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How can I navigate cultural misunderstandings at work? · Wellbeing Solutions - Ask A Counsellor

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Navigating a cultural misunderstanding at work can leave you feeling anxious, defensive, or exposed.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: In intercultural psychology, we know that workplace miscommunication is really about a lack of respect.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, it almost always happens because two people are following completely different invisible sets of rules.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: When a boundary is crossed or a message gets misinterpreted, your body's natural response is to protect itself, which often looks like pulling back entirely or over-explaining your actions.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing to do is pause and notice that internal spike.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Remind yourself that someone's intent and their actual impact can differ without either person being in the wrong.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Workplace friction comes down to two major cultural communication styles.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: The first is direct versus indirect communication, and the second is high context versus low context power dynamics.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: So the first shapes whether feedback is expected to be explicit and task focused or softened through subtle tone, context and relational care, and the second involves power dynamics, which influences whether authority is meant to be challenged collaboratively or respected through clear hierarchy and deference.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: When you recognize that these behaviors are learned cultural frameworks rather than personal attacks, the situation loses its charge.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of making assumptions or letting the awkwardness linger, you can address the situation by leading with curiosity neutrally.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: A great bridge phrase to use is I want to make sure I'm understanding your perspective correctly.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: How would you usually approach a situation like this like this?
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: How would you usually approach a situation like this?
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Alternatively, you can say in my background, I tend to communicate quite directly, but I would love to align on what communication style works best for our team.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: It is important to remember that you do not have to abandon your own cultural identity to adapt at work, nor should you expect others to mirror yours automatically.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Healthy professional relationships are built by explicitly co-creating shared team norms around feedback deadlines and collaboration.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, true cultural competence in the workplace isn't about memorizing every single tradition or custom, it is about collectively, it is about cultivating the emotional resilience to stay curious when a conversation feels uncomfortable rather than slipping into judgment.