Working where "No" is not the opposite of "Yes"

In cultures with an indirect communication style, the word "No" is perceived as a rude word.

In cultures with an indirect communication style, the word "No" is perceived as a rude word. Receiving a No as an answer is often considered a bad experience and something to avoid at all costs. Likewise, people who have to say it look for the best way to give the message without using that word directly, going around to make the idea clear without it sounding rude. These cultures are called High Context because it is necessary to understand the context in which one is speaking to decipher the main idea. In these cultures, the opposite of "yes" is not "no", but a range of "maybe" or, in the best of cases, a "no" accompanied by some painkiller such as "mmm no... I don't know", "I guess not" or "no... I'm not sure". Examples of indirect cultures are the Latin, Japanese, and some Middle Eastern cultures, while the American culture and most of Western Europe cultures are direct, that is, cultures where the opposite of Yes is No and no one assumes that they must embellish this word before they say it to someone. It doesn't take much of a context to understand that the speaker meant No. This is why they are called direct communication style cultures or Low Context cultures.

In multicultural teams that include people from both types of cultures, communication is likely to be affected. People from direct cultures report that it is difficult to know what someone from an indirect culture really thinks, because they avoid saying No when they are asked important questions, for example: are we able to finish the project by Friday? or, do you have any problems with the team? Not to mention expecting effective feedback, as they will not say No when asked if someone is doing their job well. They can be seen as unreliable people who talk behind people's backs and undermine trust.

Something different happens to people in high context cultures. When they receive a direct No, without proper packaging, they feel judged and attacked on a personal level. Complaints about the strong and discourteous manner in which some people in multicultural teams speak are numerous and generally point to individuals from direct cultures. Likewise, multicultural team leaders who come from indirect cultures tend to overestimate problems when someone on their team responds directly to them that they will not be able to finish by the date indicated or that they do not feel good about the way they are handling the project, because they are used to direct responses being given only in extremely serious cases that warrant transgression of the garnish ritual.

So, how to solve it? The following is the fastest and most effective process I have identified for all types of companies so far:

- Doing group communication style self-evaluation exercises. Team members must be aware of the way they speak, since being direct or indirect is not something planned but an automatic impulse.

- Understand what communication style each of the members of the team has and also understand why they say what they say and what their expectations are.

- All members are to participate in the creation of common ground for expressing discontent. It is very important to emphasize the participation of everyone, because expressing a disagreement is, in itself, a way of directly telling someone that I don't like their actions, and those who are indirect might feel uncomfortable and avoid participating.

The multicultural team leader must avoid a communication misunderstanding escalates into an interpersonal problem. Communication must not only be efficient, but culturally consistent to ensure that neither trust nor the work environment is damaged.

About the author

Andres has 24 years of experience leading multicultural teams. Global VP of Talent Acquisition of GAP, has helped companies in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America to unlock the synergies that Cultural Differences may provide. Expert in international market entry. Skilled in intercultural negotiations with governments, customers, and distributors. Professor of post-graduate International Business programs.?International speaker and advisor.