ICAW2002Communicate in the IT

workplaceStudy Guide

Process client requests and enquiries according to operational procedures

Recording information and messages 2How to record information 2When to record information 3Passing on messages 3

Referring and following up client requests 5Keeping the client informed 5Follow-up procedures 6

Summary 7Check your progress 7

Recording information and messages

How to record informationInformation you hold in your own memory is much less reliable than information held in the RAM of a computer. You may well find your own memory is misplaced, scrambled or inaccurate, when you need it!

It is vital that information from clients is properly recorded. There are a number of ways to do this. How many can you think of?

a database?

a specially designed customer support program?

pen and paper on a special work request form?

pen and paper on a piece of ordinary paper?

The more organised and consistent the recorded information is, the more useful it will be. The last option risks losing that piece of ordinary paper!

The database form below shows the sort of information you would record when you are working on a help desk.

Figure 1: Sample data base form — the layout helps prompt questions that need to be asked

ReflectionHave you ever experienced having given quite a lot of information to someone, only to have to repeat that same information? Or, just as frustrating, the person loses your information and your request is completely ignored.

If you have experienced this, you’ll appreciate the need for recording information.

When to record informationThe best time to record information related to a client’s request is when you first speak to the client. In doing this, the information should be complete and accurate and you will have a chance to clarify information as you speak. It also saves double handling the enquiry at another time, for you and the client.

The only downside is that you have to practice active listening skills while typing or writing. Computer programs that prompt for information can help you in this way by ensuring important questions are asked. The layout of a form can also aid you, as in Figure 1 above.

Passing on messagesThere are a number of ways of relaying messages. Which ones spring to mind? Maybe something like the phone message pad in Figure 2 on the next page, or an entry flagged in a database that other users’ will see (and hopefully be prompted by) when they access the database.

Email or instant messenger programs are other means. There are many other ways you might have thought of. Most people prefer written messages, rather than an answer machine full of voice mail messages (as written messages are less intrusive and easier to refer to later).

What’s most important in all messages is that they are:

received in good time

accurate

complete.

Always pass on messages as quickly as possible, and double check that you have all the information and all the information is correct. Double-checking with the client may take a little longer, but it may save much more time in the long run.

Message SlipTo

...................................................Time ...................

M _______________________________

of _______________________________

_____________________________________

Area code Phone Telephoned Please phone Came to see you Will call you again Wants to see you Returned your call

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Message taken by ....................................................................

Figure 2: Standard message pad page

Referring and following up client requests

Sometimes if a client request is out of the ordinary you may need to refer it to a specialist or senior person. Equally, a request might be for a service you cannot provide because:

you don’t have these skills (for instance, if an electrician is required)

you can’t leave your current location (on the help desk, for example)

you don’t have time (if, for example, the organisation’s policy states that you must escalate a call after three minutes on the help desk).

In referring the request there may be time limits — it may be policy that the referral must be made within an hour of receiving it at the help desk. Referrals should keep to the principles above; make sure you provide all the correct information by double-checking the information before you pass it on.

Keeping the client informedKeeping the client posted is one of the key features of best practice in client service. It’s important to let the client know the status of their request from beginning to end.

This includes every step in the process — from explaining why, if you need to put a client on hold or must transfer them to another person, to letting them know what progress has been made if hardware needs to be ordered for their system.

How can you keep clients informed? The organisation’s policy on client service might state how often you must contact the client, and by what means. Any updates or messages should be timely, accurate and complete.

Follow-up proceduresKeeping the client informed can be included in a follow-up procedure. There may be a policy statement or an item in your service level agreement that states what level or means of follow-up with the client is required. It might include:

phoning the client sometime after service has been completed

sending out feedback surveys to all clients about the service they received; (some organisations make a competition of it by offering a reward for clients who respond)

sending an mail with options for the client to select either ‘Yes – Satisfied’ ,or ‘No – Not Satisfied’ responses and following up on unsatisfied responses (though this only gives a partial view of your service standard)

employing an independent person to carry out interviews with clients (either face-to-face or by phone).

