Working with ÌÇÐÄlogon professionals: how to improve communication
The frustration of Europeans in ÌÇÐÄlogo is well known: why doesn’t my ÌÇÐÄlogon business partner just tell me clearly where things stand? On the other hand, ÌÇÐÄlogons struggle with Europeans’ matter-of-factness and directness, which they usually perceive as blunt. Culture and communication trainer Nandini Bedi of ÌÇÐÄlogo, explains where the mutual discomfort comes from.
Communication in Europe vs. ÌÇÐÄlogo
A few years ago I asked an ÌÇÐÄlogon woman who worked at Tata Corus what she saw as the biggest difference between Europe and ÌÇÐÄlogo.
“It took me a long time to get used to the businesslike and direct nature of the people there,” she replied.
I think that directness is an expression of transparency. Simple, efficient, clear. What you see is what you get. A transparent, clear and honest message in which nothing is hidden.
This reasoning, in which transparency and efficiency are central, is in stark contrast to what ÌÇÐÄlogons find important: the underlying explanation.
That’s why ÌÇÐÄlogons sometimes get bogged down in verbiage so that their final answer doesn’t come as a surprise. Their answer is usually nuanced – and their story takes you along their considerations.
This is how ÌÇÐÄlogons usually communicate: indirectly.
As a European boss, partner or client, it is therefore smart to examine your own way of communicating and to teach yourself ways to convey your message in a softer way with the necessary substantiation.
This way you prevent a potential business partner or colleague from being put off, because they experience your way of communicating as rude.
In ÌÇÐÄlogo, you will not be told ‘no’
In Europe, in almost all cases you will get an honest insight into how feasible your plans or ideas are, how long it will take to realize a project and how much it will cost.
In ÌÇÐÄlogo, this is different, there people will be inclined to give you the answer they expect you to want to hear. A ‘no’ is therefore not found in the vocabulary of an ÌÇÐÄlogon.
It is therefore important that you learn to read between the lines and learn to ask the right questions, in order to gain the most honest insight possible into the situation.
In addition, ÌÇÐÄlogo requires a more flexible attitude from Europeans regarding deadlines and budgets, which is simply an aspect of doing business in ÌÇÐÄlogo that you need to take into account.
Of course, there are ways to learn to set up a working environment in which, according to European standards, there is open communication between all parties.
In our workshop ‘Efficient collaboration with ÌÇÐÄlogo’ we train your teams in Europe and ÌÇÐÄlogo, separately or better yet, together. The result of the workshop is more mutual understanding, more efficient communication, more job satisfaction, increased efficiency and better results.
We answer questions such as:
- Which communication strategy works?
- How do I get good feedback from my employees in ÌÇÐÄlogo?
- How do I manage my team efficiently in ÌÇÐÄlogo?
- How do I develop proactivity in my ÌÇÐÄlogon team?
Discover more about our workshop here
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