Countries Have Borders, People Do Not

1. Have you ever felt uneasy when you don’t understand another person’s accent?
2. Do you ever feel uncomfortable when you interact with people from different cultures in your work?
3. Does your business require developing relationships internationally?

This blog is for you. 

Let’s Create, Communicate, and Collaborate 
Countries have borders, People do not.

What are your interests, concerns, questions, and needs?

Email me at harriet@harrietrussell.com 

“The World is One Family”
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
 वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्

Harriet L. Russell, CEO
Cross-Cultural Strategist
Business Ease Overseas
Tel: +1-440-236-6366

Helping Multicultural Teams work better together locally and across the globe with Mindfulness and Less Stress.

Conscious Communications: Know Yourself

Global Communications

by Harriet Russell

People learn and take in information in different ways. We speak depending upon who we are addressing, what situation we are in (environment, atmosphere), who’s within hearing range, and what the subject matter is.

Unless you grew up in the same family (and even this is not a given), you probably have a different communication style.

We are all unique. Remember and embrace our differences.
When I know myself, then I am able to better see these differences, and therefore communicate and listen more effectively.

Here is an intercultural example of how to relate to people who communicate differently. It is a look at what we call high context and low context cultures. Have some fun noticing these different styles in your own friends, family, and professional relationships, even within your community.

Low Context cultures send unambiguous messages. You see what you get, time is of the essence, they are more straightforward, and have transaction oriented business meetings. The USA, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries are of this orientation. They think that High Context countries do not respect deadlines. How about your acquaintances?

Think about management in the USA. How fast can you do it, what’s the profit margin, and hopefully, is it legal?

High Context cultures rely more on non verbal communication, indirect verbal signals, and implicit meanings. Developing trust is critical before any business can be done. China, Japan, Korea, Spain, Greece, Turkey, the entire Arab world, Latin American and Africa have this orientation. This a lot of places to write off business from If you do not understand. They think that Low context countries are too brash and impatient. How are you perceived?

High context is more foreign to us. It is not the average business style in American culture. However, we use it a lot in personal relationships.

Ask yourself: How direct are you in your requests? Expressing your needs? Do you use a different context in your business and personal relationships?

Remember: Nothing is wrong or right. It is just a matter of getting to know yourself.

Seeing yourself clearly, requires being objective. Objectivity best happens when we are relaxed and accepting of reality. How objective are you?

Some cultures are more defined in appropriateness. In Japanese, there are 107 ways to say “you” but in Spanish and French there are only two (formal and informal). In modern English, we use “you” for everyone regardless of their position, age, sex, or socio-economic standing.

One way I have worked with communications is to access the body-mind field. For example, when I feel stress, my mind is like a filter distorting reality, and then doubts and little fears crop up. I imagine that what’s not working and the way I respond to it will “never” change and what I do want will be compromised.

When I am relaxed and at peace with myself and the world around me, I can “cross over” my mind into a place of being, totally present and “in the moment”. I listen better and I communicate more clearly and joyfully. Awareness brings relaxation. The practice of yoga is to look within and to uncover the light within. When the body and mind are in complete synergy, it brings out the spirit, the heart, the joy.

Know yourself. Which way do you communicate? Is this your preference? How do you like others to communicate with you?

When I know myself, I am more open to others. When I am relaxed, I am more attuned. This helps me to relate better to others who communicate differently, honoring each other in our diversity.

I continue to learn how to bridge communication style differences. I check in on myself: How am I feeling right now in my body-mind field? Am I under stress, apprehensive, locked into a narrow frame of mind, focused on only my needs and wants?

Respectful communications require open mindedness and an open heart. And that begins within ourselves.

When Yes Means No!

Harriet Russell in Belarus

What You Need To Know About Cross Cultural Communications

For 35 years, Harriet Russell has been doing one thing — Stopping people from offending each other when doing business internationally. From managing Public Relations at Sony in the Big Apple to translating for Peter Jennings and the ABC News staff at the Tokyo Economic Summit to jetting off to Minsk for the U.S. State Department to educate and motivate entrepreneurs, Harriet understands when “Yes” really means “No,” and makes sure you do, too.

Harriet lived and worked overseas for eight years and is fluent in several languages. She is a published author by Encyclopedia Britannica, and has taught intercultural communications at universities here and abroad. Harriet has been commended by the Fulbright Commission and given an award by Rotary International for creating friendly relations among peoples of the world — and not just because she knows to kiss twice in Spain and three times in Italy.

Harriet has been interviewed by NBC, ABC, CBS, Crane’s Business, Asahi Shimbun Daily, and more.