Organisations are always seeking new ways to gauge client satisfaction. It is an important aspect of continuous improvement, quality control and ISO 9001 quality certification models. Information from both your satisfied and unsatisfied clients can tell you much about how you might improve service.

Summary

The methods and means of recording and relaying messages and information from client requests have been outlined for you. The procedures used by the organisation in which you perform these tasks will determine exactly how they are to be done, yet the principles of reliability, accuracy, completeness and timeliness will always apply. High standards applied to follow-up procedures can also aid the continual improvement of service delivery.

Check your progressNow you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have another go and see if you can improve your responses.

When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understanding’ activity in the Preview section of this topic. This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.

Use effective communication skills according to organisational standards

Receiving client requests and enquiries in a polite and courteous manner 2

Verbal and non-verbal communication 3Body language 3Spoken language 4

Common documents 6Memos 6Faxes 7Letters 7Email 7

Business etiquette 9Phone manners 9Email manners 9

Summary 10Check your progress 10

Receiving client requests and enquiries in a polite and courteous manner

Most jobs in the IT industry require you to interact regularly with clients in many ways, such as by:

attending to customer enquiries, problems and complaints

determining a client’s needs

obtaining feedback from a client with regard to an installation, customisation, training or support issue

providing a client with information or instruction.

Requests and enquiries come by email, phone, fax, letters and personal contact. In all cases you must establish and maintain a polite and courteous manner. To be polite and courteous means to show good manners and to respect the opinions and needs of others.

Reflection activityImagine you are a client asking an IT support person for help. What behaviour from them would you expect and consider courteous.

Courteous behaviour is:

being friendly

showing respect for the other person, and

assisting the other person as much as possible.

Can you think of particular ways that this behaviour might be expressed?

Help the desk proceduresMost organisations have a procedural manual for the help desk that includes a section on dealing with client requests and enquiries. This will include treating other staff with respect and using a polite and courteous manner when responding to and recording client requests and enquiries.

Verbal and non-verbal communication

The way you greet someone for the first time often determines the way that you will communicate with that person in future.

It is vital that we greet clients in a professional manner. Often clients contact you because they are experiencing difficulties with their computer system. They may have been trying to work out the problem themselves or they may fall into the ‘I don’t want to know about these things anyway’ category. In order for you to solve their IT problems, you need to be able to get them to tell you precisely what their problem is.

Body languageBody language is one of the most important ways of expressing ideas. When you talk to someone face-to-face, about 80% of the message that you send is non-verbal — that is, without words. That means that 80% of the meaning of what you say is in the way that you project the message, and 20% of the message is the actual words that you use. Non-verbal communication is usually referred to as body language.

How do we learn our body language?We learn our body language from those around us. For example, in our society, it is a generally accepted rule or norm that it is rude to stare at someone or to point your finger at them.

Another example is: if you like someone, you try to stand closer to them. If they like you, they let you stand close. These are both gestures of body language.

Reflection activityOver the next couple of days, make a conscious effort to observe the body language of people around you in different situations, such as:

in a shopping centre

at the family dinner table

on a bus or train.

What body language do people exhibit when:

bored? angry? unhappy? contented?

First impressionsIt’s important when dealing with clients, that your body language is appropriate, particularly the first time you meet them.

First impressions are vital to other people’s acceptance of us. If they like ‘the look of us’, then there is a fair chance that they will like us.

Reflection activityThink about how phone contact might differ from face-to-face contact.

Spoken languageThe language you use when communicating with clients is also very important, not just your clarity of expression (the way you speak, which is also physical) but the manner in which you speak.

Some companies, such as fast food companies and call centres, extensively train their employees in the use of standard greeting techniques. They develop scripts for their staff to use when taking requests and enquiries from clients. You have no doubt been on the receiving end of such techniques.

