Culturally Competent

In this era of globalization, meeting persons from other countries happens often. It is called cross-cultural communication. Without proper understanding of it, misunderstandings can occur, especially in the workplace. Much care should we put forth when communicating with foreigners because we might offend them without intending to do so.

People who practice high-context communication do not explicitly say what they want to convey. They do this to preserve and strengthen relationships. Europeans, however, practice low-context communication. For them, the spoken word carries most of the meaning. The use of verbal message is explicit, while non-verbal elements, limited.

The French believe that as long as the person does a good job, then he or she is a good manager. They prefer to separate work and personal life. They believe that relationships do not have much effect on work. For them, people can work together without having good relationships.

Hence, without proper understanding of cross-cultural differences, a person will have problems communicating and interacting with another from a different background. In conclusion, we need to be culturally competent to interact globally.