Communication is about much more than simple words.

While the language barrier is a significant challenge that we cannot underestimate, we can overcome it with patience, good humor, and awareness of other types of communication.

Humor and patience are essential elements of verbal communication between two workers of diverse national lineage. While it can be frustrating to try and convey complex ideas to someone who doesn’t speak your mother tongue, getting irritated or being rude and condescending is the least helpful thing you can do.

Instead, try to adjust your attitude and think outside the box. Appreciate the effort that your colleague, client, or supplier is making to converse with you, shrug off the little mistakes, and share a laugh.

Furthermore, consider how other forms of communication influence the success of your approach or help you reach your goal.

Non-verbal communication is a massive part of how we relate to one another every day, although we tend not to realize it. Body language, facial expression, and other non-verbal cues make up a large portion of our interpersonal vocabulary.

To assume that these components of communication are universal is just as incorrect and dangerous as assuming that everyone can speak or understand English. Understanding your own cultural context, the cultural backgrounds of others, and how tricky it can be to mix them, especially in the context of a workplace, can end disputes before they start.

For example, an American worker prides themselves on their winning smile, their audible and confident tone of voice, and will go out of their way to make eye-contact. This is more or less the Western standard of “good” non-verbal communication. It is how we convey respect for ourselves and our conversational partners.

This, however, looks different depending on who you ask.

In Japan, workers are more reserved. They will greet you with a bow, not a handshake. They display less outward emotion and keep physical contact to a minimum. This may seem oddly formal or even unfriendly to an American, but it’s all a matter of perspective.

The more aware you are of how different cultures communicate and demonstrate respect, the less likely you are to take unnecessary offence and the more successful you will be in your cross-cultural interactions. Patience, self-awareness, and understanding are foundational aspects of a multicultural workforce.