Assumptions we make in cross-cultural communications

George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” This illusion in the context of cross-cultural communications is even more detrimental. A lot of us are very familiar with the challenge as the groups we work in are becoming more and more diverse.

In my opinion we are part of the problem. Most of the times we start with some beliefs and presumptions about the person from a different culture and that influences how we interact and even interpret their communications. Here are some common beliefs I have seen:

- If we are talking and the other person is nodding their head, they really understood what we are saying. Nodding head might just mean that they are hearing you, but they might not understand a thing about what you want them to understand.

- If we have nailed down the most common words and phrases of the other language, we have perfected communication in that language. A limited vocabulary without the proper understanding of the culture makes it useless for any meaningful conversation.

- Making small talk about the other culture brings affinity and will help us with the conversation. This might actually create a barrier for communication as no one likes to be pointed out different.

- Imitating mannerism and behavior of other culture makes us a culturally sensitive person. Mannerism is just one piece of the cultural puzzle and with out knowing the full picture, following it might actually make us look like an insensitive person.

People are just people everywhere and an honest communication with no assumptions can never go wrong.