International Communication in the Workplace

Advancements in technology have made the world smaller. It isn’t rare for me to speak to people on several different continents throughout the workday. Many times, that can happen in a single meeting. It is amazing to be able to work towards a shared goal with somebody in a completely different part of the world without ever leaving my bedroom.

However, international communication is not without its challenges. Language barriers can often be a major hindrance to the success of a project. Learning to successfully navigate complex conversations when several parties have different native languages is a learned skill.

Experience will be your greatest asset, but you can stay ahead of the curve by employing some best practices. My hope is that the tips that I share here will guide you in any upcoming interactions you will have with international clients and coworkers.

Time Zones

It is important to get your hands around time zones as early as possible. Time zones will be the most apparent challenge you will face when communicating internationally. Simply put, “time zones makes it difficult to find meeting times…” (Zander). 

For example, I am currently working on a deployment with a stakeholder in South Korea. South Korea is ahead of Arkansas by 15 hours. I typically start my workday around 9:00 AM. To look at it another way, when I log in on Monday morning, it will be midnight on Tuesday in South Korea. 

Given that the rest of the people working on this project are scattered throughout the United States, our South Korean client contact has to jump on calls in the middle of the night to accommodate the majority.

With that said, we need to be sensitive to the sacrifices people make to contribute to projects when they are across the world from their collaborators. When you are working with people in such dramatically different time zones, it is important to make sure that your meetings with these individuals are well planned and impactful. The last thing you want to do is make your international contact feel  as if they just wasted valuable time attending a disorganized meeting that did little else but cut into their sleep schedule. 

Working with people across several different time zones at once can be a lot to keep up with. I would recommend creating yourself a “cheat sheet” like the one below that you can easily access at all times. It can serve as a great reference point when setting up meetings with your international colleagues and contacts.

Be Considerate of Your Audience

I find it awe-inspiring to watch somebody that doesn’t natively speak English drive meetings with myself and my colleagues. It is nothing short of impressive. With that in mind, it is important to remember it is not their first language. I point that out to say that we still need to do our part to communicate clearly and deliberately, even when your international contact seems like an ace at English.

Something that I have learned recently is to embrace the silence between statements when speaking to an international contact. I know that I can struggle to pick up everything that is being said if my contact has a strong accent, even when they are speaking my native language. Taking a moment to fully process somebody’s statement is encouraged. I need to extend that same courtesy, and then some, to my international contacts. Not only are they dealing with my American accent, they are having to communicate in a language other than their own. Don’t fret if a statement you make is greeted with silence. Chances are your contact is just taking some time to process what you have said. Be kind, patient, and try your best to empathize with their position. 

Also, don’t fear repetition. You should be open to repeating things as many times as necessary. At the end of the day, you and your international contacts are all working towards a shared goal. Covering the same ground multiple times to make sure everyone is on the same page isn’t rare even when all parties speak the same native language. You should especially expect it when working with an international audience.   

A language is more than the words spoken. For example, “Different cultural assumptions as to the meaning of a word, phrase, symbol, picture or agreement can cause confusion before and after a meeting” (Payne). A turn of phrase that seems commonplace to Americans may mean absolutely nothing to somebody in another country. That said, you should aim to speak as literally as possible. There is a time and place for clever metaphors, but it isn’t when communicating with your international contacts. Be as straightforward as possible at all times.

Email Etiquette

Sensitivity towards your international contacts’ communication needs should extend beyond verbal contact. Being mindful of your international audience in your emails is equally important.

Many of the same principles that apply to verbal communication apply to written communication as well. Perhaps the most impactful thing you can do in your emails to international contacts is to keep it simple. You should always remember that “If you’re emailing with someone who speaks your native language as a second language, be sure to use simple sentences and avoid unnecessary jargon” (Briggs). 

Another thing to remember is that cultures can be vastly different from one another in ways you may not even initially consider. Having said that, “…it is advised to stay on the formal side during an initial email exchange” (Briggs). In other words, taking extreme caution not to offend anyone who reads your emails is important. Aim to be as polite as possible. 

Above everything else, take the time to research international email etiquette. Email standards vary from country to country. If you know that you will be emailing back and forth with somebody in Germany over the lifetime of a project, read up on German email etiquette. Doing a little extra leg work to meet your contacts in the middle will go a long way towards a successful working relationship.

Resources

https://99designs.com/blog/tips/tips-for-optimizing-international-business-communication/

https://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/786/business_and_finance/effective_multi_cultural_international_business_meetings.htmlhttps://www.rw-3.com/blog/5-ways-to-master-international-email-etiquette

https://www.rw-3.com/blog/5-ways-to-master-international-email-etiquette