Being attuned to other cultures

- Saying hello and goodbye in most cultures involves eye contact, and quite often, a polite smile. However, physical contact and distance between people will vary depending on the part of the world that you're in. If the meeting is in a virtual setting, you might have a tough time reading the other person through the camera. In general, the skill of reading people and situations is being attuned, a skill you need when communicating across cultures. Being attuned to other cultures includes reading nonverbals and knowing how high or low the general culture lays on the context spectrum. In low-context cultures, messages are spelled out, communication is verbatim, there's a lot of talking versus silence. You'll see many more visual signs and directions outdoors, and there are pamphlets with lots of instructions. Information seems to be overexplained, and in business settings, manuals are long, agendas are detailed, and documents are extensive. Low-context cultures are in countries such as Germany and Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, United States, Australia, South Africa, and Canada. In high-context cultures, messages are not as explicit. You have to be able to read between the lines or some say read the air. Conversations seem to include more silence, and more often, the meaning of a message is carried by body language, facial expressions, and intonation. In high-context cultures, people use more metaphors, and they reference history and the past. You'll find high-context cultures in the southern Mediterranean, most of South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Now, we've explained high and low context, but how do we develop the skill to be attuned to different cultures? The only way to figure out the context of a culture is to collect data. Just like American cross-cultural researcher and anthropologist Edward Hall did. He sat on benches of busy parks and just watched people. Here are a few things to look for as you observe people to determine context. Personal space. Do strangers speak standing close to each other? Do they maintain a four-foot distance typical in the United States for strangers, or do they stand closer? When people who seem to be acquainted are having a conversation, do they stand or sit close? Space is a hint for context. In high-context cultures, space is a lot more intimate. Writing tone. Even though written words tend to be more formal than spoken words, you can glean a lot about a culture by reading their communication. Do they include a formal greeting? Do they use titles? Do they build rapport and sign off with friendly greetings? High-context cultures tend to be more formal, especially in writing. Physical touch. Are couples, friends, families walking and are they holding hands? Do people reach for one another's shoulder when they talk? Are they embracing with a hug and a kiss on the cheek when they greet? Just like personal space, the higher the level of personal touch you observe, the more that means that the culture you're in values relationships and face time. Nonverbal animation. Even when people don't know one another, do they make eye contact as they pass? Is there any personal acknowledgment between people? Is there a smile? In virtual meetings, are faces and bodies animated? What you are observing is how people act as a group. What's the norm? In a business meeting in Finland, a colleague may be silently and intensely looking at you without any facial expression to show her respect. If that was in England, that would be the fastest way for her to show her disinterest. If you have the time to collect information on your new setting and the people in it, do it. You'll be more attuned, and as a result, customize your message so it's understood in the context of the culture you're in.