Remote Intercultural Teams ‒ What Gets Lost Beyond Translation
Updated: Feb 6, 2024
Written by: Mariann Bobály-Dienes, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Now more than ever understanding each other is key. In the era of a global pandemic, travel disruption, and work from home, communicating with intercultural remote teams has become a fundamental business need. So how do you reach everyone and make sure each team member is more or less on the same page? Here are a few tips if you are new to this game and want to have an effective intercultural communication strategy from the start, but they can also help if you are already experienced and need a bit of pick me up.
Forget all your assumptions about effective communication of your native culture (hit the reset button)
The culture we grow up in influences us. We get conditioned to behave according to societal norms that we consider right and when we encounter a new culture, we mostly try to use our skills from our own culture. This happens to most of us, but it prevents us from effectively communicating with other cultures. It might create resentment, frustration, and misunderstanding. In order to get your message across effectively, you need to let go of your pre-set communication skills and understand that what works in your culture will not necessarily work in your interactions with other cultures.
Examine the culture you are dealing with and assess yourself in view of the target culture (use intercultural tools)
Getting an overview of the cultural dimensions of the cultures you interact with is the first step. You can use tools that are available online to get information about the specific cultures you need to understand. One of the greatest ones is Erin Meyer’s tool, available online here. But this will not be enough ‒ understanding is only one part of the equation, you need to assess and change your communication style according to the respective culture and you need to be willing to adapt your behaviour.
Select a means of communication that works in all cases (it will most probably not be email)
You probably use several channels for communication ‒ including email, a chat application, mobile phones, and other software. Take a look at the culture in question and see what works best. Have a discussion with the team members to decide which would be the best and start using that one. Select one that would be suitable for emergencies and that can reach all your team members, even if resources are scarce.
Do not assume that having a common (English) language will solve all your problems
Even if you have excellent associates with nice business English, sometimes there is misunderstanding and things don’t always work out the way you planned. The assumption that we speak the same language is only true so far as we technically speak English, but with intercultural teams the variety of English as a first and second language is huge. This can affect even the most mundane of situations, such as what time you need to show up at a meeting to the most important ones, whether you get a deal, a contract, or a new hire. Be sure to clarify, specify and signpost in your interactions as much as you can.
Second languages are learned in all sorts of places in all sorts of ways, and we all know for a fact how much gets lost in translation
English as a second language is taught in various manners with all kinds of resources and results vary. Students learn in search of a career and a better life, but there is often anxiety attached to using it, and mother tongue interference and accents will also produce issues. Implicit and explicit meaning can be attached to certain things and concepts. What is acceptable in one culture might be completely inappropriate in another with all kinds of different connotations that we are not always aware of. Heather Hansen’s work in this area is outstanding.
Acknowledge the time zone difference and the transition time from one culture to another ‒ offer psychological safety
Remote teams are usually not situated in the same time zone and often not in a similar culture. Time zone differences will have an effect on the team members ‒ one time zone in the morning ‒ full of energy, another in the afternoon or evening ‒ winding down with a lower attention span. This is just one example worth considering when adjusting your communication style. Also, the process of living in one culture and switching to another when working is often overlooked. This is not an easy thing to do, it can become a skill and become easier with time ‒ but both team members and managers need to understand that sometimes they need to put on a different culture hat when they are at work and that the actual switch takes considerable emotional energy.
On Screen and Off Screen Conversations Will Differ
Each culture brings a set of nonverbal communication characteristics. They will show up in a different way and will influence telephone conversations and video calls. Also bear in mind that telephone conversations will not be suitable for certain discussions in certain countries. Video calls can also create stress and tension because of different rules in a given culture and can be out of the comfort zone of a lot of people.
Recognize the Individuals Behind the Culture
As much as intercultural models are helpful, overgeneralization can be rather misleading when it comes to personal interactions. We often live in cultures and learn to act according to a culture, but we also have our own personality and identity, which is shaped by several factors, and it is not simply the culture of the country we live in. Here again, excellent tools exist for analyzing a team and its members to foster understanding. Using them can generate understanding at a much deeper level. Csaba Toth has developed an excellent model, Global Disc.
Ask for help from an intercultural expert
You can do a lot to improve communication and increase synergies, but there are cases when a third eye can work wonders. An intercultural expert can throw light on issues and save you time, energy and headaches by pointing out blind spots that you yourself are not aware of. The mere fact that somebody understands your perception issues and makes you understand that you are not alone with your views, you are not doing anything wrong, just trying to deal with a different culture, is huge. A lot of organizations miss out on the opportunity of understanding intercultural differences because they do not appreciate the value of such insights. I can only close with one sentence at the end of a rather successful intercultural workshop. “I wish we had known this when we started working here ‒ it would have saved us so much energy and time.” Go on and explore other cultures and you will see you will find out so much about yours and will only benefit from the learning process.
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Mariann Bobály-Dienes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Mariann Dienes is an intercultural consultant and applied linguist with a background in both business and Applied Linguistics. Having worked for multinational organizations for more than 10 years, she brings a wealth of experience to intercultural consulting. Her qualifications in Applied Linguistics, Neurolanguage Coaching and English Teaching provide an excellent skill set that facilitates intercultural understanding at its best. Her primary aim is to assist clients in achieving an increased awareness of cultural dimensions, and foster understanding and cooperation in organizations.
