Training Session 13 04 02 2021 communication via e mail, determining the previous lecture
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of understanding and adapting to digital communication nuances, especially in a professional context. It highlights the need to interpret messages carefully, assume positive intent, and be aware of cultural differences that can affect email and online interactions.
Takeaways
- 🌐 **Understanding Cultural Differences**: Recognizing that accountants and colleagues come from diverse backgrounds, including many from Asian countries, is crucial for effective communication.
- 🤝 **Assume the Best Intent**: It's important to approach interactions with a positive mindset, avoiding assumptions of disrespect or offense based on misinterpretations.
- 📧 **Email Tone Matters**: The tone of an email can be easily misinterpreted without the context of face-to-face communication, so it's essential to be mindful of how your words may be perceived.
- 🧐 **Read Between the Lines**: Be aware that there might be reasons behind someone's behavior or communication that are not immediately apparent, and avoid jumping to conclusions.
- 💼 **Professionalism Beyond the Door**: Leaving personal issues outside the workplace is key to maintaining a productive and professional environment.
- 🌐 **Adapt to Digital Communication**: As face-to-face interactions decrease, understanding and adapting to digital communication styles becomes increasingly important.
- 👀 **Body Language in Text**: Even in written communication, 'digital body language' can convey attitudes and emotions, so it's important to be aware of how your messages might be interpreted.
- 📚 **Learn and Grow**: Continuous learning and adaptation are necessary to navigate the evolving landscape of digital communication and workplace interactions.
- 🔍 **Use Tools for Clarity**: Utilize tools like Grammarly or Google Translate to ensure clarity and accuracy in written communication.
- 🤝 **Respect in Digital Form**: Respect in the digital world can be different from in-person interactions, and it's important to understand and adapt to these nuances.
Q & A
Why is it important to understand the cultural background of colleagues and clients?
-Understanding cultural backgrounds helps in better communication and reduces misunderstandings. It enables you to assume positive intent and avoid misinterpreting behaviors or messages.
What should you do if you perceive an email as disrespectful?
-Before assuming disrespect, consider other possible reasons for the email's tone, such as the sender being busy or cultural differences. Reflect on your own biases and re-read the email carefully.
How can email communication be more complicated than face-to-face communication?
-Email communication lacks non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language, making it easier to misinterpret the sender's intent.
What are some tools and strategies mentioned for improving written communication?
-Using tools like Grammarly to check tone and spelling, Google Translator for language help, and having someone review high-risk emails are recommended strategies.
Why is it essential to read emails carefully and assume the best intent?
-Carefully reading emails and assuming the best intent helps in understanding the true message and avoiding negative assumptions that can lead to conflicts.
How can you improve your understanding of a client's communication style?
-By reviewing sent and received emails, observing the client's communication patterns, and noting their preferences for formality or detail.
What role does digital body language play in virtual communication?
-Digital body language involves the tone, clarity, and structure of written communication. It's crucial for conveying the right message and avoiding misunderstandings.
What should you do if you feel uncertain about the tone of your email?
-If unsure about your email's tone, have a trusted colleague review it before sending, especially if the email addresses a contentious issue.
What did the speaker suggest doing when facing cultural differences in communication?
-The speaker suggested researching cultural norms, using polite language consistently, and not making quick judgments about others' communication styles.
How does the speaker recommend handling email communication with clients who might have different communication styles?
-The speaker recommends observing and adapting to each client's communication style, using polite and clear language, and verifying your understanding of their messages.
Outlines
🌐 Understanding Digital Communication Nuances
The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of recognizing cultural and personal differences in digital communication, especially in professional settings with diverse teams. It discusses the potential for misunderstandings due to the absence of non-verbal cues and stresses the need to avoid jumping to conclusions based on preconceived notions. The speaker encourages an open-minded approach to interpreting emails and behavior, advocating for assuming positive intent and considering alternative explanations for actions that might initially seem disrespectful or dismissive.