Reflection activity Think of the last time you rang an organisation for assistance, such as Telstra or your bank. Did the staff use a script to greet you? Did they sound as though they had been trained to have a prepared response to everything you said?

The use of prepared scripts that have been ‘drilled’ into staff during training sessions is becoming commonplace. They serve two purposes:

to make the communication process more effective, and

to ensure staff do not say something to clients/customers that they should not.

Technical versus everyday languagePeople who work as IT professionals have a great deal of technical knowledge, which allows them to do their job well. However, the clients you work with probably won’t share that knowledge; they just want their computers and software to work!

This means that you should be careful about using technical words when talking to clients. Sometimes, if you’re talking to someone who understands the terms then a highly technical explanation is appropriate. However, technical words can often make clients defensive. This can make it harder to identify what’s gone wrong or for them to understand your solution.

Common documents

Information is largely conveyed by documents. You need to know about the range of documents in workplaces and how to produce them.

MemosMemos (short for memorandums) are the means of conveying reminders or simple messages, and often the same message is sent to all staff.

Memos are of less formal in appearance than letters and should have information about only one topic (which also allows them to be filed accurately). The paper form of the memo is becoming rare as organisations increasingly use email for this purpose.

Memos are succinct. They generally have a header section with the date, names of the sender and receiver and the subject of the memo. Memo headings replace greetings — they identify who the writer is and what the memo is about. A memo doesn’t need to be signed by the author. You can see who has sent it from the heading.

ExampleTo: Kim Jones

CC: Wendy Brown ‘CC’ stands for Carbon Copy. It comes from when a carbon layer under the note would impress a copy on a duplicate form. In this case, the main person you are sending the memo to is Kim, but you are also sending Wendy a copy.

From: Robyn Perkins

Date: 5/8/01

Re: Leave application

Re is short for ‘in regard to’ and means the same as ‘Subject’— what the memo is all about.

The body of the memo then has the main idea, secondary ideas and action.

The main idea of a memo should be the first sentence or paragraph. It might identify a problem or issue, or provides information about organisational policies. Action is usually the final paragraph, with details of what to do about the problem/issue and who to contact.

FaxesIt’s hard to imagine a business without a facsimile (fax) machine. Fax documents look somewhat like memos. However, while memos are never sent outside an organisation, faxes are.

A fax is structured in a similar way to memos, while the header should include the number of pages being sent.

The body of the faxThe main idea is usually in the first sentence or paragraph and usually states the purpose. The secondary idea then provides more detail about the purpose, and the final paragraph is the ‘Action’, which details of what to do about the problem and who to contact.

LettersLetters are still the most formal way to express our ideas.

The layout for letters and the accepted standards for punctuation have changed a lot in the last 30 years. Electronic keyboards, word processors and spell checkers have changed the way we present our letters.

Each organisation will have its own standard layout for a letter and this will usually be kept as a template. Whenever you start work at a new place, find out what their standard letter layout is.

EmailThe most recent form of widely used electronic communication is email. Like a letter, it’s in writing (which is important!). Yet, it’s faster to send than a letter and it’s not as formal (it’s structured rather like a memo).

There is one disadvantage to email. You don’t control the format (the software program does this). However, you can personalise your email to some extent by adding features like your own signature at the end. Many organisations have a standard format for email signatures. These often include contact details for the person sending the email.

The structure for workplace emails is usually the same as for memos and faxes, with a main idea, a secondary idea and action to be taken.

Which email program have you used? You should have a program such as Eudora, Microsoft Outlook or Entourage. The screen below is the New Mail Message screen from Microsoft Outlook.

Make sure you know where to put:

who the email is for

who the email is from

other people who need to receive the email

the subject of the email (often your application will prompt you if you haven’t).

The ‘Cc’ line in an email works the same as for a memo, and the people who receive the email know who else has received a copy. The ‘Bcc’ line is for people who might receive a copy without a list of other recipients.

