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Language and Cultural Issues MATTER!

How many times have you had difficulty with communicating with a non-native speaker of English or understanding someone with a heavy accent? Can you recall the frustration by both parties? Imagine what happens when miscommunication happens in the workplace and the impact it has on productivity, efficiency, and morale. Financial losses can result from errors, safety, lost time, or HR issues. Differences in language and culture affect business operations on the plant floor and in the office, with customer service and communication with vendors. Ultimately, these communication issues affect the bottom line.

Using idioms or jargon can cause problems. Native English speakers take them for granted, but for people whose first language is not English, they are confusing. We speak too fast for people who may be “translating” in their head as they listen to us. Even between people whose primary language is English, misunderstandings or misinterpretations occur on a regular basis. Asking “Do you understand?” or telling someone to “call me if you have questions” are often not effective because employees may genuinely believe they understand what is being asked of them and do not ask any questions. The absence of questions can be a result of fear—fear of looking incompetent, fear of jeopardizing their jobs, fear of losing respect. The result can be that the error caused by miscommunication is not fully realized until the task has been completed.

Behavioral differences also create misunderstandings and tension. There are many variations of appropriate behavior regarding personal space, eye contact and physical contact. A worker looking down to show respect when speaking with a supervisor can be perceived by the supervisor as being dishonest or “hiding something.” Sensitivity to cultural differences where you work or travel substantially reduces risk, misunderstandings, or lost business.

If you employ or market to a multicultural workforce, consider how you can assess and improve workplace communication issues:

Would it be helpful to provide facilitators when introducing programs or training to your workforce?
Does the customer service department speak clearly and slowly to make doing business with your company easy?
Are safety advisories marked with universal symbols?
Have customers or valuable employees been lost because of language or cultural misunderstandings?
When planning to upgrade sytems or equipment, will your loyal long-time workers get the training they need in a language they can understand to succeed with the new challenge?

Language and culture impacts everything. Maintaining awareness and staying current on cultural issues have major positive impact on success. Do your homework. Learn about the cultures in your workplace. Improve your CQ. Take appropriate steps if miscommunication in your company negatively impacts efficiency or morale. We’re here to help.

11October2017

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Misinterpretation is Easy

It’s not hard to fall into a pit of misinterpretation, even among fellow residents of the same country. See how easy it is by reading the dialog below. Both speakers are from India, where there are at last 27 known languages. Both speakers are communicating in English, the national language of India.

Speaker A: “My grandfather lived for 96 years and he never used glasses.”
Speaker B: “Yes, I know, some people in my family also drink directly from the bottle.”

The misunderstanding is due to the two meanings we may derive from the same word, a frequent occurrence in English. What’s missing is an important cue to make the distinction between spectacles/eye wear and glass containers for beverages.

Both called ‘’glasses.” Speaker A is talking about longevity and eyesight and the second about drinking habits. If the first speaker had said “he never WORE glasses,” the misunderstanding would probably never have occurred.

Has something like that ever happened to you? Communication coaching increases awareness of why your listener might be having difficulty understanding you and how to bridge those gaps more easily.

11October2017

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Language Blog

The Importance of “Small Talk”

Communicating in American English in workplace-related subjects, while challenging, can be accomplished with practice and effort by immigrants working in a corporate or medical business environment. Carrying on ‘’small talk’’ is something quite different. Casual and unscripted conversation with native speakers of American English is an essential component of language development and social integration.

Social conversation is especially difficult for Chinese immigrants. A new study, by Research on Public Policy in Canada has found that Mandarin speaking immigrants had made little or no significant progress in their clarity of speech, fluency, and intelligibility after seven years in an English-speaking environment. Researchers also found that the Mandarin speakers in their study had significantly fewer conversations of significant duration with native and non-native speakers of English than did their counterparts from other language backgrounds.

There are many possible reasons for this gap in communication. Mainland Chinese learn English from textbooks through reading and writing with no opportunity to work on listening and speaking skills. As an American high school student, I learned French in this manner, with 90% of classroom instruction as grammar and translation. To this day, I am unable to comfortably conduct a conversation in French, although I can read it and write it fluently. If people are uncomfortable with being able to speak and comprehend English well, they will feel discouraged or afraid about participating in a conversation because they are afraid that others don’t understand them. Better to keep their dignity….and their silence. Additionally, silence is considered by the Chinese to be a virtue reflecting humility. Unfortunately for them, in the West, people tend to expect and appreciate participation and speaking out, so their silence or discomfort is not received well by colleagues or supervisors.

