Types Of Business Communication Skills From A Low Context Culture

It has been said by many business communicators that the common trait of a business communicator from a low context culture is that he lacks empathy. In fact, I’ve often heard business people complain that a customer is being rude to them or that the business communicator is too detached from reality to understand the needs and problems of others. They also complained that the communicator was unwilling to get involved and too arrogant to admit that he might be wrong. Unfortunately, these complaints miss the mark entirely.

There is nothing remotely arrogant about a business owner or manager who understands his customer needs and wants to do what is right. It is the same thing with the common trait of a business communicator from a low context culture. These people are actually quite detached from reality and have a hard time understanding what people really need. Their detachment also prevents them from realizing that what they’re doing isn’t working or that their company needs to change.

The truth is that there is nothing arrogance about this trait. A business communicator from a low context culture may have a hard time communicating the right message because he doesn’t truly comprehend how others see things. This type of communicator rarely offers suggestions based on his personal experience and usually makes assumptions about how others perceive his own actions. He understands his message is not understood and doesn’t trust that his ideas are shared and are not viewed in the same way he does.

Here’s another example.

 A business communicator from a low context culture speaks to a group of employees about how wonderful the products they are selling are. As he describes them, he uses phrases like “Wow, this is great! You can really use these for work.” The employee, who may not be aware that he is listening, will naturally assume that the products are great and will be used at work. However, if he were told that he is listening to an advertisement instead of a business communication, he would likely not agree or even believe it.

It takes a lot of work to understand how others see and respond to communications. Communicators from a low context culture often just model the actions they hear without taking the time to think of how they will phrase the same ideas in their own words. This can lead to unintentional miscommunication and misunderstanding. It also leads to poor customer service. If a business communicator from a low context culture cannot relate to an individual client on an emotional level, he will most likely not treat him or her well, either.

As you can see, a business communicator from a low context culture has a tendency to model the wrong behaviors. This is not the result of intentional neglect on the part of the communicator, but rather the result of a combination of many different personality styles. There is hope for change, however. You can take a step beyond your current level of communication if you take the time to work on yourself by identifying where you need to improve and then taking action.