Cultural communication


 

Cultural communication  

 Culture has a big impact on communication. Before Customer ship, ethics and interaction skills course I knew that people from different cultures may speak different languages, but I did not think deeply about how values, traditions and communication styles affect interaction.

 In the cultural communication part of the course, I learned that things like eye contact, personal space, touch, tone of voice and even silence can have very different meanings in different cultures. I also understood that I must be careful not to stereotype people. Even if two people come from the same country, their personal experiences and beliefs can be very different.

 One important new idea for me was that cultural sensitivity is not only knowledge, but also an attitude. It means being curious, open and respectful, and being willing to learn from the customer. It also means being aware of my own culture and how it shapes my thinking.

 For example, imagine that I am working with two customers, one from Finland and one from another country where direct eye contact is considered rude. If I do not know this, I might think the person is not interested or is hiding something. Now, after this course, I would try to understand these differences and adapt my communication style. I might give more space, avoid staring directly into their eyes all the time, and use more gentle, indirect questions. In this way, I can build trust and avoid misunderstandings.

 

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