Which body language do you speak?

For many of us, communication in a second language and across cultures is a premise in our everyday working life, and assuring that the message get's through and that the communication is received respectfully is not necessarily easy. How direct or indirect is it appropriate to deliver a message in different cultural contexts is one of the topics very often discussed in our Cultural Intelligence Workshops.

But in a globalised working place, it is important to see communication as much more than just words.

You have probably observed that there is a big difference between how much people raise their voices, gesture, and use facial expressions when they are engaged, frustrated, angry, or just having a good time? This is a personal matter for sure, but it's definitely also cultural.

The chart below shares both verbal and non-verbal communication combining the cultural dimension direct versus indirect communication with the cultural dimension emotionally neutral versus emotionally expressive cultures.

Whether a culture is more on the emotionally neutral or on the emotionally expressive side is not about whether some cultures actually have more feelings than others. It is just about how, and to what extent, they are expressed.

In emotionally expressive cultures, it is seen as positive if you clearly show how you are feeling via body language, voice levels and nonverbal signs even in a professional context. You usually use expressive behavior to express your commitment and your attitude towards something whether it is connoted positively or negatively.

In an expressively neutral culture, you see the expression of emotion differently. Here it is considered inappropriate to gesticulate vehemently, raise your voice, or use your facial expressions too much, particularly in a professional context. Subdued behavior and speech are preferred along with fewer gestures. Being able to control your emotions is a sign of professionalism and shows you can control your inner feelings.

We unconsciously draw conclusions about other people reading their nonverbal communication. This is what we call CULTURAL BIAS

Differences in verbal and non-verbal communication often lead to cultural bias: If you are very emotionally expressive in front of people who have learned to suppress their emotions in a professional context, you might be seen as aggressive, frivolous, or just too much. On the other hand, if you come from an emotionally neutral culture and limit your expressions, a business partner from an emotionally expressive culture might have a difficult time understanding you. You might come across as cold, disengaged, or uninterested.

We normally work on the awareness part in our workshops in regard to these differences, but every now and then, we also get to use this awareness strategically:

Team strategies – cultural fits

In a Danish team at a large pharmaceutical company where the team members had about 100 travel days a year, we mapped the team members on the double scale (see Chart 7.11).

This was done based on a test and dialogue between the team members. The entire team was placed with a “preferred work zone” on the double dimension based on their preference for both verbal and nonverbal communication. One team member was very clear that he thrived in expressive countries like Brazil but struggled in emotionally neutral countries like Japan. Another one said that she did not enjoy visiting Brazil because it simply became too much with the body language and all the touching and what – in her eyes – was a lack of appropriate distance between people.

After mapping the team members on the double dimension, the team and I made a strategy for who would take care of which areas. It was complex to get it to function, and it was not certain whether the team members would only be sent to the countries that were within their individual “preferred work zone.” Nevertheless, this mapping was an improvement over when personal preferences had not been considered at all and created not only better relations with international colleagues and collaboration partners, it also created a higher job satisfaction within the team.

(Extract from the book Did You Get the Point? Cultural Intelligence and Diversity in Global Collaboration)