The body of the email, as with other short documents includes the main idea, secondary ideas, and any action required. Larger documents or files can be sent as attachments (note that organisational policies might restrict the type and size of attachments that can be sent).

Business etiquette

Business etiquette refers to the unspoken rules that guide the way we communicate and behave. When we communicate on the telephone, by email or any other form of communication, we should follow standard etiquette.

Telephone mannersWhen answering the telephone, you should speak clearly and:

1 Use a positive tone and say ‘Good morning’ or ‘Good afternoon’.

2 State the name of the organisation you are working for.

3 Introduce yourself.

4 Ask the person how you might help them.

Reflection activityThink about how you last answered the phone. Did you do as above? Practise answering the telephone in this way.

Email mannersEmail also requires etiquette. You may find the email etiquette that your organisation expects you to follow is a part of the IT policy. Otherwise, there are general rules:

Always include a short subject line.

Use one subject per email.

Monitor any confidential content.

Check spelling (keeping an eye for word forms a computer spell checker might miss, such as ‘form’ for ‘from’).

Keep formatting to a minimum including the use of backgrounds.

It is important to remember that when you communicate by email, the non-verbal communication is not coming through along with the written message. If you are concerned that anything may be misinterpreted, it is a good idea to explain it, or just keep it simple. It should also be noted that in many workplaces, email is a formal method of communication and can be kept as evidence of your actions as with any other forms of documentation.

Summary

This reading has given you an outline of skills, etiquette and standards applied to basic modes and formats of communication in business and work settings. The workplace in which these modes or documents are used will often have organisation procedures and templates for you to follow.

Check your progressNow you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have another go and see if you can improve your responses.

When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understating’ activity in the Preview section of this topic. This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.

Use questions and active listening techniques

Active listening 2What does ‘active listening’ mean? 2Key principles of active listening 3

Reflective questioning 5The use of reflective questions 5

Open-ended and closed questions 6

Other types of questions 7What-if questions 7Sorting and sifting questions 7Clarification questions 7Planning questions 8Strategic questions 8Organising questions 8Probing questions 9Divergent questions 9Devil’s advocate questions 9

Summary 10Check your progress 10

Active listening

Have you ever tried to do something about a problem before you really understood the problem itself? It usually doesn’t improve the situation.

Similarly, you need to understand a client’s concern or complaint before you can address it. Effective questioning and listening are strategies for getting to the crux of a problem. This is especially the case with client complaints. Even what appear to be trivial complaints can develop into something of significance, so you must ensure that you have the correct facts. When you are dealing with client complaints, it is critical that you listen carefully to the facts.

What does ‘active listening’ mean?

ReflectHave you ever ‘tuned out’ when a person is complaining to you? Consider what may happen if someone at work is making a complaint that has serious consequences, or if the person making the complaint is a senior manager?

When you’re dealing with clients, you can’t tune out. It’s vital that you listen carefully and respond appropriately. To do this, people often use a technique called active listening.

Active listening occurs when you focus on the message you’re receiving from the other person, without thinking about what you want to say next. Your response to the sender is one that paraphrases what you’ve heard. That is, you summarise what you’ve heard, and say it back to the sender in your words. This ensures that you have understood the idea the sender wants to give you.

Key principles of active listeningDo you sometimes come away from a conversation thinking that the other person didn’t really say much? Perhaps you were guilty of not listening actively! One of the key principles of active listening is allowing the other person to talk freely.

However, be aware of spending too much time discussing what is not relevant to the task at hand. Below are more principles of active listening that aim to encourage the other person.

Principle Description

Do more listening than talking. Give the other person time to talk. Show that you are interested in what they have to say.

Show encouragement. Use non-verbal as well as verbal cues to show you are listening. For example, maintain eye contact, nod, sit upright and say ‘yes’ or ‘I see’ at appropriate places, and use a positive tone of voice.

Avoid appearing tense. For example, avoid sitting with arms and legs tightly crossed and speaking in a hurried and agitated tone of voice.

Try not to agree or disagree right away.