📝 The Challenge of Digital Body Language
This paragraph delves into the complexities of interpreting body language in a digital environment, where traditional cues like facial expressions are not readily available. It highlights the importance of being aware of one's own digital body language, including the tone and intent of written messages. The speaker shares personal observations of colleagues' behaviors during meetings and the potential for misinterpretation, urging the audience to be mindful of how they come across in digital interactions and to use tools and techniques to ensure clear and respectful communication.
🔄 Adapting to the Digital Professional World
The third paragraph focuses on the necessity of adapting to the digital professional landscape, where face-to-face interactions are replaced by virtual ones. It discusses the personal growth and learning required to feel comfortable in this new environment, including understanding the importance of careful message crafting and interpretation. The speaker shares insights from colleagues about the importance of empathy and respect in digital communication, and the need to educate oneself on the subtleties of digital body language.
🛠️ Utilizing Tools for Effective Digital Communication
In this paragraph, the discussion turns to the practical tools and strategies that can enhance digital communication. The speaker mentions apps like Grammarly for improving email tone and clarity, as well as the use of translation tools for language support. There's an emphasis on the value of peer review for high-stakes messages and the importance of continuous learning and adaptation to effectively navigate the digital communication landscape.
🌐 Embracing the New Normal of Digital Interactions
The final paragraph reflects on the broader implications of the shift to digital interactions, acknowledging the challenges and the need for adaptation. It touches on the personal experiences of team members adjusting their expectations and behaviors to align with the norms of digital communication. The speaker concludes with an optimistic note about the potential for building familiarity and connection, even in a digital context, and the human capacity for resilience and adaptability.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cultural Differences
💡Assumption
💡Digital Body Language
💡Productivity
💡Professionalism
💡Interpretation
💡Email Communication
💡Empathy
💡Misunderstanding
💡Adaptation
💡Respect
Highlights
Importance of understanding cultural differences in communication, especially in professional settings.
Assumption of the best intent in interactions can prevent misunderstandings and biases.
The impact of preconceived notions on interpreting others' behavior and communication.
The role of body language in face-to-face communication and its absence in digital interactions.
The necessity of broadening one's thinking to consider alternative interpretations of others' actions.
The significance of emotional intelligence in professional environments for effective communication.
How stress and unhappiness can affect productivity and the importance of maintaining a positive work environment.
The concept of leaving personal issues at the door to focus on controllable aspects in the workplace.
The challenges of interpreting digital body language and the need for careful reading and responding in digital communication.
The importance of not being absolute in interpretations of others' intentions or behaviors.
The value of understanding that email communication is a significant part of daily work and requires careful interpretation.
The potential for misunderstanding in digital communication and the need for careful interpretation of messages.
The role of digital body language in team meetings and the importance of being aware of how one is perceived.
The insight that writing messages with a clear intent can help convey the right tone and avoid misinterpretation.
The cultural differences in communication styles and the need for adaptability in a global work environment.
The use of tools like Grammarly to improve email communication and the importance of double-checking messages for tone and clarity.
The idea that digital communication has become a new language that requires learning and adaptation.
The need for adaptability and finding ways to feel comfortable in digital communication environments.
The potential of using Google Translate and other tools to aid in understanding and communicating effectively in a digital world.
