12 Tips to Strengthen Your Intercultural Communication 

7 November 2023  | Mazzi-Inc.

Do you want to take your intercultural communication to the next level? Our intercultural consultants recently shared insights on the importance of intercultural competencies for the future. Whether it's guiding leaders in building diverse teams, supporting expats in adjusting to a new culture, or resolving miscommunication within international teams, their experiences offer inspiring lessons that can help improve communication in an increasingly international world.

Based on their insights, we've gathered 12 tips for managers and organisations:

4 Tips for Relocating International Employees

1. Increase your cultural awareness and understanding of the new culture. 

2. Provide support for the entire family, including partners and children. 

3. Be aware of the subtle differences in seemingly similar cultures and offer support. 

4. Also support employees returning to their home country. 

When an organisation hires someone from another country, this new employee often integrates into both a new organisation and a new country. Compare this to jumping from a bridge into water: it might be safe, but it’s definitely useful to know what you’re doing and what to expect.

Being aware of this situation is the first step. It can make a big difference if you have a manager who understands the unique challenges of an international employee. Do expats have a partner or children? If so, they also deserve support. Engaged management can ultimately make a world of difference. 

 

4 Tips for Leading Culturally Diverse Teams  

1. Be open about cultural differences. 

2. Expect accountability from all team members. 

3. Discuss basic communication and expectations. 

4. Talk about company values and their different interpretations. 

Small cultural differences can easily be overlooked. For example, how do you give feedback? How do you show respect? What is your view on hierarchy? These issues may seem straightforward, but different cultures can have very different perspectives. This can lead to ineffective evaluations or dissatisfaction with innovation and responsibilities. It can also be problematic if there is an expectation that international talent should adapt to the working style typically found in your organisation.

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4 Tips for International Organisations  

1. Give culture as much attention as language. 

2. Seek input from local branches. 

3. Review and challenge internal procedures and processes. 

4. Continuously work on your intercultural competence and keep​​ learning. 

Just as with adapting to a new way of working, HR departments sometimes don’t fully understand the cultural differences in business approaches. Instead of forcing people to adhere to a certain way of working, multicultural teams and organisations should aim to create and maintain an inclusive culture where psychological safety, trust, and effective communication can thrive.

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Improving Your Intercultural Communication  

Do you recognise any of the challenges mentioned or are you experiencing other issues? Feel free to contact us to discuss your situation. We strongly believe that combining language and communication skills with intercultural competence opens the door to a sustainably inclusive organisational culture, which benefits every individual and team, as well as the organisation as a whole.

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