To help your company navigate this new business environment, here are 7 fundamentals for communicating in a global workplace.
Objectivity. Be objective about people, countries, and cultural characteristics.
Judge people by their work performance, not by personal characteristics.
Openness. Be open to differences and don’t assume an attitude of superiority.
Flexibility. Be flexible when working with people who are different.
Look for alternative methods and styles of communication, and learn to adjust your approach to suit the individual with whom you are interacting.
Sensitivity. Be sensitive to diversity that might affect communication, and strive to be courteous and considerate of others’ cultures and customs.
Self-Awareness. Don’t focus only on others but also on yourself, and root out biases and misconceptions that might interfere with effective communication.
Knowledge. Take opportunities to learn about the languages, countries, and cultures of people you communicate with on the job.
Patience. Be aware that people from other cultures and countries may communicate in ways with which you are not familiar, so you may need to be patient and tolerant in interactions with them.