An Ideas Into Action Guidebook: Communicating Across Cultures

Anticipate and Adapt to Cultural Differences

To communicate effectively across cultures, you need to be able to anticipate those differences so that you are prepared to bridge the cultural divide by adapting your communication style. Acquiring these skills means concentrating on four points. First, examine your own cultural conditioning. Second, review your experiences with other cultures. Third, watch for discomfort that can signal cultural differences. Fourth, recognize and modify your communication approach.

Examine Your Own Cultural Conditioning

The way you express yourself, or the way you show that you are pleased, grateful, or angry, for example, is determined by the culture in which you live. Further, cultural conditioning goes beyond ...