Essay Sample Dedicated to Cultural Differences in Communication

The diversity of beliefs, languages, manners, practices, and expressions usually unique to members of a particular ethnicity race, or origin refers to as cultural difference. Culture, on the other hand, offers people or group a common identity. It entails blend of attitudes, beliefs, lifestyles, habits, rituals rules and language. Different norms concerning the way people communicate define how effective communication is. Communication may also change between cultures.

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When dealing with people of different cultures, it becomes complex, and on the way, the group communicates. It is because our heritage and the way we expect others to conduct themselves vary. For instance, there are cultures whereby asking questions is considered inappropriate. To understand that we are reading from the same script I have to use the most effective channel for communication. Also, there are challenges that bar effective communication. An example is Ethnocentrism- a perception that your ways of doing things are superior to those of others. It becomes increasingly difficult for an egocentric to lead a team. Prejudices made through stereotypes pose another challenge. As a leader I would ask myself several questions. These questions are a checklist to ensure effective communication. They include; ability to lead people, whether I am non-confrontational and aggressive when delivering points, my knowledge on non-verbal or verbal ways, can I adapt and adjust to communication reactions, etc.

My ability to communicate inclusively would be vital for quicker comprehension by my team members. In my case am dealing with multinational cultures. It comprises of a High-Context culture. These groups of people usually tend to have unspecified messages that are emphasized by non-verbal cues. Among countries with these features are the Africans, Arabs, Asian, American- Indian, Latin American, Central Europeans and the Mediterranean (Duuta, 2008). My team is also should affect reason and motion. Neutral cultures do not amplify their feelings while those with Affective cultures show their effect by laughing, scowling, shooting, grimacing and sometimes matching out of office. In such a meeting, neutral people are careful not to express their feeling. Reason and reaction are communication channels used in such gathering. It is expected that we confirm our ideas and beliefs about opinions. For instance, one might smile to show he or she is for a certain proposal. Also, a good understanding of the different lifestyles would help me tackle significant issues with fluency.

To have a successful meeting, I would ensure there is respect among members of the group. Guaranteeing no blame between the participants is vital. Whenever different cultures crash it could be difficult to resolve our issues, and to some point, it would get even worse. Building an environment that is accommodative and ensures excellent listening skills. For example listening with well ensure keen attention on details of the agendas (Roell, 2010).

References

Dutta, B. (2008). Communication in cross-cultural context. ICFAI Journal of Soft Skills, 2(2).

Roell, C. (2010). Intercultural Training with Films. In English Teaching Forum (Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 2-15). US Department of State. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs, SA-5, 2200 C Street NW 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20037.