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Effective Communication in Multicultural Teams
Rakuten Tech Conference 2016
Hello!I’m Rochelle Kopp
You can find me at @JapanIntercult in English, @JICRochelle in Japanese, and @SVSpeak for Silicon Valley topicsEmail: [email protected]
Let’s use Global English!
Tell me to slow down, or ask ques-tions if needed.
The Next Adventure of Human-kind
Will it be like Star Trek?
Group discussion and debrief
▪What’s most difficult for you about communicating in multicultural teams?
What is culture?
Assess Your Communication Style
▪For each of the statements below, choose how well it describes yourself, using one of the following:1 Strongly agree
2 Somewhat agree
3 Neutral
4 Somewhat disagree
5 Strongly disagree
Questions
▪I feel that problems are best solved by getting them out in the open.
▪I feel that differences in opinion should be surfaced rather than hidden or glossed over.
▪I enjoy debate and discussion.▪I say clearly what I am thinking without
hesitation, even if I know it’s different from what others are thinking.
▪I believe that conflict can be healthy and constructive.
1 Strongly agree
2 Somewhat agree
3 Neutral
4 Somewhat disagree
5 Strongly disagree
Scoring
▪Please add up your answers for questions 1-5, and divide by five. This is your score for “Communication and conflict resolution."
The farther someone is to the left, the more they:
▪Feel that problems are best solved by getting them out in the open.
▪Do not feel that confrontation damages relationships.
▪Feel that differences in opinion should be surfaced.
▪Enjoy debate and discussion.
▪Say clearly what they are thinking.
▪Do not hesitate to give their own opinion.
Out in the open, confrontation OK, direct Avoids confrontation, indirect
The farther someone is to the right, the more they:
▪Feel that harmony is important.
▪Fear that confrontation will damage relationships.
▪Are uncomfortable being open about differences in opinion.
▪Are careful when communicating information that the other person may not want to hear.
▪Sugar-coat, use roundabout and softer ways of saying things.
▪May be reluctant to share their opinion.
Out in the open, confrontation OK, direct Avoids confrontation, indirect
Communication and conflict
resolution style
DK D NL F R H SW A US I S B UK IN HK K J LA P ME E C AF SE
V M T
Out in the open, confrontation OK, direct Avoids confrontation, indirect
If the person you are working with is to the right of you:
▪Avoid disagreeing with someone or criticizing them in front of other people.
▪Be careful in your tone and choice or words when you disagree with someone.
▪Be sensitive to subtleties of what the other person says -- and doesn't say -- to you.
▪Find methods other than public debate for addressing issues -- put more emphasis on one-on-one conversations.
Out in the open, confrontation OK, direct Avoids confrontation, indirect
If the person you are working with is to the left of you:
▪Realize that their disagreement with you or criticism of your idea does not mean that they dislike you personally.
▪Don't think that you are being treated rudely when you are spoken to directly or without the niceties/softeners typical in your culture.
▪Put your opinion into words and don't hesitate to express it.
▪ If someone's behavior is bothering you, let them know about it (give negative feedback).
▪Explain your actions.
Out in the open, confrontation OK, direct Avoids confrontation, indirect
Specific helpful tech-niques
Disagreeing effectively
▪AVOID: I do not like your idea. / You are wrong. / Your view is not good. / That’s stupid.
▫I have a different viewpoint on this.
▫I see this another way.
▫I have been thinking about this problem from another angle.
▫I respect your opinion, but I think that ~
▪I see your point, but I believe that ~
Expressing concerns
▪AVOID: (Not saying anything)
▪I’m not completely convinced.
▪I have some concerns about this.
▪I think we need to think about this more.
▪Let’s discuss further before deciding.
▪I would like to gather more data about this.
▪I’m not ready to decide yet.
▪There are parts of this that I’m not comfortable with.
Getting a word in edgewise
▪AVOID: (Not saying anything)
▪Excuse me.
▪May I say something?
▪I’d like to comment.
▪I have something to say.
▪May I have a turn?
▪I’d like to talk.
▪May I have the floor?
Over-coming the language barrier
Use of identificaton statements
▪Stating form of the expression at the beginning of speaking.
▪Just do it yourself, or can be agreed to by participants prior to meeting.
▪Can also be adopted as an in-house protocol.
▪Examples▸ I have a question.▸This is my opinion.▸This is a suggestion. / I have an idea.▸This is some factual information.
Two verb exercise
What can native speakers do? (and what should non-native speakers ask for?)
▪Distribute materials ahead of time
▪Prepare an agenda
▪Avoid slang and unusual vocabulary (or explain it)
▪Enunciate clearly
▪Slow down
▪Don’t try to talk louder
▪Draw diagrams / use whiteboard
▪Write confirming memos
Thanks!!Any questions?You can find me at @JapanIntercult in English, @JICRochelle in Japanese, and @SVSpeak for Silicon Valley topicsEmail: [email protected]
