What did you say?

Communication is one of the first things we learn as babies. As soon as we leave the womb, our internal instincts kick in and help us communicate with the world. In the first two years of our lives, we learn how to communicate. In fact, young mothers are encouraged to talk and read to their babies while still in utero. As babies, we would often cry when we were hungry, tired, sick, wet, or scared, and we would giggle or smile when we were happy, relaxed, or satisfied. By 6 months old, we begin to catch on to words we hear our parents, siblings, and others around us say, and by 18 months, we can even begin to formulate sentences. (Baby Center, 2015).

Communication is the “exchange of information between individuals” (Penn State, 2016). As we grow older, communication becomes so natural; we do so without even realizing it. In fact, according to Edward Hall, founder of the intercultural communications field, 80-90 percent of all communication is actually non-verbal cues, or communication involving no exchange of words (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 35, 43). Some examples of non-verbal cues include body language and facial expressions. As for verbal communication, the average person will speak approximately 1,200 sentences a day, and our brains can actually listen to up to 400 words per minute (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014). Now that’s a lot of communicating!

In global leadership, communication is even more important, as to ensure every employee receives the message as it was intended (Solomon, 1999). With more and more companies expanding internationally and advanced technology, most businesses rely heavily on written communication such as emails, instant messaging, and text messages. In fact, as of 2015, approximately 205 billion emails were sent on a daily basis world-wide. The average number of emails an office worker received on a daily basis was close to 120 emails (Smith, 2016). With that being said, it is extremely important we limit the amount of errors in communication, also known as noise or biases (Penn State, 2016). Bad internet connection, faulty phone service, a limitation of characters allowed for a text message or email, or a misunderstanding of the message received, are all examples of errors in communication. In today’s society, email messages play a huge role in miscommunication. Because non-verbal cues are missing in written correspondence, too often the receiver of the message may not fully understand it. What was meant to be sarcastic could potentially offend the reader because the email has no tone, and the reader cannot easily distinguish the sender’s intent (Penn State, 2016).

Effective communication is what makes or breaks an organization, especially one that spans across the world. The process of intercultural communication is becoming a more standard procedure for companies. To first step to doing this effectively, is to understand cultural diversity. Accepting that what may not offend you, could potentially offend someone from another culture is the key to effective communication. In addition, egocentrism should be avoided at all costs. If we cannot see another person’s perspective, it can nearly be impossible to send a message the receiver will understand (Penn State, 2016).

As a business owner, I communicate with clients, wholesalers, and workers on a daily basis. Ninety percent of my communication is via email. The level of education of each person I communicate with varies from person to person. Most of my workers are young guys who chose not to continue their education, or could possibly have dropped out of high school. Some of my workers are even immigrants trying their hardest to support their family and live the American Dream. I have to ensure my workers understand what is being asked by my client, and I also have to ensure my clients understand the jargon my team and I use when installing their fence. My clients pay a decent amount of money for the work my company does for them, so communicating effectively is something I must do on a daily basis.

References:

Baby Center. (2015). “Baby Milestone: Talking.” Retrieved from: http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-milestone-talking_6573.bc.

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). New York, New York: Routledge.

Penn State University. (2016). Lesson 4: Global Communication. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179073.

Smith, Craig. (2016). “By the Numbers: 73 Incredible Email Statistics.” DMR. Retrieved from: http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/email-statistics/.

Solomon, Charlene. (1999). “Communicating in a Global Environment,” Workforce. Retrieved from: http://www.workforce.com/1999/11/01/communicating-in-a-global-environment/.