cross-cultural awareness
- This topic has 8 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 2 days ago by
.
-
Posts
-
How does cross-cultural awareness help you in your work, company and industry. How do you increase your cultural awareness?
It allows us to understand the differences and acknowledge them. Being self-aware about different cultures prevents us from offending others. In this process, we can work more effectively across cultural lines. We get a better understanding and broader views of different cultures.
Since customer bases are typically cross-cultural, awareness and perspectives reflective of this are important to deliver optimal results.
I think cross-cultural awareness is a multifaceted process. One part of it is to recognize and timely address cultural differences of the target company and address them during the integration process. The other part of course is the cultural composition of the client base which usually provides an excellent opportunity for the acquirer to learn all the elements during the integration process.
Edward RuvinsIn my capacity in working for a global multinational, and having raised and worked in different countries, the cross cultural awareness is something that is necessary to run my day-to-day operations as well as for me to always objectively see how I approach things. How I try to increase the awareness is to acknowledge that there are differences, but then to also acknowledge that there are commonalities, and to also understand that overall, each individuals are just as much different and common. One thing that I always try to be cautious of is not to use cultural differences as an excuse. Most times, that is not the true reason, but one has tendency to stop review and simply use cultural issues as a reasoning. I always try to be skeptical when I hear such explanation.
I network with colleagues who are from, or have worked in or with, the different countries/regions to have an understanding of the cultural norms and expectations, any “must do/don’t”, special situations, etc. to ensure I’m demonstrating appropriate behaviors, actions, etc. to enable good working conditions and harmony. I’ll sometimes also do some light studying up on the culture(s) for learning before engaging.
Understanding different cultures in my organization is of utmost importance. It not only helps to understand social expectations, but also to help understand professional and personal expectations. If we can understand how each person perceives a conversation, we can also learn to respect their interpretations and adjust our delivery to better align the message and expected outcome. I do my best to understand an individual or culture by initiating conversations about them and their culture outside of solely professional situations.
Understanding different cultures can improve communication and reduce conflict and misunderstanding arising from different interpretations of language. Acknowledging and valuing diverse perspectives fosters an inclusive environment, encouraging team collaboration and innovation
Cultural awareness is essential to support effective communication and also to provide understanding and help you adjust how you approach specific situations in order to reach your goal. How people behave the way they behave, and why some things are bizarre to us, normally turns out to have an explanation that explanation that finds its roots into culture.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
