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| [Tower of Babel*] |
The world may be becoming a global village but each of us has our own native
language and culture. This tower of Babel, now just as then, creates infinite
possibilities for misunderstanding, especially when negative emotions are
expressed. For example, the line between acceptable annoyance and unacceptable
anger is cultural and subject to interpretation. The manner in which people
express these feelings vary by culture and even subculture, a factor to be
taken into account when interpreting communication, especially written, and
sending messages.
Each culture, however defined, has created its norms for the acceptable
manner of expressing dissatisfaction beyond which the message is considered too
angry and personal for business communication. Two factors in this framing are directness
and registry. The Mediterranean and China are known for their direct approach
in terms of syntax. “You have not paid me” is not considered rude but a fact,
however unpleasant. Other regions insist on a more indirect, objective
approach that would be laughed at by direct cultures. “I have no record of
payment” sounds much less accusatory and more professional than the direct
accusation to an American or Brit even though the message is the same. Not
every country appreciates straight-to-the-point communication
Register also is a factor. For example, the form of the second person
pronoun or lack thereof is part of the message. For example, the choice of the
informal you (e.g., tu in French and du in German) would create a
very negative reaction as compared to the vous and Sie,
respectively. Likewise, Japanese business culture requires frequent use of
honorific particles. The use of titles such as Mr. or Mrs. is obligatory in
many cultures but even insulting in other ones. For example, in Israel, women
under the age of 60 do not appreciate being referred to as “Mrs. So and So” as
it that implies she is old. On the other hand, I sort of enjoy being called Mr.
Rifkind in the United States even if I subconsciously look if my late
father is near me as it means that I am receiving respect. In written
communication, this formality is expressed in the closing. For instance, proper
English letters should end in yours truly, yours sincerely or respectfully
yours regardless how untruthful, insincere or disrespectful the letter is.
Similarly, all formal French letter end in “Veuillez agréer l'expression
de mes sentiments distingués”, be assured of the expression of my
distinguished sentiments in English, even if the writer is threatening to
send the receiver of the letter to jail. Noblesse oblige. As long as the rules
of syntax and formality are followed, the message can sometimes avoid being rude but merely be highly
unpleasant.
For the receiver of emails and memos from other culture, this variety of
approaches means careful consideration of the form as well as the message in
order to ascertain the actual emotional subcontext. For example, the sentence
“I found many errors in your work” implies varying degrees of dissatisfaction.
If an Israel or Spaniard writes this, it is probable that the receiving party
will have an opportunity to re-establish trust. By contrast, this same line
from an English or German would probably mean the end of the business
relationship. On the other end of the scale, the sentence “we would appreciate
delivery in the near future” coming from a UK agency is not a polite request
but an order. It is an error to base interpretation of the message on the culture
of the receiver as that of the sender is the determining factor.
It should be noted that most users (including writers) of English
worldwide have a different native language, meaning they did not grow up in an
Anglo-Saxon country. Their level of mastery of English and awareness of culture
differences thus varies greatly. Adding to the confusion is the fact that the
name of a person provides no clue to where they were born. Just because the
first or last name may “sound” Spanish or Asian, for example, does not have any significance of their
mastery of a language or cultural norms. As a result of this linguistic
shuffling of the cards, it is a good policy to allow for cultural confusion in
interpreting communication. In practice, the person writing the message may
have no idea that their form of expression is rude. The worldwide village
demands some tolerance to operate properly.
As for creating communication, business people must attempt to take into
consideration the cultural background of the receiving party, if possible. The
purpose of communication is to attain a goal, which generally does not include
insulting the person or getting them angry. Therefore, it is advisable to
apply some indirectness where appropriate, i.e., discuss facts, not personal
intentions. For example, I would appreciate payment within seven days
works much better than Pay me within seven days, especially if a hefty
arrears interest is then mentioned. The message gets across. Likewise, it is
important to always begin correspondence with a proper salutation and closing
and maintain language-appropriate formality. The French are genius at polite
nastiness. Let your words attain your goal without interference from your form. When in doubt,
consult with an expert. Clear communication is a key for solid results.
Doing business worldwide not only requires language skills but also
cultural awareness. Faced with the need to communicate effectively with someone
on the other side of the world, geographically or culturally, business people
struggle to express what they mean and understandably so. After all, “Isn’t
that rude?” is in fact a very complicated and important question.
* Always label your pictures to allow the blind access to your posts.
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