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7. Stuck in your style? Flex your communication approach. Different communication styles originate
from culture, upbringing, and past experiences. Valuing differences includes valuing the nuances of
our styles and perspectives, not just the obvious. You may be a person of few words or a person of
many. Or you prefer details over free-form idea generation. Don’t know your style? Use a profiling tool
to uncover your style preferences. Gauge the effectiveness of your style. Is it working? In what
situations and with whom? Does it turn others off? Make sure to monitor your body language. Dr.
Albert Mehrabian’s research on trust and believability found that body language has great impact on
the message. Communication can be sabotaged when body language does not align with words. Use
strong body language such as posture and eye contact to show confidence. Gesture and smile to
display enthusiasm. Once you’ve identified your style, encourage others to do the same. Discuss
each other’s styles. Leverage each style. And remember, when there’s conflict, it could be a style
issue rather than personal.

8. Trouble connecting with people from different cultures? Hone your cross-cultural interaction
skills. Cultural background influences what people see as appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
Consider the various dimensions of culture when interacting with others. For example, what is the
power structure of the culture? Is it more hierarchical or egalitarian? In cultures with a more
collectivistic or interdependent style (where “saving face” may be important), avoid surprises that
might catch people off guard and embarrass them. Give them information beforehand so they can
prepare and feel comfortable. Does the culture place more importance on the task or the
relationship? If it is relationship focused, do more rapport building rather than jumping into the task.
Are emotions more controlled or expressive? If controlled, don’t interpret limited reaction as uncaring.
Assess where you fall within these cultural dimensions. Plan how you will adapt to the cultural gaps.
Don’t assume your style is better and impose it. Adapt without mimicking others or changing your
natural self. Let others know you are trying to better understand them.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Fuld, L. (2012, August 1). Cross-cultural communication takes more than manners. Harvard
Business Review Blog Network.
Nierenberg, A. (2005, February 17). Adapting to different communication styles. Small Business
Advocate.
Vanderkam, L. (2014, January 24). 4 Soft skills that you need to learn. Fast Company.

9. Struggle to see the value of diversity and inclusion? Explore the business case. Research
shows that people’s intentions to leave an organization were associated with their perceptions of the
organization’s diversity climate. Catalyst, a research organization focusing on women and work,
found that companies that achieve diversity in their management and on their corporate boards attain
better financial results, on average, than other companies. What is your organization doing to
promote diversity and inclusion? What are the objectives? How can you help meet these objectives in
your daily work? Remember, diversity and inclusion are not just a “nice to do.” They are a “need to
do.”

10. Lack understanding of different cultures? Develop cultural competence. Cultural competence is
the ability and knowledge to interact with different cultures, languages, styles, and experiences. It’s
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