Intercultural Communication – Challenge or Opportunity?

In 2004, I took the decision to live and work abroad. One year turned into 9 years that turned into a successful international career at a global organization. Living in Manchester (UK), Madrid and New York not only gave me the opportunity to learn new languages and experience different cultures, I’ve also had the privilege to meet and work with hundreds of inspiring individuals that, thanks to LinkedIn, I'm still connected to, even though most of them are thousands of miles away. 

During the 14 years I've been working internationally, things have not always been easy. That's why I'd like to share my thoughts on the challenges and opportunities of Intercultural Communication.

The definition of Intercultural Communication 

Intercultural communication is the exchange of information between people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds using different verbal and non-verbal ways of communication based on their cultural values and believes.

While working abroad, I’ve encountered many misunderstandings that lead to frustration or anger, which could have been avoided if I hadn't perceived the situation with my "German mindset". 

Let me give you a few examples…

In the U.S. and the UK, negative feedback is generally packaged nicely in order to not offend the other person. In Germany, on the other hand, being direct and straight to the point is considered normal. This way of being straightforward can be perceived aggressive by other cultures. 

Punctuality has a completely different concept in Spain compared to other Western European countries. Being late is usually not considered impolite whereas in Germany, running late is considered rude. 

The greeting in U.S. “Hi, how are you?“ simply means “Hello” and generally has no deeper meaning whereas in Germany, there is a genuine interest in your answer.

Consequence of Misunderstandings

In most cases we feel irritated, frustrated or even angry and immediately jump to negative conclusions. Why don’t people understand me? Didn’t I communicate clearly? Unfortunately, this causes conflicts, which I’ve witnessed many times in my job when people from different cultural backgrounds communicate with each other.

But why is that? It’s because of misperception. Each country has a different concept of what’s being accepted and familiar in its culture. And most of the time when we communicate, we generally tend to only see our own view.

In business, things can get even more challenging especially when people don’t speak the same language. Unfortunately, sometimes misperception leads to decisions based on false interpretations. 

I believe that people’s sense of belonging, and their ability to communicate clearly with each other is the most important driver of a company’s success. A more cohesive workplace leads to better working relationships and higher performance, productivity and profits.

But what's the solution to the challenge? 

A good way to raise awareness is by offering Intercultural Communications training. To me, it's three simple words: Change of perspective! Think outside the box, be open and distance yourself from the “My way or no way” mentality. 

Be curious! Ask questions to better understand the person on the other side of the virtual conference room. One of the best ways to break the ice is Small Talk. If you don't know what to talk about, then simply talk about the weather.

In Spain for example, trust and personal relationships are keys to the success in business. At the same time, the Spaniards tend to be very outgoing and friendly and use their extrovert nature to get to know others and learn about other cultures. 

My Biggest Learning

While working internationally for the past 14 years, I've made a lot of mistakes but without those, I wouldn't be where I am today: Working at a multicultural and diverse organization that provides me with the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from over 20 nationalities.

I've learned many lessons in the past but my biggest learning is growth, both on a professional and personal level. Every single experience helped shaping the person that I am today. I consider myself privileged being able to communicate effortlessly in English and Spanish and I treasure the cultural diversity at my company.

I have four different cultures inside me that are worlds apart, but I always try to take the best out of all of them. This allows me to adapt my way of thinking every time I communicate with a person from another country.

To me, Intercultural Communication is not about crossing borders; it’s about extending borders! And that's what creates a global mindset.