In today’s work environment many of us are finding ourselves working with different people from different cultures. While this can enrich the working environment, intercultural communication can sometimes create a challenge for those who are unable to interpret and understand other people correctly.
Understanding how cultures vary can help us to make meaningful comparisons, however, there are numerous other factors that can influence our ability to understand each other. Different cultures have different ‘rules’ that influence the way we behave, how we speak, what we value, our concept of time, interpersonal space, and even our interpretation of humour. Each of us interprets each situation through our own cultural ‘lens’.
