As a result of not only globalization, but also various geopolitical events, more and more people who represent other cultures choose Latvia as their temporary or long-term residence. However, they do not always manage to integrate easily into local communities, and often find it even more difficult to integrate into newly acquired work teams. A study initiated by the Foundation for Social Integration and carried out by “Providus” in 2023,available on the platform dazadiba.lv, shows that 24% of the Latvian population would not want to work in the same work group with people from South Asian countries. Those who come from Europe have a higher chance of being accepted into a work collective, but still 4% would not like to see, for example, French or German among their colleagues.
Often an unwillingness to work together with colleagues from another culture is based not on our previous experience, but on assumptions and stereotypes that we get over time, some times even unconsciously choosing to select information that is useful for strengthening our opinions and beliefs.
It is not uncommon for our convenience that we tend to assign stereotyped qualities to those we do not know, because understanding otherwise requires courage to be willing to undermine our stereotypes, as well as time to delve into and understand why others act the way they do. There's no denying it - it's a challenge! But it's worth doing your own ‘stereotype audit’ every now and then - especially if you're working in a multicultural environment.
Latvian companies and organizations are changing, our working environment is becoming more and more diverse in terms of represented cultures. Misunderstandings, confusing situations and even conflicts often arise simply because of misunderstandings, the source of which is not only the language barrier, but also our different vision of life based on cultural values.
Values, traditions, unwritten laws, and accepted ways and forms of communication tend to be different for different cultures and often incomprehensible or even initially unacceptable to us. Because what is right and socially acceptable, we learn from those around us, first of all, from the family. This is how we inherit a certain set of values.
Nor do we usually ask ourselves why we do things the way we do them, because society around us behaves in a similar way. And only when we recognize the otherness of another culture in interaction do we begin to notice differences. And those 'others' do exactly the same thing, judging us by their own yardstick.
However, when thinking about building effective communication in a multicultural organization, one must first devote enough attention and time to get a deeper understanding of their colleagues representing different cultures. A mailed survey is unlikely to be enough. What is needed is a deeper knowledge – conversations and observation in a way that social anthropologist would do.
A much more fundamental problem of intercultural communication is not so much the language in which communication takes place, but the different vision of the world that we express when we talk, without even realizing it ourselves. It is as if we are talking about the same thing, but we see the situation and the solution differently. As the social anthropologist Edward Hall Jr. once noted- culture is like a silent language which has a profound effect on how people form communication with each other.1 Likewise, the context of communication and the nuanced aspects of non-verbal communication are also undeniably important in intercultural communication, since we often talk even when we are not speaking.
However, through thoughtful and guided communication, it is possible to create an inclusive work environment where everyone feels heard and noticed, and where everyone has an equal opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas. For example,
- creating internal communication strategies that proactively engage with employees from different cultures and provide them with feedback helps build an environment of open and respectful communication. This requires understanding and testing different ways people perceive information and their communication habits. Relying only on personal assumptions about what effective communication is may not be sufficient.
- providing each employee with accessible and easy-to-understand information. For some people, this may mean more frequent face-to-face communication; for others, a clearly written and detailed task description. Studying communication habits, as mentioned above, helps improve communication effectiveness. In some cases, important information may need to be translated if not all employees have fully mastered the working language. This is especially important during possible crises, when time is limited and clear, easy-to-understand information can be critical. An inclusive and effective information flow can also be supported by allowing employees to submit their ideas in writing after meetings or brainstorming sessions, giving everyone time to reflect and find the right words in a language that is not their native one.
- intentionally creating opportunities for informal communication, such as internal activities that allow employees to learn about each other’s cultures. This helps build empathy, encourages people to “step into someone else’s shoes,” and better understand different worldviews and motivations. For example, exploring another country’s cuisine can be a good starting point for conversations about its culture and way of life. Open and informal communication also helps people reflect on their stereotypes and discover similarities instead of focusing only on differences.
- empowering employees from other cultures to learn the language, not only by offering language training courses, but also by encouraging colleagues to support them in the learning process. Regular communication with others helps people develop the necessary language skills and gain confidence.
So far, no better way to truly understand another person has been discovered than through honest human conversation. When we listen to others with an open mind and accept that our own worldview may not be the only correct one, real understanding becomes possible. The language used in the conversation is less important than the willingness to connect and listen.
This is not always easy, but it is deeply valuable to remember that how we judge any situation depends on the values through which we see the world. None of us starts as a blank page. Each of us interprets situations through the values we have inherited and shaped through our life experiences.
Even when we cannot agree with someone else's opinion or actions, it is worth pausing before judging them as wrong. Instead, we can try to look for the rational idea behind their perspective. Very often, this search reveals insights we might otherwise miss. When we learn to recognize and apply these different perspectives, we can create unusual and sometimes even unique solutions.
These fresh ideas can bring new energy to an organization, strengthen teamwork, help achieve goals more effectively, and ultimately increase the organization’s ability to grow and compete in a changing world.
Original article publised on Delfi.LV
1. Edward T. Hall, The Silent Language, New York, Doubleday, 1959
