Overview

Class Central Tips

Communication is much more than the words you say. And cultural communication is much more than just the language you speak. What you say is never interpreted exactly as you meant it and what you hear is never what was meant by what was said. When you mix in the differences of how different cultures draw lines between social interactions and work interactions, give and receive feedback, and engage in and resolve conflict, the barrier to understanding can feel impossible to overcome. You will learn how to recognize your own communication style and how it is being perceived in ways you never intended. From there, we will explore how to successfully integrate multiple cultural norms into your communications and to create a brand new language unique to your team. Before you know it, on the strength of your multinational cultures, your team will be the model to which less diverse teams aspire. We can’t wait to communicate with you!

Syllabus

Getting Started and How Human Beings Communicate

In this module you will be able to compare and contrast different forms of communication and examine one's own communication style. You'll be able to practice explaining a need to others through multiple forms of communication and be able to identify how communication shows up in a team environment. You will also be able to define interpersonal gap and use strategies to minimize the distance.

Cultural Differences in Communication

In this module, you will be able to define the larger idea of "language" beyond words and be able to recognize how cultural communications changes in various settings. You will be able to analyze how context in culture can vary communications styles. You will also be able to examine how formal and informal communication will differ within a culture.

Managing Challenges in Communication in Cross-Cultural Teams

In this module, you will be able to examine the challenges that culture might play in communication within your team, including concepts of social and work time. You will be able to assess where culture is connected in communication-based conflicts and apply strategies to create a consistent communication and feedback in the team to minimize cultural conflict. You will use strategies to resolve conflict within the team and use the awareness wheel tool to showcase effective communication on a team.

Co-Creating a New Language With Your Team

In this module, you will be able to apply various techniques that include all the cultural norms of your team and apply code mixing when working with individuals. You will be able to find common ground through shared experience, humor about cultural differences, and create interest in learning about each other. You will be able to define and use strategies to create your team norms and obtain buy-in. You will be able to write down your grammatical syntax that is unique to your team and also be able to identify that change is constant, so you will need to be able to create a plan that is iterative with your team norms.