If you feel you have to disagree, wait until the other person has explained and then disagree, but provide reasons for your stand.

Show empathy. Imagine yourself in the other person’s position. Respond to their feelings.

Be ‘other-directed’. In other words, don’t project your feelings or ideas on them.

Be accepting of the other person.

This means being non-judgmental and non-discriminatory.

Be non-defensive. Instead, admit any errors or oversights on the part of yourself or your organisation and apologise for that.

Paraphrase (summarise) what the speaker is saying.

In other words, restate key facts, issues, perceptions and interpretations. When you receive a client request, even a simple one, it’s important to check that you’ve understood it correctly.

Be aware of the other person’s sensitivities.

If you need to ask questions of a sensitive nature, ask them in a gentle, polite and supportive manner and tone of voice. Assure confidentiality. Wait for the right time to ask as well — that is, when the other person is relaxed and you have gained their confidence.

Reflect every now and again on what the other person is saying.

For example, you might say: ‘So you were quite upset by that behaviour because you felt that it was quite unfair?’ This shows the other person that you understand how they feel and that their concerns and feelings are valid.

Show warmth and support. Smile, where appropriate. Look concerned. Avoid being cold or abrupt.

Admit it when you’re lost. Avoid pretending to understand. Simply say something such as: ‘Sorry, could you just say that again?’ Clarify anything you don’t understand. This lets the other know that you have been listening and that you understand what they’re saying.

You’ll need to wait for an appropriate situation to arise to practise your active listening, but such situations arise more frequently than you’d think. Reflect on these principles and make a genuine attempt to practise them — it may not be easy, at first.

An alternative to this might be to carry out a role play, but you’ll need to find a partner — say a fellow student, family member or friend. Set up a particular situation in which your partner can play the role of a client asking you for help. You can then practise active listening techniques in handling the situation. You may also be able to do this via a telephone or chat facility.

Reflective questioning

Active listening is one technique you’ll need to practise. A related skill is to use reflective questioning or listening.

Suppose you’ve asked a supervisor for advice on an incident, or you’ve passed a tricky question along to an expert. Now you want to report back to the client, but you don’t clearly understand the answer or solution you’ve been given.

If your supervisor’s feedback isn’t clear to you, you can use reflective questioning. This is the technique of repeating the sentence with a few changes (paraphrase), but phrased as a question.

You will have heard the way some people ask a question, with a rising tone of voice at the end of the sentence. Look at the following example.

Lance: So you say I should use reflective questions?

Olga: That’s right. A reflective question copies a sentence like an echo, but changes the wording to say the same thing your way.

The use of reflective questionsA reflective question allows the other person to correct and clarify any misunderstandings you have of the message.

Reflective questioning can also be used with clients and when briefing other staff. If you echo back what a client has told you, the client then has a chance to either agree with you or point out things you missed or misunderstood. This is particularly important when trying to ascertain the facts when a client is making a complaint.

Open-ended and closed questions

Can you see how active listening and reflective questioning will help you in your client dealings? Now we’ll turn to some other types of questions. We use different types of questions for different purposes. First we’ll look at open-ended versus closed questions.

Open-ended questions gather more information. Someone answering an open-ended question cannot answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, because it wouldn’t make sense. Closed questions do require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or a similar response. These are used to clarify what you’ve received or to seek confirmation of the idea that you have.

Here are some examples of each.

Question style Description

Open-ended questions What kinds of products are you interested in purchasing?What do you need the equipment for?

Closed questions Are you saying that your email system is not working?Are you sure that you’re happy for your repayment levels to fluctuate?

ReflectThink of at least one open-ended and one closed question that you could ask a client who has phoned you at the help desk complaining that their computer is running very slowly.

You may have suggested many different questions. A couple of examples are given below. Do your questions fit a similar pattern?

Question style Description

Open-ended questions Can you tell me a bit more about the problem?What kinds of programs are you running at the moment?

Closed questions Was it OK yesterday?Did you try re-booting?

