

In our e-course, The Art Of Communication, you will learn how to speak with confidence and hone your communications skills.

Communication is vital when working with cross-cultural teams.?You will want to make sure you are keeping everyone informed, communicating clear boundaries, and coming to the table with problems and solutions.

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2. Find Common Ground

When working with cross-cultural teams, one way you can build strong relationships is by finding common ground. During the Soulcast Media | LIVE, Mei shared she was trained in diplomacy and one of her biggest tricks of the trade was finding common interests.??

Finding common interests can help you when you are communicating with someone from another culture.?There are several ways to find common ground.

• Be observant - One way to find common ground is to be observant.?What this means is when you are with someone, whether you are in-person or in a virtual setting, you can notice something about the person.?
• Small Talk - A lot of people are afraid of small talk, but the truth is, small talk is how you get to know someone.?Small talk will help you find common interests and build relationships.
• Ask Questions - Asking questions can help you find common ground with another person.?When you ask questions, you show you are sincere in getting to know someone.?

??We recommend the e-course "Communicating Across Cultures" to help you develop simple techniques to build your cross-cultural communication skills.

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3. Respect

Respecting others is the key to cross-cultural communications.?This means being intentional about listening, showing your humanity, and not assuming anything about the other person.

At the end of the day, we’re all human— we want to be heard, we want respect, and we want to be a part of something - Mei Xu

There are several ways you can show respect while communicating.

• Active Listening - Active listening means giving the speaker your full attention.?It also means getting rid of any distractions, being prepared to give thoughtful feedback, and asking clarifying questions. When you actively listen, you show respect to the other person.
• Don't Assume - When you are speaking to people from different cultures it is important you don't assume they know exactly what you are talking about.?What this means is recognizing the person you are speaking to may not know phrases, references, and other common knowledge ideas you may have.?
• Everyone is human - One of the most important things to remember when speaking to people from other cultures is to remember everyone is human.?What this means is, everyone might not understand everything the first time.

Being respectful in all of your communications, whether they are cross-cultural or not, will build your credibility.?Pay close attention to how you interact and make sure it is always respectful.

In the end, bolstering your cross-cultural communications skills through effective communication, finding common ground, and respectful interactions will set you up for career success.

To read the full article click here!

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Our Communicating with Confidence Course is now 50% off! If you are ready to elevate your communications skills, this course is for you!

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This article is part of the?Soulcast Media Newsletter, which has over 8,000+ subscribers. If you like this article, feel free to?subscribe.

Be sure to follow Jessica Chen on?LinkedIn?and?Instagram?for regular communications tips you can use at work immediately!?Her videos can also be seen on?YouTube.

If you'd like to learn more about our communications services and how we work with individuals and companies, check out our website:?www.soulcastmedia.com.?