Transcripts
is because part of the reason i wanted
you to watch this is you're going to be
dealing with a lot of different people
from different um places and a lot of
accountants actually do
come from asian countries so it can help
a lot not only when you're dealing with
clients but also when you're dealing
with colleagues to understand and expect
that there will be differences
and that you know as they said always
assume
the best it's sometimes when you're
looking for
um you know an offense or you're looking
for a type of behavior that you've
already labeled from somebody you'll
find it
and you'll actually miss um you know
what it really may be
so we'll have it we'll we'll read the
tone of somebody's email and we'll
immediately assume that person's being
disrespectful
or they're um they're not uh valuing
what i'm doing so
we have to recognize that's a story and
it may not be the truth
the person may be busy you actually may
have missed
um some key component that they've
actually um
written in the email but because you
your focal point was
um an impression that this person maybe
is is rude or this person is um
is you know being um disrespectful
but the reality is there could be a
whole host of other reasons and all
we're trying to do is get you to broaden
your thinking and go okay if it's not
that what else
could it be so again we talk about the
black and white and not being absolute
the reason why this is important is if
you think about any organization
you know your ability to be productive
to get your work done to operate well
it really does depend on how you're
feeling when somebody's shaken up when
they're feeling stressed when they're
feeling
miserable or unhappy they're not going
to be productive they're going to make
mistakes there'll be hr
issues there'll be a whole host of other
things that get impacted
part of becoming a professional is
really about being able to know
that you have left everything at the
door as in you've done everything in
your power and you're focusing on what
you can control
and the rest of it um you you'll give it
uh
a wide berth and what that means is you
won't be absolute and black and white in
your interpretation
of the other person's um intent behavior
whatever it may be because a lot of the
times we can be wrong
particularly when we're not doing face
to face and there isn't the ability to
read body language
so i'm glad that you picked up on that
um the the main thing that
that i
see as a problem for me basically
and the the takeaway is
that this kind of communication is
a lot more uh complicated than the
face-to-face communication
because there are a lot more things to
be focusing on
because we can see each other
and read those facial expressions and
body language so we we must
always assume that
nothing is bad and that
that person is basically
rude to us okay good
excellent well that that's great because
you're already going into it
um you know aware of this
aware that this is something that may
crop up and you're already
you know bringing an understanding lens
when you're dealing with it so that's
great and also you're
you're coming into it with an awareness
that email communication is a big part
of how you're going to be
working on a daily basis so it's
important that you understand
that everything is about interpretations
and perceptions
that immediately will make it a lot
easier for you
that's good um monika okay i think
everything has been said already
what i think as well but uh for me
the main thing was same like nana's
that emails and messages can easily be
misunderstood
so that we have to be careful in
interpreting them
that was the key takeaway for me and the
four digital body language
uh rules which she was talking about
and that's a really great one to be
aware of because you will be in team
meetings and
you're also going to be um you know
working with another uh
qsd team member as you're being trained
so you guys will have your chat
on for the whole day and you will be
communicating with them
and each of us brings an energy to the
work so knowing
you know that that could be an issue or
you could be perceived in a certain way
and being aware of you know your body
language also if you're talking with a
client whatever it may be it's just
again about having that shift of
if i'm looking at myself outside of this
how would i perceive myself
you know what what cues am i giving off
because as i'm looking at each and every
one of you
even though i'm aware of the fact that
my
interp my perceptions are not always 100
they're not right
they're just my perceptions i'm going to
read certain things like for example
pablo is leaning forward and listening
so i feel like okay in my in my mind
that's the body language of
being engaged stefan leaning back and in
my mind it's flashing in my mind that
maybe this isn't as interesting for him
i'm not saying that's true but
this is what i'm talking about when it
comes to body language i noticed that
even i was
holding her head here i'm thinking is
she not feeling well today
these are all of the things that are
cropping up as each of us
are communicating when i do sales i read
body language that's what i do it's a
lot easier in real person
but when where in this scenario it is so
difficult and even presenting it's
difficult
to speak and to you know watch
everybody's facial expressions
but being aware that this is a tool that
we have
and that actually can be quite
insightful it's already
a good thing to have in your toolbelt as
you're dealing with not only colleagues
managers but also clients suppliers
whatever it may be
so stefan i'd love to know what your
