Working together needs good communication. Co-workers have to communicate with one another to solve difficulties and improve strategies; supervisors need to pass down instructions and motivate their workers; managers need to talk to assist, control and negotiate with other business members and customers.
It’s not always that easy, though. Drawbacks and barriers to smooth communication are everywhere. Occasionally, they are barely down to technical issues (a Wi-Fi connection interrupting a conference call); sometimes they’re more significant, and not easily understood.
The world is developing more into interconnected and mobile day by day: more businesses are opening strategies and different branches in several locations around the world, developing an increasing need to organize and communicate transnationally.
Take language barriers for instance; friends staying in different countries may not certainly speak a similar language – and verbal misunderstandings can have costly impacts. Like in the year 2012, a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) found that 50% of the 572 executives polled by the company said that hesitations with language and “messages lost in translation” had negatively affected their business by hindering international deals.
Here are a few tips on how to overcoming Language Barriers
Use plain language
Either you are working with somebody who already knows your primary language as a secondary, or you are trying to discuss a deeply technical problem with your non-technical coworkers, everybody should get in the pattern of using plain language whenever possible.
While several people try to make use of big grammar to show that they’ve sound intelligent or good at their jobs, they are not doing anyone any favors. Using gibberish or esoteric vocabulary only cultivates the opportunity for miscommunication and makes other people feel bad that they can’t understand what you are trying to say.
Organizing a culture in your workplace of speaking simple and clarifying all issues as straightforwardly as possible is the key.
Using remote interpreting as a digital tool
If you are working across international offices, make a list to help find a qualified translator or find a remote interpreting tool that covers your needs. Every report that is important to the entire company should be translated into the primary language of your other offices.
Be cautious when finding a translation service, and ensure you view their credential. You will see different free websites that claim to translate text from one language to the other, but they may not account for several languages. And sometimes, these words have distinct usages or meanings in many cultures.
But when you use remote interpreting tools it not only helps you with translating the message but it is also a saver means to do so
Use repetition
Whether with the language barrier or not, people frequently need to listen to something more than once for them to know and remember it.
So don’t expect anyone to understand or remember something you said to them once. If it’s that important, make it a regular part of your communication with them till they get it.
Enlist interpreters
Whether you are having an existing bilingual employee or you hire one, trusted interpreters should always be used to make sure that there isn’t any information or instruction skipped or ignored due to the language barrier.
Be respectful
Language barriers, like all communication barriers, could be frustrating. They require a lot of patience, knowledge, and caution. Make sure that when you or your workers are trying to communicate with you, you should never raise your voice or shout at them.
Try to talk slowly to them instead of you shouting. And always remember, when somebody is working through a language difficulty, it has nothing to do with their basic intelligence or ability to understand the idea behind what you are trying to say.
So always speak proper English as you check for common ground, so they can also learn how to understand you correctly.
Conclusion
Language barriers could be very challenging, but working with people from diverse countries, cultures, and backgrounds is mostly what brings about innovation, creativity, and accomplishment.
Don’t allow the language barriers to stand in the way of you embracing everything a different workplace has to offer.