Other types of questions

What-if questionsUse what-if (or hypothetical) questions to explore the possibilities with the client (or on your own). You’ll also be able to bring out any reservations that you or the client may have. An example of this is:

What if we do not have any flights that week? Can you travel the following week?

Sorting and sifting questionsSometimes a client might give you a lot of information. This includes clients who:

do not really know what they want

are verbose

do not get to the point

talk in a stream-of-consciousness manner (don’t organise their thoughts in any way).

Some of this might not be relevant to their request and you need to sift through the information to arrive at the client’s key issues or priorities. Here are a couple of examples:

Which one of these is a priority for you? Out of all the features you’ve mentioned, are there ones that you are most interested in?

Clarification questionsSometimes what the client is saying may not seem logical or coherent. Information may seem contradictory. Before you dismiss that information as useless, ask for clarification. Perhaps the client had not explained in great detail because they had assumed that you had the prior knowledge to understand what they were saying. Here are a couple of examples:

Which incident happened first? Was it a pleasant or unpleasant visit?

Planning questionsSometimes your client will need your help to plan ahead. An architect’s work, for example, may involve planning a house that will accommodate a growing family.

A Property Loans Officer’s work may involve planning repayments. He may ask the following question:

Do you want to pay off your loan sooner?

Strategic questionsYour client may need your help in working out how to proceed next. One such question may be:

Which position, out of the two we’ve discussed, would you like us to explore next?

Organising questionsThese allow us to structure our information. Without a structure, the information would just be bits and pieces without any discernable patterns. With a good structure you’ll be able to:

see trends or themes

see how one bit of information fits in with others

compare and contrast.

Here are some examples of organising questions:Which of these documents belong to you? We’ll put these in this folder.Which ones belong to your partner? Now which ones are in both your names?

Probing questionsProbing questions go deep into the issue or problem. They aim to dig out insights and uncover underlying causes. Here are some examples:

What kinds of accounting tasks do you find difficult to perform manually? Why do you find these difficult? What are these tasks (give details of each)? How long does it take you to perform each task?

Divergent questionsA client may come to you with a problem. Both of you may already know about the advantages involved in a certain way of doing things. Now you can both explore the risks. Once you are familiar with a certain area, you can use divergent questions to help you explore territory that is related to what you already know. Look at the following example:

We’ve now got a list of things and steps you need to undertake to achieve option 1. Now what things do you need to do to achieve option 2?

Devil’s advocate questionsProvocative questions help you eliminate myths, fallacious arguments, hype and the like. They help you arrive at facts or the ‘truth’. A client may decide that they want your latest item of stock. They’ve heard that everyone is using that type of equipment. However, you want to make sure that that’s what they really need. What they want and what they actually need may be different.

Here are some examples of provocative questions.Do you really think it’s what you need?Will it be appropriate for the sort of work you’re doing?Has anyone ever researched the problem? What evidence do they have?

Summary

We began with a discussion of the importance of listening actively when determining client requests. This was followed by an explanation of the reflective questioning technique that can be used to clarify what has been said — to ensure that you have understood clients correctly. Examples of various types of questions were given to demonstrate how questions can fulfil a range of functions in your interactions with clients — such as obtaining client feedback, clarifying and expanding client requests as well as helping clients plan ahead.

Check your progressNow you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have another go and see if you can improve your responses.

When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understanding’ activity in the Preview section of this topic. This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.

Accommodate cultural differences in the workplace

What is culture? 2What is Australian culture? 3

Stereotypes 4

Communicating across cultures 6

Working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds 8Organisations and cultural diversity 9

Summary 10

Check your progress 10

What is culture?

We hear the word culture used a lot but what does culture actually mean? Culture has various meanings but it is taken here to include the social understandings, knowledge, values, beliefs and customs in a given society.

A culture refers to a large group of people, although within that group there can be sub-cultures — smaller groups with their own identities within the major culture. For example, these groups could be surfers, bike riders, teenagers, lawyers or Canadians.

