How to productively communicate in a virtual platform across cultures

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“That didn’t come across the way I intended it to…can we start over?” It’s tough to communicate productively when speaking with someone from another culture. Doing it virtually? It can feel like dancing through a minefield of misinterpretations!
 
I reached out to my fellow LinkedIn Learning instructor, Tatiana Kolovou, for more guidance on this topic. She’s an expert on cross-cultural communications, and her wonderful LinkedIn Learning course, Communicating Across Cultures, is very helpful on this subject.
 
One tip Tatiana shares is using a high context form of communication—versus a low context form—when trying to increase engagement in the conversation. Low context communication tends to be more generalized and vague, which can leave room for confusion and uncertainty. High context is more specific, detail-oriented, and open-ended.
 
How do you ensure virtual communication remains productive despite possible cultural challenges?

Dave’s courses are on LinkedIn Learning and offer guidance on improving your time management, productivity, focus, and more!


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