TABLE OF CONTENTS Underlying the skills or mechanics of successful communication, within a culture or across cultures, is motivation. The best communicators typically have a greater desire to understand the other person and to have their message understood by the other (Table 6.15).
| Motivation or mental state more likely to succeed | Motivation or mental state more likely to fail |
|---|---|
| Interested in meeting new people | Not interested in meeting new people |
| Interested in hearing about and | Not interested in hearing about and |
| learning different ways of doing things | learning different ways of doing things |
| Patient with people who are different | Impatient with people who are different |
| Curious to learn about other cultures | Not curious to learn about other cultures |
| Interested in building better relationships with people by working together | Interested in getting the work done, with little interest in the people |
| See the best in people and situations | See the worst in people and situations |
Here s how to build interest in communicating with and working with others:
Provide employees with some background on the newcomer.
Share organizational success stories on teamwork, where fresh ideas and perspectives made a positive difference.
Provide an opportunity to learn about new cultures through speakers from your international operations, movie viewings, books, articles, etc.
Provide opportunity for social mixing, for example, ethnic lunches, international holidays, birthday parties, and team building exercises.
Reward collaboration, and reward collaboration across cultures.
