Observation of team behaviour: intercultural and interpersonal communication

I am a Hindu by religion. Speaking in terms of Edward T. Hall, ours is a High-context culture. We have several customs like saying “Namaste” to greet and show respect for a person, taking blessings of elders by touching their feet, avoiding meat on auspicious days, fasting to pray for ones goodwill and these come naturally to us. There aren't rigid rules to be followed but since it is our culture, we learn it. Similarly, those growing up in families with different religious and cultural beliefs have different values because they’ve learnt what they’ve seen. However, two individuals sharing the same race and ethnicity need not share cultures too. They can have different cultures in terms of generation gap, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs. It is not a cake walk to mingle with a person having different beliefs and values than yours. Thus in this world of globalization and global exchange, one must possess adequate interpersonal and inter-cultural skills to hit off an effective communication.

We have learnt that gestures play an important role in communication. Within a cultural group there are non-verbal cues used unconsciously and frequently during communication. It is possible that those cues are local to that group and are completely unknown to a person from some other cultural group. For example, the V sign can be used as a sign of victory for some or peace for others. It is used as a sign of bunny ears in informal photo-shoots. It means a bad sign in some European countries and is taken as an insult.This clearly shows that how cultural diversity can cause miscommunication of highest order!

To avoid such misconceptions while communicating, the listener must not only understand speaker’s words but also his gestures and tone of speaking. Surely, it takes two to tango. So, besides appropriate speech, active listening is also important for an effective communication. It involves both hearing and interpretation. Active listening and understanding a person is extremely essential to relate to him/her and so is an integral part of interpersonal communication.

In my two weeks of close inter-cultural interaction with my team mates, I observed how different we are in the way we speak. Some of my team mates talk slowly while some talk fast. I think I am the loudest of all in my group! Some of us use our hands to express ourselves while explaining something or while giving presentations. During our discussions we tend to inquire about each other’s culture and traditions or talk about our past incidents. All these discussions are inter-cultural and interpersonal interactions and improve our cultural quotient greatly.

Teamwork and Communication

Man is a social animal. He ought to mingle in society to survive. The only feasible way to interact and make connections is communication. People can communicate using familiar languages, sounds, gestures or expressions. When I first came to Singapore, I found it difficult to start a conversation with people of different nationalities as it took me time to understand the accents. I wondered how hard it could be to express oneself through words and gestures as we have been communicating since we were kids. Soon I realized that as we grow up, we become aware and more careful in choosing our words for an effective communication. This is essential to make oneself heard in today’s busy world.

Arguments occur as a result of miscommunication. A broken communication worsens the problem through misunderstandings and often leads to final termination of relationships. But as they say, where there is a problem there is a solution too, a polite communication can restore the previous harmony of the relationship. This is the beauty of communication.

POOR COMMUNICATION

Teamwork is important to pursue a carrier in today’s world. A well co-ordinated team has committed members who respect each other’s opinion. I believe that true team spirit comes from the belief that ‘none of us is as smart as all of us’. There may be weak links, backbiting and gossip mongering that hampers the working process. It is the job of the leader to ensure that none of the above comes in the way of task completion.

TEAMWORK AT ITS BEST!

My first public speaking experience was a thanksgiving speech in my school. I still remember how nervous I was and had prepared very hard for that 5 minutes talk. Apart from quizzes, I had no experience of teamwork until our previous two sessions with Brenda at CG1413 class. She divided us into teams. Our team was asked to present our ideas on ‘letters’. Brenda analysed our flaws and appreciated our good points in the feedback. It was highly encouraging. I hope this module will bring out the effective communicator and leader in me.