Comments on: Navigating Differences in Language

By: Judy Ringer

Judy Ringer — Sat, 05 Sep 2015 19:15:21 +0000

Thanks, Joseph. Terrific post. I like so many pieces that have already been mentioned, especially moving from fear to goal orientation, both as mental and conversational act. I also appreciate moving this from a content to relationship conversation. And crucially, as you say, once we believe it will be easy, it will be.

By: Maxine Davidson RN

Maxine Davidson RN — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 00:36:00 +0000

In the medical field it is usually Multi Cultural, many have accents. Speech Therapy can help to alleviate this problem.

By: Sara Arc Clark (@SaraAClark)

Sara Arc Clark (@SaraAClark) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 20:20:33 +0000

Thank you for this post. Thinking about differences in communication styles across cultures, some cultures are very comfortable having conversations about the relationship and others aren’t at all. As Janet Bennett calls “relational confrontation” and, as I understand, relational confrontation is uncommon many Asian cultures and in Northern European cultures. How does this play into the comfort and success of trying to have a relationship conversation with a person who is not accustomed to having that kind of discussion?

By: David Bigelow

David Bigelow — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:03:38 +0000

In reply to Debbie. Sometimes that true. It depends on the circumstances. A person laying in the ditch would probably rather you help him change his position in life than to just understand his dilemma. Give people a hand up from where they are.

By: David Bigelow

David Bigelow — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:00:22 +0000

In reply to Yvea Zaels. What a refreshing voice of clarity. Thank you!

By: Debbie

Debbie — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 09:55:20 +0000

I work in a team with many nationalities represented and we’re all surrounded by folks with different accents. I find after speaking with another – and really listening – my ear adapts to their accent, after which communication is fluid. It’s easier and friendlier to understand others than to change them!

By: Yvea Zaels

Yvea Zaels — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 18:35:25 +0000

Joseph, I love that you choose this topic. We are facing systematic and leadership challenges in collaboration and communication across teams with English as Second Language (ESL) members. We are expected to collaborate effectively in the current workplace that resembles Babylon. However, there is no training for any of the team members, being native English or ESL, to acquire the essential skills. I taught almost thousand people how to provide effective feedback for ESL individuals, to close the gap. Especially native English speakers feel relieved after having the knowledge of how to provide kind and effective feedback.
The reality is that most ESL expect and crave feedback. 99% of ESL individuals have no idea how their communication affects others. Majority don’t know how to improve their English and what is the expected English proficiency at work. HR or even diversity personnel are afraid of language discrimination. Yet language is not a ground for discrimination. Newcomers are required to know the official language. Employers request excellent communication skills, but don’t provide the guidelines for ESL. We have a long way to go to set clarity and build the needed skills. Thank you for selecting this important topic.

By: Dr LInne Bourget MA MBA Ph.D.

Dr LInne Bourget MA MBA Ph.D. — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 18:55:34 +0000

Joseph, excellent advice, deeper than the usual superficial techniques, and dovetails with my 30+ yrs. of positive change leadership work…would add some exploration of cultural aspects the accentedemployee has with positive valuing of those beneficial…I grew up multi-nationally/multi-lingually and always enjoy learning about new cultures and languages…when appreciated, those of other cultures are often eager to work on their accents or learn our idioms. This can be fun!

He should though be willing to write until accent issues smooth out and in fact documentation of technical requirements is better for everyone and reduces rework and misunderstandings anyway (from the corporate quality movement in which I “grew up”).
Dr Linne Bourget MA MBA Ph.D.
http://www.WhatYouSayIsWhatYouGet.com

By: Trish

Trish — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 18:37:31 +0000

I loved this post a lot. Especially this quote: “What awesome, wonderful, out-of-this-world gift can this conversation give to the other person if it goes well?” Get that goal clear in your mind. A couple of people over the years have given me that gift, not always as smoothly as you are recommending, but it was still a gift and I made changes because of it.

By: Patty Miller

Patty Miller — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 17:25:55 +0000

The advice you shared is very good, however this is something I see all the time with new Canadians. They may be extremely smart however communication is a big part of the job. Having a very thick accent can keep this person from blooming in their new country. As a Sr. HR Consultant,I recommend people with thick accents to invest in Accent Reduction training, sometimes the company will pay for this. This is excellent, specialists teach you how to roll your tongue and actually minimize your accent. The investment in themselves will prove valuable for current for future career growth. Remember, it is not only technical skills that get you the job but communication and soft skills too.