Communicating Across Cultures

I do tend to communicate differently in across diverse groups and settings.  There are variations in the circles I belong to that contribute to slightly different cultures.  For example, I maintain a more professional speech pattern, remain focused on work topics, and speak when spoken to or when it is my turn to speak.  However, when with my friends and family, I use more casual speech and venture into personal topics, I speak more quickly and with more slang, and I may even interrupt someone with a response or reaction to what they said.

The culture of my professional settings do not invite the same behavior as the culture shared within my family.  I am myself in both settings, but through a slightly different set of norms.

I have learned to be a better communicator in both settings.  One strategy I try my best to employ is to simple speak less.  I tend to be a talker and would be better off in any communication if I spoke less and listened more. 

A second strategy I try to use in all settings is to be an active listener.  I practice active listening by listening silently and then posing questions that will give me a better understanding of the speaker instead of my go-to habit of sharing my opinion, advice, or experiences.

A third strategy that might help me communicate better in professional settings may be to practice seeing topics, challenges, and possible solutions from others' perspectives.  I may find ways to participate in moving work forward by thinking outside of my own box and looking at the problem for others' positions.