One of the most common problems that remote workers face is cultural differences.
Sure, many of us are familiar with Western culture and norms, but nothing fully prepares you for working directly with a Western boss or team. This can make communicating with a global team challenging, as we don’t understand how our boss and co-workers.
Thus, in today’s increasingly connected world, cross-cultural communication has become a vital skill for every Filipino remote worker. It will help you build trust, avoid offending co-workers, and work effectively with cross-cultural teams.
To help you master cross-cultural communication, here are some valuable strategies you should follow:
Practice Cultural Awareness
Remember, knowing is half the battle.
The first step in improving your cross-cultural communication skills is familiarizing yourself with your boss’s and co-workers’ culture.
The simplest way to achieve this is by learning more about their work ethic. If you’re working for an Australian company, for instance, you should know they’re laidback and informal.
Make the effort to understand them is by showing curiosity during interactions. Politely ask them about their preferred communication style, holidays, and values that influence their work ethic.
This helps you establish proper remote work etiquette, significantly improving your working relationship.
Practice Empathy When Interacting With Your Boss and Co-Workers
All successful cross-cultural communication strategies rely on empathy.
You can do all the research you want about your boss and co-workers’ culture, but if you don’t actually apply it to your daily interactions, it’s useless.
If there are words or phrases in your vernacular that your boss and co-workers might find offensive, avoid using them. Additionally, try to limit your usage of slang to avoid misunderstandings.
Aside from your words, you also need to watch your habits. Western companies greatly value punctuality, for example. If you want to show respect to your boss and co-workers, disregard the concept of Filipino time as much as possible.
Never Be Afraid to Ask Questions
Understandably, interacting with your boss and co-workers for the first time will leave you with many questions.
Thus, to prevent further misunderstandings, you should clarify things with them as early as possible.
That said, many Filipino remote workers are averse to asking questions to their boss and co-workers because they think it makes them look foolish.
On the contrary, asking questions shows you’re eager to do your best in the eyes of Western bosses. Many are willing to help you out when you want to clarify things.
Keep Things Simple
Always remember that simple is best.
Avoid using long, complex sentences when a short one will do. In fact, many bosses prefer short, to-the-point messages over complicated ones, as it shows you respect their time.
This also gets your point across more quickly and efficiently.
Steer Clear of Stereotypes
Whether we intend to or not, working with people from different cultures can lead to us forming biases and stereotypes about them. These don’t have to be negative, mind you. Even things like: “X nationality are always punctual and polite” is a stereotype.
Falling into these biases and stereotypes is the number one cause of discrimination in the workplace. Even “positive” stereotypes can cause you to treat one co-worker differently from another.
Think twice before cracking a joke or saying something about your boss’s or co-workers’ ethnicity, age, current status, etc.
Patience is Key
Remember, it takes time to get used to these cross-cultural communication strategies at work.
There will be instances when you or your boss or co-workers will make honest mistakes, especially when dealing with language barriers – even if you speak English. (US English can be very different from UK or AU English, for example.)
If you keep at it, you will see improvements.
Successful Working Relationships Start With Excellent Communication
Thanks to modern technology and the popularity of online jobs, you can find employment anywhere in the world. However, this comes with its own unique challenges.
Fortunately, by following the cross-cultural communication strategies above, you’ll have an easier time interacting with your boss and co-workers.
If you’re looking for online job opportunities, Remote Staff is here to help. Our jobs list contains plenty of available positions for you to choose from.
Good luck!
