Avoiding culture clash in an increasingly international workplace

International career opportunities are an increasingly viable and attractive option, especially for recent college graduates. Likewise, the number of international professional employees working in the United States continues to be strong. Cultures will inevitably cross in the workplace, but what can be done to avoid culture clashes?
In an interview in Business Week, author Maya Hu-Chan explains that communication styles impact cross cultural interactions in the workplace. For example, the issue of “losing face” is one that arises for many cultures, but is often less of a concern to US workers. Hu-Chan encourages US employees to “cultivate an intellectual grace and kindness which will allow you to ensure that a point is understood without shaming your colleague.” Hu-chan also recommends employees avoid using slang.

Using too many culturally narrow expressions, idioms, colloquialisms, and even too much humor can cause your message to be totally lost in translation. Your global associates may misinterpret what you said, or not understand you at all, but remain too polite to ask what has been said. For instance, one global manager from Malaysia was upset that his boss said “no-brainer” in a recent conversation. He thought his boss was insulting him by calling him stupid.

Steotypes can also impact cross-cultural interactions in the workplace – you cannot assume that Asian colleagues are good with technology or that co-workers from the Caribbean are always late. Whether you’re a US employee or an international professional working in the US or abroad, resist the temptation to stereotype your colleagues. Rather, take the time to learn about the cultures represented in your workplace by getting to know the individuals with whom you work. While embracing your cultural differences, you’ll likely find remarkable similarities!