The language of engineering

Farnham Castle International Briefing Centre consultant Donna Marsh underlines the importance of our communication skills when dealing with the sometimes subtle differences of other cultures.


As engineers, most working days are spent dealing with facts and figures. When working with other engineers in your own environment, there are specific rules and procedures that have been learnt and are applied to everyday exchanges; in effect, the language of engineering.

Engineering counterparts from, say, India, Japan and the USA are, presumably, familiar with the same language, applying universal disciplines and principals.

However, engineers from other countries are also functioning in cultures that may be very different to our own. As soon as we move away from the quantifiable, we often discover that our communication skills have let us down. The reason may only be loosely related to English language skills – more often, we have failed to understand each other in more subtle ways, sometimes leading to not-so-subtle consequences.

How can we avoid the major pitfalls when working with colleagues who are part of the world where people communicate very differently to ourselves and about whom we may know very little?

Speaking in tongues

People communicate in many ways and on different levels. It's not just about words, but how we deliver and receive messages from each other. Contextual cues such as eye contact, tone of voice and gestures are all important communication tools in many cultures. Others utilise additional non-verbal communication such as silence. If your colleague's communication style is very different from your own, it can be easily misinterpreted. It may also be compounded if you are communicating over the telephone or by email, as these subtleties may be lost.

One technique that often works well to ensure that both parties have understood each other is to ask the other person to repeat their understanding of what was agreed. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Asking your counterpart in Dubai if they have reordered a critical component just-in-time will almost certainly attract a ‘yes' in response. However, if you ask your counterpart to commit to a mutually agreed day when they will send the critical component, followed up with a formal acknowledgement of having completed the task, you are less likely to encounter a delivery problem with that component.

Talk the talk

How we use language also makes a difference. Language can clarify, or it can confuse. An understated ‘British-ness' may be interpreted as weakness or disinterest in cultures that look toward a strong leader who speaks in superlatives. We may consider such a leader as boastful and dismiss him as ‘all talk'. Such a reaction could be a mistake in many cultures.

In other situations, we may find ourselves frustrated that we can never seem to get any answer at all, no matter how directly we ask a question. Many cultures value harmony and courtesy as the most important factors in communicating with others. They will often avoid giving you any bad news at all, preferring to ‘save face'.

As a result, we may receive answers that are polite and non-committal – maintaining harmony and courtesy – which do not satisfy us. It can be a complicated cultural exercise to obtain information, especially when it's bad news. It may be necessary to rephrase your request several times, or find another colleague who is in a position of authority to deal with such matters. It is important not to interpret such behaviour as evasive, as this is not the intent in such cultures.

For example, if you suspect a delivery from Japan is going to be late, you could ask if the delivery will arrive by Friday, receiving nothing but silence in response. However, if you ask your Japanese counterpart instead whether it is better to expect the delivery on Friday or early next week, they now have a way to tell you about the late delivery – next week – in a face-saving manner. You have created this environment simply by providing a choice for them in the way you asked for information.

Finally, in a world where English is the language of business, keep in mind that many of your colleagues are communicating in a language that is not their own. Using slang or speaking with strong regional accents can make communication even more difficult. Humour does not always travel well even among native English speakers, as many British people have learnt in America. Try to remember to speak clearly and concisely, using internationally understood English.

Timing is everything

How we interpret time can vary tremendously amongst different cultures and can easily cause misunderstandings. In many cultures, time is seen as fluid. It can also be very difficult for us to understand some cultures' fatalistic attitude to time, i.e. ‘it was never meant to be'.

Working toward deadlines can be a challenge, even in a local setting where everyone understands the same cultural language. When working across cultures, interpretations of deadlines can be wide ranging. Some cultures look at a deadline as a concrete target that must be literally met. Others see it as a guideline that may be influenced by many factors, or as something their management worries about.

In a multinational working environment, it is imperative that expectations for achieving deadlines are clearly communicated to those who are in a position to manage time. Asking for concrete information along the way in status meetings will help to keep projects on track. Confirm and reconfirm. Many managers will publish deadlines with a bit of room in their project plan to allow for any last minute panic.

All of these issues become meaningless if we fail to establish a good working relationship with our colleagues, business partners and customers. Building trust means building relationships. Communication, empathy and sensitivity are the keys to success. Learning what motivates others is paramount. Above all, sharing common values and finding respect for difference can only be a winning formula.

Farnham Castle International Briefing Centre specialises in cross cultural management development programmes and international assignment briefings for every country in the world in addition to those coming to live and work in Britain.

www.farnhamcastle.com

Related Articles

The age of information

Specialist storage and memory solutions distributor, Jactron says that as the aerospace sector moves into the digital age, obsolescence management of memory and storage becomes more important when designing and developing new systems.
7 years ago Features

The year in review of IIOM

A year on from its formation, Mike Richardson looks at the progress made by the International Institute of Obsolescence Management (IIOM) since its transformation from the Component Obsolescence Group (COG).
7 years ago Features
Most recent Articles

Carter enjoys success at HAI HELI-EXPO event

Acknowledged as the World’s largest vertical aviation conference and trade show, HAI HELI-EXPO 2024 provided precision bearing specialists Carter Manufacturing a perfect opportunity to exhibit its extensive range of aerospace bearing installation, removal and testing tools, along with PMA bearing options.
1 day ago News

Login / Sign up