You may only think of culture as meaning ‘race’, referring to the country where someone lives or where they were born. But when a large group has similar expectations about values and behaviours then they can be said to share a culture. We are all members of many different cultural groups.

Some examples of what defines some different cultures are:

the age of the people within a group (old or young)

whether the people live in the city or country

whether the people in the group have a particular physical similarity or disability

whether the people work in the same place. This is sharing workplace culture.

ReflectThe best place to start thinking about culture is to think about your own life and circumstances. Ask yourself the following questions about culture and your own life:

1 When people look at me, what cultural group do they think I belong to?

2 Why do people make this assumption?

3 What cultural group(s) do I actually feel aligned with?

4 What influences from ‘my’ culture are most important to me?

5 In what way has ‘my’ culture shaped who I am today?

What is Australian culture?Australian culture is probably more easily described when seen from the point of view of another culture. Observations of other cultures, including Aboriginal culture, suggest that non-Aboriginal Australian culture is individualistic and not family-focused, and that there

is a preoccupation with accumulating material wealth. Common phrases about Australia, used by Australians, for example, ‘she’ll be right’ and ‘fair go’ seem to indicate a concern for fairness and equality and a relaxed attitude to life. Australian cultural icons are ANZACS, surf lifesavers and sports people. Mateship and loyalty are seen as intrinsic Australian values.

Australia is a multicultural society/country, which means there are many different cultures represented in the one country, each with the right to live in the way they feel is right, as long as it fits in with the laws of the country. Although Australia is considered to be a multicultural society, the dominant influence on Australian society remains white Anglo Saxon/Anglo-Celtic culture. Aboriginal culture, in particular, has not been reflected or represented in our major institutions.

Living in a multicultural society seems like a straightforward thing to do but, in practice, it raises many issues for our society and for our relationships with diverse groups of people, including our relationships in workplaces.

Stereotypes

Figure 1: A stereotypical Aussie male

Stereotyping is a process where we classify someone according to certain characteristics. We often see in them what we want to see rather than what is really there.

When we think about the cultural stereotypes or labels that are commonly attached to people from Australia, Italy, China, the Middle East and the USA we might come up with the following:

Australia casual, sporty

China hard working, diligent

USA loud, aggressive

Middle East conservative

Italy passionate, explosive

Some of these characteristics might describe some people from these cultures but they are still generalisations. It is important not to generalise about people from different cultures because everyone is an individual. Generalising and categorising people in this way does not take into account these individual differences. Perceptions about people from different cultures are often based on media stereotypes and tourist images and, at worst, they can be considered as examples of racism.

ReflectAsk yourself these two questions:

1 What stereotypes exist about the people in my culture?

2 How do these stereotypes make me feel?

Communicating across cultures

Figure 2: Sensitive communication means being aware of all these things

Different cultures communicate in particular ways. These differences are obvious in how they greet others, how they take turns when speaking, how they address each other, what is said and how they express their feelings and react to the feelings of others.

To work effectively and to take into consideration the culture of colleagues and clients, we need to be aware of:

Non-verbal communication and culture—Gestures, movements, tone of voice, eye contact and facial expressions vary in meaning across cultures. In India, for example, shaking the head from side to side is an indication of agreement rather than disagreement which is how we understand it in Australia.

Personal space—Distancing oneself or getting closer to clients may be misinterpreted as coldness or inappropriately intimate or pushy. The gender of the client and worker is also an important factor in how personal space is utilised.

Eye contact—There are many cultural variations of what eye contact means. In some cultures such as Mexican, Japanese, Korean and many indigenous Australian cultures, avoidance of eye contact means respect. This is sometimes misinterpreted as not listening or being rude.

Use of silence—Different cultures use silences differently. Arabic people often regard silence as a time to collect private thoughts; Russians, Spanish and French might regard

silence as indicating a common agreement or shared view; while in Asian cultures silence is often used as a sign of respect.