tech key takeaways were
oh well um what mainly i remember this
one sentence
it was uh carefully reading messages
is the new listening and the
being careful when responding to someone
is
the new empathy and that's how you give
respect to someone by
being make sure that you did everything
in your power to understand the message
in the right way of course you might not
get it sometimes
because people do tend as nana and
monica mentioned they do tend to
uh interpret messages in different way
like it was said in a training like
someone is passive aggressive or
condescending or
maybe rude or maybe want to criticize
but we need to
make sure to try the most in our power
to
get the positive to try to see it as a
positive thing
i love that and what's really important
as well one thing i've learned
um when i'm when i'm writing a message
and again i'm risk assessing if it's
just a basic message but i'm talking
about something that i need to convey
there's something to be said about the
um the energy that you're in when you're
writing it if you're
writing if you can write that message
and you'll
have an intent to achieve a certain
outcome um and there's no hidden
agenda or passive aggressiveness or
whatever it may be that will
funnily enough get conveyed you know i
think um
though that was it you that when you
applied for the position that you wrote
something
remember we said we could feel the
emotion
of what you wrote in your cover letter
as an example so everything that's
written
it you know it is being um interpreted
and so if you can help the other person
and view it from read your own things
from
their perspective how will they hear
what you've read you may be thinking one
thing but it's going to come out a
different
way now it'll be challenging for you in
the beginning because obviously there is
a cultural difference
you know as an example um you know
australians they're very big on saying
please and thank you
everything i might have mentioned this
before but every single kid is taught
from a very early age
you know to say please and thank you to
everything even in restaurants
to everybody which sometimes is funny in
serbia they're like some and wallish
right but um because it's a little bit
it's a little bit different right
but these are the little subtleties and
shifts that you're going to have to you
know
become aware of and what's really good
to do is when you start working on a
client as i've said before
go into the senate and received emails
find out who the key person is
read some of it read how the you know
read some emails you can search keywords
search sorry apologies um you know just
keywords that people might put in there
to
pull up some content to get an idea of
you know
to get an idea but to not label or make
a judgment because everybody
will have a different relationship with
each person depending what you bring so
even if the
client seems rude to the other person it
doesn't mean that they have to be that
way
to you because none of us are always
consistently the same to everybody
every relationship and the way that you
show up is going to impact
how they show up right so that's what's
really important to remember but to get
an idea
of are they do they speak briefly
do they like detail that kind of stuff
and just
log in that information and having it in
the back of your mind and your awareness
all right thanks stefan i'm ivana
yeah well i would like to say uh
specifically because uh this moment
actually exists and
erica she is doing research for years on
this uh subject
and it's important because this guy this
way of uh business
and working became reality
after the last year and i think
a lot of people need education and
special
training on this subject for example i
consider me the one who is
a digital adapter yes i'm
i'm the one who refused to be part of uh
the
digital world and i refused to
to um you know i i accepted
that uh it's not it's not supposed to be
like that that someone
uh is thinking about respect
you on my text message you know i think
it's overwhelming but in business world
in professional world
it is how it's supposed to be and the
with this presentation i had opportunity
to see
the other other side of uh personality
types
and to consider for myself what i need
to achieve
to feel more comfortable with this way
of
working to be more comfortable with
video meeting
because uh yes i like to communicate
with people in person but this is not a
reality anymore i
i have to learn how to behave in this
environment i would say yeah fantastic
i loved you i loved that insight yeah
absolutely um
wow well done um got nothing to say
that's good
one of the most important uh
key takeaways for me is about
one of the laws of the digital body
language
is communicate carefully um
and there was a an interesting uh
sentence
about uh reading message carefully
is on the new listening and
i completely agree with that because
people
um usually write messages in
hari and didn't pay attention
what they really write and
how other people
maybe others can misunderstand
what they want to say and also uh
one more is um to assume the best
uh intent uh it is i will try to adopt
this principle for sure okay great uh
recussion
uh well yes i will maybe repeat some
what others said but
um the most important thing for me is to
being to realize that people often
that we often think that people see us
or understand us
one way and the reality is completely
different
so we always must be aware of that when
we write email
okay we think we sound like that but you
know maybe double check it or whatever
just always questioning how we really
