Avoid Cross Cultural Communication Breakdowns: Ask Frequently for Clarification

Our workplace is multicultural and as we work beside people with extremely different backgrounds, the chances of distrust, misunderstanding and frustration increases.  Oral communication is essential for sharing and for building trust.  At a very basic level, we need to be able to understand what the person is saying.  But what if there is a communication breakdown due to the difficulty of understanding the other person?  Since both the speaker and the listener must assume responsibility for a successful conversational exchange, here is tip #2 for listening to someone who is difficult to understand due to a foreign accent: Ask frequently for clarification. 

This particular strategy works well for any communication exchange whether you are talking to someone who speaks the same language or not.  If there is any doubt in your mind that you didn’t catch what the other person said, ask for clarification.  For example, you could say,

“Could you repeat that?  I didn’t get what you said.”

Or if you think you know what was said but maybe not sure, restate what you heard the speaker saying followed by a “yes/no” question. 

“I heard you say that you want some time off next week, is that correct?” 

With a short response like this one, requiring only a “yes” or a “no” response, it may insure that the message was received.  My clients tell me that they want people to let them know when they aren’t understood.  Then they can pull out THEIR strategies—slowing down their rate, and rephrasing the words that might make the message easier to understand. 

Work on mutual understanding right from the beginning and you will ward off a communication breakdown that will benefit everyone.

March is International Listening Month!

Do you or does someone you know need to be better understood?  Join our class on how to speak American English intonation.  www.clearly-speaking.com/members