Great communicators have their antennae out all the time. They’re great listeners, but more than that: they’re alert to what others are communicating on every level. And they’re aware of how they project themselves, in person, on the page or screen and in the subliminal cues they send out in their own body language.
But what if you're communicating overseas or with people from another culture? Do all those signals translate in the same way?
Body language is not universal, any more than any other language. What may indicate open, friendly communication in one culture may mean something quite different somewhere else. If you're building your cross culture organisation, be aware of how various gestures and body postures are interpreted in the country or culture where you want to foster better relationships.
Understand how eye contact, posture, active listening techniques and facial expressions may be received in different settings. Factors like how much personal space you take up and how much space you accord to others also sends a message. The message varies depending on where you are, influenced by culture, gender and context.
Even at home, an understanding of what non-verbal cues mean in different cultures can be helpful, if your team is multicultural.
Awareness of non-verbal cues helps you to communicate more effectively at all levels. If you’re taking your organisation(in person or by video conference) to the world and you’re not sure of cross-border cultural protocols, add this research to your to do list.
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