culture, evangelization, communication,

1. Communicating Across
Cultures
Daughters of St. Paul
Sister Margaret Charles Kerry FSP

2. Basics
• Be sensitive to language preference: for many
English is a foreign language and difficult.
– Don’t confuse mastering conversational English with
basic studies in reading and writing. Many people can
read languages at a basic level but are terrified of
speaking the language.
– Choose the appropriate communication pace and
vocabulary to make your acquaintance comfortable.
– Try to avoid slang and regional dialect.
– Do not pursue topic overload in a conversation.
– It does not matter what you say, it matters what the
other person hears. Enunciate and slow your speech.
– Prepare graphics/hand-outs to accompany the
speech or text.

3. Basics cont.
– Use short sentences and repeat key facts/sentences
to help the listener register key points.
– Intermittently confirm that the listener understands
key points.
– Use formal language because others culture may
tend to more formality than in the USA.
– Remember the Chevy Nova lesson: try to avoid
words which have different meanings in other
cultures (Nova = No Go.. Many cultures keep binders
on all sent and received email messages, faxes and
correspondence: be aware that there may not be
casual correspondence.

4. Basics cont.
– Not all countries have the same telecommunications
infrastructure or computer capabilities.
• Discuss during the official meeting the best way to
communicate when not face to face.
– Ascertain the informal and formal communication
paths and structure of the cross cultural audience
groups.
• A common mistake is talking to the wrong person who may
not feel empowered to negotiate or to pass along the
message.
– Know what is truly confidential discussion and not.
Just because you off-handedly say “please keep it to
yourself” is not binding.
• Sometimes it takes years to develop a confidential friend
relationship with someone in another culture. Sometimes it is
not possible within a culture which makes decisions only in a
group.

5. Basics cont.
– As has been reported many times about meetings
between Western and Eastern cultures, because of
different motivations and cultural priorities, two groups
can engage in the same conversation and walk away
with completely different understandings because of
different priorities assigned to different elements
discussed.
– When negotiating contractually, with some cultures do
not be placed in the position of waiting to last minutes
to make key decisions because this is classic
negotiation ploy
• Including waiting until a person has to take a return flight to
hammer out details in the car at the airport terminal. When
an issue is important, send the right signal by calling to
reschedule the flight in front of your other cultural negotiation
partner to signal that there is no rush for you.

6. Basics cont.
– Some cultures expect negotiation as in the
middle east where negotiation is the fun of
doing business.
• Do not fear the back and forth of word play and
negotiation with another culture.
• Research this important aspect of communication
before engaging the other culture in such dialogue.
– Expression of affection as communication
• Certain cultures hug and kiss while other are
uncomfortable doing so.
• As we know in Italy, Italian men use the word
“Love” in letters and emails to male friends.
– Notice during meetings these differences.

7. Basics cont.
– Eating is part of communication
• Some cultures do not relax and form bonds of
friendship until the dinner activity.
• If invited to dinner even after a long day of
meetings, go and participate. While the business
talk may not end and while you may be pressed on
issues in a formal manner, these social food
events are very important to many cultures.
• For certain cultures, domestic types of food might
be hard to digest or disliked for various reasons.
Before a dinner outing is published, informally ask
the other culture about food likes and dislikes to
gage what environment would be amenable to
friendship and laughter.

8. Basics cont.
– Thank in writing after meetings and social
gatherings participants.
• Many cultures expect formal acknowledgement of
past meetings.
– When major milestones with other cultural
groups are achieved
• Know when in a culture to honor the team vs an
individual.
• Know when to honor executive management for
the team.
– In some cultures documents are prepared for the sold
signature of executives. Personal ownership of work is
not always the case in other countries.
– Celebrate joint achievements with ceremonies
as a multicultural family.