Cross-Cultural Interaction: Three Tips

OHAYO GOZAIMASU and KONBANWA! On a recent business trip to Japan, I came away with three important points on intercultural communication. Scheduled to meet multiple mayors, city leaders, and businesses, we had a lot of room to make mistakes, but we were able to create great rapport without knowing Japanese. I’d like to share a few tips that can greatly improve successful cross-cultural communication.

First, trying to speak even a few sentences in the native language goes a long way. Even if you make horrible mistakes with ridiculous pronunciation, the effort is very much appreciated. I think this is important with individuals and groups. My biggest language faux pas in Japan was rather than asking, as I had hoped to do, “Where is a bus?” (basu) I asked, “Where is an ugly woman?” (busu) Perplexed, thank goodness the gentleman I asked spoke a bit of English and, with a hearty laugh, helped correct my mistake. In the end, I found the bus, and I made a genuine connection with a guy in Tokyo.

When I was speaking at an event in Japan, even though every word I said into the microphone was to be translated, I began with Konbanwa (good evening) and another memorized Japanese sentence. This really set the stage for the audience to know that I wanted to connect with them on their terms as much as possible, and my presentation received smiles and applause even before I began. A personal link was established, and they were eager to hear what would come next.

The second point I’d like to make is that while speaking directly with Japanese individuals through a translator, look at the person rather than the translator. It is easy to begin speaking toward to the translator but as we all know, communication is 55% non-verbal, so why wouldn’t we engage the person with whom we want to connect rather than the conduit. Of course, quick glances at the translator are good to keep her engaged, but the focus and gestures should be to the individual.

It the photo, you can see how engaged I am with a journalist from a Japanese news station doing a story on our trip. He has no idea what the words I’m saying mean, but he gets the 93% of the communication (55% non-verbal and 38% voice tone and inflection), and my translator is beside the camera to fill in the rest.

Lastly, I think two of the most important words in any language are the person whom you’re speaking with’s name and “thank you” or Arigato Gozaimasu in Japanese. Recognition and gratitude seem to be fuel for success in any culture, and I think spending time to learn names and how to say thank you is one of the best ways to build strong, intimate relationships that are key to intercultural success.

In the end, two of the most common barriers to intercultural communication are the person coming into a new culture has two fears. The first is the fear of making mistakes and looking stupid and the second is the fear of offending someone from the other culture. While being cautious of offensive behavior within the culture is admirable, becoming afraid to relax can really put a wall between you and the people with whom you’re trying to communicate.

In my experience visiting over 80 countries around the world and living in five of them, I’ve found that really making an effort to engage without knowing all of the “rules” is a great way to get closer with the contacts you already have, make new friends, and ultimately learn more about the culture with which you are trying to communicate. There really isn’t one great secret to amazing experiences and successful intercultural communication. All you really have to do is get out there and try your best. Extraordinary cross-cultural moments are waiting for you.