Why Global Companies Need to Invest in Cross-Cultural Communication

In today's professional landscape, the ability to communicate efficiently and multi-culturally can’t be underestimated. Nowadays, businesses operate in the global economy, and nearly every professional will work with individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds, often across borders. 

Our individual cultures shape how we communicate, share information, and tackle problems within communities around us and our workplaces. As a result, leaders who prioritize cultural intelligence (CQ) in their workplace communication efforts will have stronger relationships and glean stronger results. 

Here’s why you, as a leader, should prioritize proficiency in cross-cultural communication in your workplace.

1. It creates strong workplace relationships.

Communication practices around the world reflect the underlying beliefs and values that serve as the foundation for each society. When employees learn and adapt to each other's communication patterns, they’re able to manage conflict and build stronger working relationships. In the long run, this understanding of different cultural communication methods will benefit your organization’s efficiency.

2. It broadens the scope for problem-solving.

Cross-cultural communication promotes international teamwork, which is essential for the development of formal organization models. By allowing teams to bring their experiences, diverse perspectives, and expertise on issues, your organization can explore new approaches. Naturally, this diversification can enhance your organization's problem-solving and entrepreneurship innovation capabilities.

3. It allows you to share common goals.

When done appropriately, one of the essential benefits of cross-cultural communication is sharing common goals. It ensures that every individual is focused and able to stay on track. By encouraging employees to interact internationally, rather than just within their native region, your organization can ensure that all of its workers share information. That gesture helps keep their work up to date and helps maintain quality standards, resulting in a higher return on investment.

4. It helps you produce and market suitable commodities.

Cross-cultural communication is essential not just for an organization but also for its customers, users, and stakeholders. Cultural intelligence and understanding can assist multinational corporations by helping them increase the relevance of their products to their customers. It also contributes to an organization's flexibility and responsiveness.

Cross cultural communication allows global teams to make decisions at a worldwide scale and simultaneously, at the regional level, by allowing them to consider local needs and requirements to deliver proper goods to consumers.

5. It allows you to continually improve your workplace.

Cross-cultural communication promotes continuous learning in the workplace. Heterogeneous groups frequently question each other more than homogeneous ones. By frequently challenging the status quo, you can ensure that new ideas for improvement and innovation are considered on an ongoing basis. 

6. It allows you to enrich your human resources.

When cultural barriers are overcome, a company can acquire qualified individuals from all over the world. Cross-cultural communication styles let a formal organization capitalize on the diverse abilities and competencies of its team members. When engaging in skilled-based activities, a team with high competencies surpasses groups that lack specific skills or cannot correctly coordinate them.

In this way, diversity in team composition doubles the number of suggestions and the variety of perspectives making heterogeneous organizations more innovative than homogeneous groups. For example, in decision-making, research reveals that diversity in membership enhances the number of solutions presented and alternatives discussed.

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In a constantly evolving landscape for change and innovation, developing cross-cultural communication as a core skill within your teams is a necessity.  Consider researching corporate cultures, regional languages, beliefs, values, habits, and activities to better communicate in cross-cultural settings. 

Not sure where to get started with enhancing your team’s cross-cultural communication? Speak with a Crescendo team member to learn how Crescendo helps global teams work and communicate effectively with each other by embedding diversity, equity and inclusion learning into the flow of work!