A very good friend of mine, who is of Polish decent, was reading an article in Polish next to me and pointed to a name referenced repeatedly, that being Michał Anioł. She looked up at me peering over her shoulder and said, “You know this guy.”
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I honestly had no clue who she was talking about and said so. She looked at me like I was crazy. I reiterated that I truly had no idea who Michał Anioł was, assuring her that I was not joking. She looked flabbergasted.
She then turned the page and I was suddenly looking at the world-famous Statue of David, which I had first seen when I studied in Florence, Italy, in 1981. It was then of course that I realized she had been talking about Michelangelo, who of course I knew thoroughly and even wrote course papers about.
Such communication mishaps occur all the time in workplaces. Two people can interpret the same word or phrases in opposite ways. Cultural differences can further complicate the communication and outcome.
Given that communication and diversity acceptance are extremely important for employee engagement, here are four proven tips on how to best handle each:
- Provide examples when communicating. (e.g., The Statue of David)
- Ask for clarification. (e.g., “Can you give me an example of why you expected me to know this Michał Anioł?)
- Encourage all managers at your organization to always share what they learn at management meetings with their work groups and direct reports. Research has consistently shown this lack of communication is the single greatest complaint about communication. As such, encourage your managers to put ongoing Outlook Calendar reminders to host “huddles” with their employees, thereby making such consistent communication inescapable.
- Make a concerted effort to “bridge the gap” as it relates to differences in culture, ethnicity, gender, age, language, education, etc. Furthermore, create an organizational culture that accepts, appreciates, and learns from those differences.
Many times, you won’t know if your communication has been unclear because no one has given you honest feedback. This problem can be even more common when working with diverse team members who have different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of working.
With performance review season right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what can be improved in your workplace, and what you can personally do better. Focusing on improving communication can make a resounding impact in your day-to-day work experience, and that of your colleagues.
| Kevin Sheridan is an internationally-recognized Keynote Speaker, a New York Times Best Selling Author, and one of the most sought-after voices in the world on the topic of Employee Engagement. For 6 years running, he has been honored on Inc. Magazine’s top 100 Leadership Speakers in the world, as well as Inc.’s top 100 experts on Employee Engagement. He was also honored to be named to The Employee Engagement Award’s Top 101 Global Influencers on Employee Engagement of 2017.
Having spent 30 years as a high-level Human Capital Management consultant, Kevin has helped some of the world’s largest corporations rebuild a culture that fosters productive engagement, earning him several distinctive awards and honors. Kevin’s premier creation, PEER®, has been consistently recognized as a long-overdue, industry-changing innovation in the field of Employee Engagement. His first book, Building a Magnetic Culture, made six of the best seller lists including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He is also the author of The Virtual Manager, which explores how to most effectively manage remote workers. Kevin received a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School in 1988, concentrating his degree in Strategy, Human Resources Management, and Organizational Behavior. He is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded and sold three different companies. Connect with Kevin on Twitter, LinkedIn, or e-mail: kevin@kevinsheridanllc.com. For more information, visit Kevin Sheridan’s website: www.kevinsheridanllc.com. |