Multicultural Communication in a Business Environment

A webseminar delivered by

Wahyd Vannoni of Mediacodex

for California State University

3 / March /2010

ΠΟΛΥΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΙΚΟ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ

ΠΟΛΥΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΙΚΟ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ

MULTICULTURAL

COMMUNICATION

ΠΟΛΥΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΙΚΟ ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ

Goals

Goals

• Share 15 years of international corporate communication experience

Goals

• Share 15 years of international corporate communication experience

• Tools to understand multicultural communication

Goals

• Share 15 years of international corporate communication experience

• Tools to understand multicultural communication

• Immediately applicable

Goals

• Share 15 years of international corporate communication experience

• Tools to understand multicultural communication

• Immediately applicable

• Obstacles to multicultural communication...

Goals

• Share 15 years of international corporate communication experience

• Tools to understand multicultural communication

• Immediately applicable

• Obstacles to multicultural communication...

• Corporate context

9 Languages

9 Languages

9 Languages

9 Languages

9 Languages

9 Languages

9 Languages

Agenda

Agenda

• Trust (losing and regaining)

Agenda

• Trust (losing and regaining)

• Email communication

Agenda

• Trust (losing and regaining)

• Email communication

• Specific examples

Agenda

• Trust (losing and regaining)

• Email communication

• Specific examples

• Suggestions for immediate implementation in a corporate setting

Agenda

• Trust (losing and regaining)

• Email communication

• Specific examples

• Suggestions for immediate implementation in a corporate setting

• Questions and Answers

Trust

Trust

• What does it depend upon?

Trust

• What does it depend upon?

• How it can be lost?

Trust

• What does it depend upon?

• How it can be lost?

• How it can be regained?

Trust

Trust

What does it depend upon?

Trust

What does it depend upon?

• Correspondence and equivalence between:

Trust

What does it depend upon?

• Correspondence and equivalence between:

• What you say and what you do

Trust

What does it depend upon?

• Correspondence and equivalence between:

• What you say and what you do

• What you say and how you behave

Trust

What does it depend upon?

• Correspondence and equivalence between:

• What you say and what you do

• What you say and how you behave

• Offline and online

Trust

Trust

How it might be lost.

Trust

How it might be lost.

• Saying one thing and doing another

Trust

How it might be lost.

• Saying one thing and doing another

• Saying one thing to a person/group and another to another group/person

Trust

How it might be lost.

• Saying one thing and doing another

• Saying one thing to a person/group and another to another group/person

• Formation of “insiders groups”

Trust

How it might be lost.

• Saying one thing and doing another

• Saying one thing to a person/group and another to another group/person

• Formation of “insiders groups”

• Discrepancy between online and offline

Trust

How it might be lost.

• Saying one thing and doing another

• Saying one thing to a person/group and another to another group/person

• Formation of “insiders groups”

• Discrepancy between online and offline

• Over-promise & underdeliver

What you can do (1)

What you can do (1)

• Do few things but do them well

What you can do (1)

• Do few things but do them well

• “under-promise over-deliver” / be realistic, modest and beat expectations

What you can do (1)

• Do few things but do them well

• “under-promise over-deliver” / be realistic, modest and beat expectations

• document your goals and publish achievements

What you can do (1)

• Do few things but do them well

• “under-promise over-deliver” / be realistic, modest and beat expectations

• document your goals and publish achievements

• admit failures

What you can do (1)

• Do few things but do them well

• “under-promise over-deliver” / be realistic, modest and beat expectations

• document your goals and publish achievements

• admit failures

• ongoing evaluation of alignment between expectations and achievements

What you can do (2)

What you can do (2)

• Show you understand and care

What you can do (2)

• Show you understand and care

• Show you are eager to solve other people’s problems

What you can do (2)

• Show you understand and care

• Show you are eager to solve other people’s problems

• Be available, be approachable (not only as a corporate policy but in practice)

What you can do (2)

• Show you understand and care

• Show you are eager to solve other people’s problems

• Be available, be approachable (not only as a corporate policy but in practice)

• Put yourself in other people’s shoes

What you can do (2)

• Show you understand and care

• Show you are eager to solve other people’s problems

• Be available, be approachable (not only as a corporate policy but in practice)

• Put yourself in other people’s shoes

• Demonstrate interest in other people’s cultures

Email

Email

• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

Email

• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

➡ “Is it ready?”

