How to Communicate With Employees From Different Cultures.

1. How to Communicate With Employees From Different Cultures. Important Facts to Know About Hispanic Employees to Help Communication in the Workplace.

2. Introduction • Over the past 30 years, the Hispanic population has exhibited tremendous growth in the United States. Hispanics comprise about 11% of the U.S. population, including 3.6 million residing in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Approximately 31 million individuals are identified as Hispanics. The U.S. Hispanic population is projected to become the largest minority group by the year 2006. Seventy percent of the Hispanic population is concentrated in four states - California, Texas, New York, and Florida. Mexican is the largest ethnic subdivision of Hispanics in the United States, comprising about 63.3%, followed by Central and South American (14.4%), Puerto Rican (10.6%), Cuban (4.2%), and other Hispanics (7.4%). • Hispanic is a term created by the U.S. federal government in the early 1970s in an attempt to provide a common denominator to a large, but diverse, population with connection to the Spanish language or culture from a Spanish-speaking country. The term Latino is increasingly gaining acceptance among Hispanics, and the term reflects the origin of the population in Latin America.

3. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Understand relativism: some things are relative to some particular frame or reference, such as a language or a culture. Understand that people from other cultures might have entirely differently value systems than yours, but still not be explicitly wrong.

4. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Give proper personal space: Different cultures have different norms regarding what personal space is public (in which other humans can stand and converse with you) and private (reserved only for your dear ones.

5. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Do not belittle their religion: Remember, most people believe passionately in their religions, and what strikes you as unreal, may be his constant truth. If you have trouble dealing with it, you may wish to skirt the topic of religion altogether.

6. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Learn to recognize physical cues: The gamut of Cultures contain a physical-gesture kaleidoscope. Often when people visit other countries, they get lost and miss subtle cultural cues, which leads them to misinterpret others. The use of irony, the implication of a laugh, are many times visible only through the squinting of the eyes, the shaking of the hand, which a cultural outsider might miss.

7. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Know relationship differences: Many foreigners think American relationships are superficial (with a brief "Hi, Jim", and never a backward glance). Americans might think relationships in other cultures are too sentimental. So, know that if a person strikes you as too voluble or withdrawn, it may be considered normal in his culture.

8. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Learn about their culture: Learn about the greetings, the goodbye rituals, the before-meal ceremonies, the food, the clothes. If some catch your fancy, you might even try them! This will help you understand people from other cultures.

9. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Accept there may be lapses in communication: Even the best communicators fall short when jumping across the vast cultural chasm. Humor and non-defensiveness are the best bridges at such times.

10. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Ask: There is no better tool for effective communication. If something strikes you as funny or inappropriate, if you feel the other person is neglecting you or is offended, simply ask him what you can do to remedy the problem. Grievances are like silence- broken when they are spoken out.

11. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Speak in a clear voice, minimizing an accent if possible. Someone from a different culture may have limited communication skills in your native language.

12. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Remain patient when someone from a different culture that has trouble understanding you. Repeat your message paraphrasing as needed to get the meaning across.

13. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Develop active listening skills to understand what is being said. Allow them to express their thoughts before responding; focus on what they are trying to express without making judgments about their character or personality.

14. Steps to Understanding Different Cultures • Pay attention to nonverbal communication. Hand gestures, facial expressions, posture and personal space all convey different meanings across cultures. Understand the culture of the person you're dealing with to adjust nonverbal interactions.

15. Cross-Cultural Workplace Conflicts for Americans and Hispanics • 2. Nonverbal Communication93% of communication is in tone and body language, and therefore a large source of cross cultural miscommunication. Most Americans prefer “personal space” and leave about 2 feet between them when speaking. Americans are “low touch.” They may shake hands but usually don’t kiss. Hispanic culture is “high touch.” People may kiss on the cheek, touch during conversation, and stand closer than many Americans are comfortable with. Possible Workplace Conflict: “High touch” behavior in the workplace might be seen as overly friendly, inappropriate, and in some cases considered sexual harassment.

16. Cross-Cultural Workplace Conflicts for Americans and Hispanics • 3. Preferred Leadership StyleA study by the National Community for Latino Leadership found that only Latinos emphasized compassion and caring  as qualities they want to see in leaders. American manager usually do not get involved in the personal lives of their employees, focusing primarily on performance. Possible Workplace Conflict: A manager who focuses solely on the bottom line may be seen as cold, and not get the same commitment from staff as the manager who seeks to build relationships and show compassion.