Cultural variation in interpretation of social issues—For example, people might have a different interpretation of issues such as what constitutes a marriage or a marriage separation. In some cultures a woman may regard herself as not being separated from her husband, even though the husband has left, simply because they are still legally married.

Cultural responses to emotions—Different cultures have different rules about how to respond to emotions. Touching the hand of someone crying might be acceptable in our culture but in others, offering tissues or a glass of water could be adequate.

This, of course, is not a conclusive list of all the issues we need to be aware of but they are some points to consider.

Figure 3: Different cultures have different rules for responding to emotions

ReflectLook at the illustration at the beginning of this topic. Imagine that these two people are sitting in a dentist’s waiting room. What advice would you give the young man about his behaviour?

Working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds

Over 20% of the Australian population were born overseas. It is important to remember that in 1788, 100% of the people who lived in Australia were indigenous people. Indigenous people now make up around 1.8% of the population. It is easy to see from these statistics that a very large proportion of Australians come from a migrant heritage.

A multicultural society is one that not only recognises but actively encourages people from a variety of backgrounds to retain their language and culture. Since the 1970s government policies in Australia have reflected multiculturalism with the setting up of ethnic councils and services like the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS TV and radio). This was a complete reversal of previous government policies that favoured assimilation and integration. The earlier policies of assimilation were based on the idea that people coming to Australia and indigenous Australians should conform totally to the dominant beliefs and customs, while integration was thought of as a melting pot idea where different characteristics of each culture mixed together over generations to form a unified group.

However, culture is not just related to immigration. It is about the knowledge, values and beliefs of a society.

When working with people from a similar background, there is a shared language, similar gestures, and a shared understanding of the dominant cultural values. People are more likely to be familiar with culturally appropriate boundaries such as knowing when to shake hands or touch or not touch.

Different cultures have evolved differently, based on different political, social and religious histories, adaptation to different climatic and environmental conditions and types of food available, as well as availability of resources for economic development. Different cultures also have different ways that people relate to each other, ways of expressing feelings, using gestures, and protocols for communication, for example people from Mediterranean cultures kiss once on each cheek when they meet but Asian culture are more inclined to nod or bow.

Working with people from different cultural backgrounds can mean that you need to be aware of possible cultural differences, and respond in a culturally appropriate manner whenever possible. If you are not sure of the meaning of certain actions or gestures you might need to clarify with your colleague or supervisor.

Organisations and cultural diversityThe Australian and State governments all have policies about promoting cultural diversity. The Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW promotes multiculturalism, ethnic affairs, cultural diversity, community unity and harmony through many different programs. Many organisations also effectively accommodate cultural differences in the workplace by:

providing training on cross-cultural issues

promoting skills in cultural awareness and language

producing organisational policies and other documents about cultural diversity

having programs and projects that show respect for people of different cultures

having a register of people who speak languages other than English

using flexible arrangements to allow employees to observe religious and cultural holidays

ReflectThink about how cultural diversity is promoted in an organisation you belong to, eg a TAFE college, community group or workplace. Do you think this could be improved? What suggestions would you make if you could?

Summary

It is important for us to be aware of our own attitudes and beliefs about cultural diversity. Stereotyping cultural groups is unfair as it denies individual differences and can act against developing positive relationships with others. People from diverse cultures communicate in different ways and we need to be aware of these differences in our workplaces. Australian workplaces are encouraged to accommodate cultural differences by developing programs and work practices that view diversity in a positive light. In a multicultural country where workplaces are made up of people from diverse cultures, we can try to educate ourselves about cultural diversity by becoming aware of cultural norms, taboos and customs of the people that we come into contact with through our work. We should also be familiar with any workplace policies and documents related to cultural diversity.

Check your progressNow you should try and do the Practice activities in this topic. If you’ve already tried them, have another go and see if you can improve your responses.

When you feel ready, try the ‘Check your understanding’ activity in the Preview section of this topic. This will help you decide if you’re ready for assessment.