Chapter 5: Communication and Culture

Improving Intercultural Communication

As with many worthwhile things in life, you can improve your intercultural communication with effort. Training programs help you become more mindful and considerate in your interactions across cultures and lead to positive changes in your thinking, feelings, and behavior (Landis, Bennett, & Bennett, 2004). Intercultural training generally focuses on three areas:

Changing thinking (or cognition). Our thinking changes when we increase our knowledge about cultures and co-cultures and develop more complex (rather than simplistic) ways of thinking about a culture. These moves reduce negative stereotypes and help individuals appreciate other points of view.
Changing feelings (or affect). When we experience greater enjoyment and less anxiety in our intercultural interactions, we feel more comfortable and positive about intercultural exchanges.
Changing behavior. When our thoughts and feelings are altered, our behavior changes too. We develop better interpersonal relationships in work groups and perform our jobs better when we know what to say and not to say—do and not do. We thus act with greater ease and effectiveness in accomplishing goals.

You don’t need to attend a special program or hire a professional intercultural trainer to improve your intercultural communication. You simply need to consider some important points as you communicate with people from other generations, faiths, ethnicities, and so on: be mindful, desire to learn, overcome intergroup biases, accommodate appropriately, and practice your skills.