Email

• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

➡ “Is it ready?”

- or

Email

• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

➡ “Is it ready?”

- or

➡ “IS IT READY?”

Email

• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

➡ “Is it ready?”

- or

➡ “IS IT READY?”

- Answer: “NO !!!”

Email

• Email title: “RE: Presentation”

➡ “Is it ready?”

- or

➡ “IS IT READY?”

- Answer: “NO !!!”

✓Ask yourself how your email can be read, and in what tone.

Email - What’s missing?

Email - What’s missing?

• Visual feedback

Email - What’s missing?

• Visual feedback

• Body language

Email - What’s missing?

• Visual feedback

• Body language

• Tone

Email - What’s missing?

• Visual feedback

• Body language

• Tone

• Understanding of time can be fluid

Email - What’s missing?

• Visual feedback

• Body language

• Tone

• Understanding of time can be fluid

✓Avoid (soon, later etc...)

Email - What’s missing?

• Visual feedback

• Body language

• Tone

• Understanding of time can be fluid

✓Avoid (soon, later etc...)

✓Be precise (within 24 hours)

What to do... and avoid doing

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

๏Avoid ambiguities

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

๏Avoid ambiguities

๏Avoid jokes

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

๏Avoid ambiguities

๏Avoid jokes

๏Don’t automatically “forward” and “Reply all” email indiscriminately

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

๏Avoid ambiguities

๏Avoid jokes

๏Don’t automatically “forward” and “Reply all” email indiscriminately

๏Settling scores

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

๏Avoid ambiguities

๏Avoid jokes

๏Don’t automatically “forward” and “Reply all” email indiscriminately

๏Settling scores

๏Criticizing colleagues, clients, stakeholders

What to do... and avoid doing

✓Read your emails using different tones (or have a colleague read it) ‣ “no” -> “NO!!!”

✓In general write more information and give more context than you would in person

✓When in doubt about an email you sent, don’t hesitate to call to contextualize your email

‣ (You will receive an email which might seem dry so apologies in advance...)

๏Avoid ambiguities

๏Avoid jokes

๏Don’t automatically “forward” and “Reply all” email indiscriminately

๏Settling scores

๏Criticizing colleagues, clients, stakeholders

๏Using corporate email for personal matters

Communication Exercices

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners)

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

1. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

1. -2. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

1. -2. -3. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

1. -2. -3. -4. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

Which are the 5 critical objectives of our firm?

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

1. -2. -3. -4. -5. -

Match?

Communication Exercices

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners)

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

What do think of them ?

Communication Exercices

Culture 1 (Owners) Culture 2 (subsidiary)

What do think of them ? What do think of them ?

Universal tips

Universal tips

• Learn key-words:

Universal tips

• Learn key-words:

➡Thank you

Universal tips

• Learn key-words:

➡Thank you

➡Nice to meet you

Universal tips

• Learn key-words:

➡Thank you

➡Nice to meet you

➡“I am sorry I do not speak Hungarian”

Universal tips

• Learn key-words:

➡Thank you

➡Nice to meet you

➡“I am sorry I do not speak Hungarian”

• Check with embassy and chamber of commerce

Universal tips

• Learn key-words:

➡Thank you

➡Nice to meet you

➡“I am sorry I do not speak Hungarian”

• Check with embassy and chamber of commerce

• Use Social Media to find natives or expats in the country you plan to do business in.

Contact

Wahyd Vannoni

• Email wahyd.vannoni@mediacodex.com

• --> Wahyd Vannoni

• www.mediacodex.com