To a greater or lesser extent, the experiences of other immigrant groups can mirror the challenges faced by the Chinese and the American workplace suffers from the lack of small talk and camaraderie between native and foreign-born speakers of English. A focus on listening, speaking, and pronunciation in workplace language training is a good way to break down these fears. Providing a ‘’safe place’’ at work with an instructor who is not a co-worker who might judge them negatively can be a powerful help to immigrants who speak English only during the day for business and resume use of their native language when they return home at the end of the day. To foster the soft skill of engaging in casual conversation, break room or cafeteria tables can be set aside in gathering places as “English Only” tables. This can serve both to encourage the immigrants to speak socially to one another in the common language of English as well as to invite native-English speaking co-workers who wish to interact more with those whose native language is not English. Common gathering rooms can become more ‘’mosaics’’ than “silos” of various language groups. Communication is a two-way street. The burden of communication should not rest solely on the shoulders of the non-native speaker. Native speakers should not “zone out” or shut down when they are communicating with someone who speaks with an accent, but seek more sensitive interaction. Creating a relationship’ with a sensitive, trusted native speaker will go a long way towards helping the skilled foreign-born worker overcome his conversational and listening challenges.

04October2017

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Language Blog

How You Sound: As Important as How You Look

She enters the client meeting; dressed impeccably, every hair in place, nails polished, well educated, and well-prepared. She speaks. Yikes!!! Does her vocal image echo her visual image? The quality of your voice, volume, articulation, and body language combine to form vocal presence, a suite that either reflects your intelligence and competence…..or not! As important as the clothes you wear and the expertise you possess are the words you use and the way in which you use and transmit them. Your vocal image is your audible “brand” and the quality of that brand determines whether you are credible about what you are transmitting, whether your knowledge is substantive, and whether you are likeable, charismatic, and approachable enough for people to WANT to listen to what you have to say and to take you seriously.

Vocal presence can have major influence on your career path. In reality, the quality of your communication style can actually affect your listener’s perception of your capabilities and professionalism. Your vocal presence is the vehicle to convey ‘’gravitas’’ and to minimize the differences between you (the transmitter) and your audience (the receiver). Whether you are informing, persuading, or presenting, this vocal image is a major factor in the success or failure of your intended outcome. These factors include, but are not limited to:

Volume. To be effective, voice volume should be scaled to circumstance. Your voice should be appropriately scaled for close contact or projection to everyone in a larger room. An intimate whisper is inappropriate for a boardroom presentation.
Tonality. All dressed up in a “power suit” doesn’t impress your audience or win you any points if your voice emerges as a donkey’s bray, growly voice, or high-pitched squeak.
Accents and Regionalisms. Everyone has an accent. It’s part of what makes you unique. If your accent makes understanding difficult and your listener must struggle to understand you, you are not helping your cause. The speaker must always be mindful of differences in vocabulary and usage from region to region. The goal is always comprehension and anything that interferes with clarity of communication will subtly undermine your image and hinder the achievement of your objective.
Vocal Affectations. “Valley girls” don’t belong in business. And neither do statements ending in a question (upspeak). To be taken seriously and exude gravitas and assurance, you must not allow “vocal fry, ” “growly,” or “cute little girl” voices to be a part of your “business persona.” A professional woman must be cognizant of pitch, word choice, distracting space fillers (“ummmm,” OK?, “like,” “you know”) and meaningless phrases or body movements like lip licking, hair twirling, head tilting, hair tossing, or looking bored or angry.
Word Choice. Using qualifying words or fillers can be demeaning factors to your credibility. Removing words like “just” from your sentences creates a more powerful sentence without changing the content. Notice the difference between “I just want to let you know what I think could be a good solution to the problem” and “I want to suggest a potentially viable solution to this problem.

It’s a time-honored saying that you “don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. “ That wisdom still holds true. Be sure your strengths and abilities are reflected in your vocal style. Polish Your Vocal Image. The effort is well worth it!

04October2017

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