Globalization of Leaders

Did they hear what you meant?

 

Understanding what someone else says correctly and completely is as much as your responsibility as ensuring you are understood clearly.

GEORGE Bernard Shaw is believed to have observed that Britain and America are two nations divided by a common language. The global leader from the UK, who is confident that his fluency in English will make it easy for him in the US, is likely to discover that Shaw wasn’t joking.

Speaking the same language does not mean everyone will understand what you are trying to communicate. That is because culture plays a major role in one’s interpretation of language.

If you have worked outside the office in different parts of India, you would have already had a taste of cultural (mis)communication. Does that nod of the head signify “yes” or “no”? Is that “hmmm” assent or dissent? If the visiting Australian manager calls your star salesperson a “dude”, does that indicate friendly familiarity or is he suggesting the latter is dumb?

Dictionaries (and the latest translator app) can help with you the right word, but it takes experience and a few precautions to align what you say with what they understand.

Talk tips

Try and keep your conversation simple. Prefer simple words and short sentences. Pronounce key words slowly and repeat, if necessary, to make sure you are understood without any ambiguity. If you are moving on to another topic, ensure that everyone had understood the shift.

Slang and idioms add color to the conversation. However, such usages are likely to be interpreted differently in different locations even within one country. Rather than cause confusion which can harm the business, it is best to avoid such pitfalls.

When you seek a decision, a straight yes or no question may be considered rather intimidating and may get only an evasive reply. It may take longer but a series of open-ended questions will give a better opportunity to both parties to arrive at a well-informed decision.

Closely observe how the other person is responding during a conversation. If the response is missing or diametrically opposite what is warranted, you have not been understood or, worse, misunderstood. If you are addressing a group of people from different nations, you would do well to pay special attention to those who are largely silent or unresponsive.

Understanding someone else correctly and completely is as much as your responsibility as ensuring you are understood clearly.

If you are unable to follow a business conversation, you must interrupt and seek clarification. Silence is not golden in such a situation and can cause serious damage. Numbers and dates are critical and are best written down.

When you are making a presentation, you have a double challenge. The audience must be able to connect to the overall theme. Every slide must be as relevant and as easy to understand as your companion talk.

Communicate often: in person or remotely

The best way to overcome communication hurdles is to communicate regularly. While you cannot be present in person everywhere, make the most the convenience and immediacy technology offers. Prefer video calls whenever feasible because seeing is the best way to ensure you hear and are heard right.

Remember that technology is not a panacea for miscommunication. On the contrary, it can be a recipe for confusion, especially if the video and audio connections are erratic. It is best to write and show critical elements (words) of the conversation including numbers and dates. Always follow up a video conversation with a note clearly summarizing the discussion and spelling out everyone’s responsibility. Get every participant to confirm this by email.

We began with George Bernard Shaw’s quote about a common language dividing two nations. Some people attribute this quote to Winston Churchill while others think Oscar Wilde said this. Assume, during a conversation, I say it was Shaw whereas you are sure it was Wilde.

How likely is it that you will tune out the rest of my conversation on account of this “error”? Or will you interrupt me and point out the “mistake”? What is more likely to give us a better opportunity to agree to disagree and have a productive conversation?

Your turn:

Did you ever have to face the consequences of a professional “miscommunication” in any country? How did you deal with the situation?