When a problem arises in any mutual relationship- a constructive conversation is necessary to resolve the issue. As each party in a reciprocal conversation has his or her own unique perspective, it’s especially important to take into account communication style and cultural background. Author Melissa Hahn and Professor Andy Molinsky have identified four of the most common types of difficult conversations when interacting with someone from a different culture:
1.) Getting down to business vs. relationship building
“The danger here is that someone from a task-oriented country may focus so much on the immediate problem that the person from the relationship-oriented country leaves feeling devalued. On the other hand, the person from the relationship-oriented country may try so hard to avoid making waves that their counterpart from a task-oriented country winds up assuming that there is no problem to address.”
2.) Direct vs. indirect communication
“The danger here is that a person from a direct culture may come across as insensitive and ill-mannered, while the person from the indirect culture may appear scattered and shifty.”
3.) Low vs. high context
“The danger here is that someone from a low-context culture may think she is communicating a very specific, limited statement — but the person listening to her may infer all kinds of unintended messages. On the other hand, a person from a high-context culture may believe he is presenting a rich tapestry of nuanced meaning, but the person listening to him may only hear the words that he says.”
4.) Informality vs. formality
“The danger here is that someone from an informal culture may unintentionally appear like he didn’t care enough to make an effort, or may inadvertently undermine the topic he needs to discuss. At the same time, a person from a more formal culture might unwittingly up the ante and make her counterpart believe the situation is much direr than originally thought.”
To read specific examples of these difficult situations, and learn helpful tips how to understand cultural contexts while conversing to solve a problem, please read Melinda Hahn and Andy Kolinsky fill blog post here.