sound and what our tone is
uh in the email and generally that this
digital uh language is become is really
a new language
and we need to treat it that way and to
learn
learn and everything just to treat it as
a new
language really because i love that
yeah that's fantastic um and that's
treating it like a new language really
ties into what the next thing that i
wanted to say to you which was
you're going to get you're going to
obviously come across even some you know
every client's different some are formal
some are informal you might come across
some slang whatever it is
thank god for google um you know google
what they say i still do it like i will
um you know i might have mentioned this
to you there was a client who
who wrote to somebody um what the hell
how did you get that email now obviously
the person wasn't at fault because
someone else emailed her
but that was upsetting for the team
member
but i actually googled it to like to
clarify it for myself
i know that particular client and i know
what his baseline is and i know what
he's like and i know that
that is a saying that it wasn't meant to
be personalized it wasn't professional
but it wasn't meant to be personalized
right
um but it's about that you google it and
you get a better understanding get a
better insight into it the other thing
is i wanted to say whenever i'm writing
an email that's a high-risk email
um i will uh
you know ask somebody just to have a
quick look at it but not for every email
i'm talking about if it is something
that
is contentious right so you guys have
you know i'm sure that you've
formed some friendships here on that
you'll be working with other team
members
if you find somebody that you know
you're quite aligned with um you know if
you feel that every once in a while
there's something that you're writing
and you're not certain
generally trust your gut feel if you're
kind of humming and ironing about
sending it then maybe
you know get somebody else to look over
and get them to give you their feedback
just for that extra
remember i said poor email etiquette can
create so many problems and so much work
um so really be certain that you know
what you're saying
is is what you mean and it's coming out
that way as well
um there's a few other things that you
can do you know there's
um some apps out there that you can use
grammarly
um you know there's a whole host and you
can and you can research them and do
they can later on share some stuff with
you always like with the spell check
um sometimes if you get stuck you can
use um
google translator from serbian to
english you know there's a whole host of
tools it's up to you to find what works
for you
that's going to give you that edge to
make your communication
you know sound so pablo you didn't get a
chance to watch the video i recommend at
some point
if you you know do you get the chance to
watch the video but i i actually wanted
to
try through their words i i realized
what was the theme of the video but
first of all there is useful uh
useful thing grammarly when you write an
uh it gives you a
uh uh emoji
of how your email looks like okay it can
be
uh for example
uh like a target that you are
very direct and it it actually
represents how uh how your email will
sound like
so that would would have helped that
helped me a lot when i
needed to to reach out to the to the
suppliers or client or someone else
to see just to see the do i look do i
sound
uh formal enough or uh am i to
to too formal or or something like that
uh do you put up a bow tie
does it put up a bow tie if you're
performing yes oh my god it's amazing
all right and there is another thing uh
that that is i think the duda will
remember when we had a touch point i
think and
for three months i i said there was a
question
do i feel uh respectful enough of
uh from my colleagues and actually i
um i connect respect with uh
with meeting someone in person when i
know someone
uh face to face and i said then
and i think that my my opinion on that
is
change a little bit but i i said that i
i
uh i don't feel uh
disrespected but i'm not feeling also
respectful because i i don't know anyone
in in person i don't i don't know
enough people there to see their body
language to talk with them to
to see how they how they see me how they
uh or look look on me as someone that
was
that was new so uh it is
it is very very hard to to operate in
these conditions but
it's it's adaptive i think that that
everyone needs to
to realize that as soon as possible and
to
to try to adapt and and
find a way how to how to
uh make him comfortable
in in this in these situations
yeah i'm really valid fantastic points
and i applaud you for
you know adding your insights even given
you didn't watch it
um humans are infinitely resourceful and
adaptive when push comes to shove we
tend to find a way
um this is a change and it's something
that we're gonna be a bit rough
at but i've even noticed over a short
period of time
people aren't colliding with each other
as much as we did in the beginning when
we started zoom calls
so i think that as time goes by and as
more awareness is brought to it
um we're still going to be able to
connect even through
the digital era like i feel like i'm
getting to know you guys even though
we're not really i mean i'm obviously
sitting here and i'm doing lectures or
presentations but i
there's a familiarity that's happening
even though i'm not there
i you know it it's it's not too bad i
have to say i'm getting used to it
you know when you don't have a choice
then you kind of make the most of it
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