Mind the cultural context: When silence speaks louder than words
Some years back, I greeted a senior German colleague with a polite, almost deferential handshake with my eyes lowered and voice softened. A classic Yoruba show of respect, I thought. He, on the other hand, thought I was being sneaky. That moment taught me something profound: communication isn’t just about language; it’s about context. This particular experience led me into the rabbit hole of reading extensively on the role of culture in communication. I found one particular book titled The Culture Map by Erin Meyers quite compelling and would share some of the learnings therefrom.
Nigeria, as a country, is considered a high-context society alongside Indonesia, Japan, France, Brazil, India, China and tonnes of other countries on the communication scale. We don’t say too much. We leave a lot of things unsaid when communicating and expect our counterparty to figure things out. This is a major departure from Western countries from Anglo-Saxon cultures, like the US, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. They don’t mince words. They take your words at face value. They are straight to the point. They are not trying to figure you out. They believe that what you said is what you meant. No one has time to second-guess what’s left unsaid.
In low-context cultures, people are more likely to keep things in writing and even do recaps at meetings. No room for second-guessing. In contrast, high-context societies build mutual trust more around oral communications. Ever wonder why our people here may sometimes find it weird when you want to commit your conversations to writing? More like, “Hey, don’t you trust me to keep my word?”
There is a theory that the more homogeneous a people are, the higher context they are in their language and culture. Certain shared history and cues and body language feed into their communication channels. From generation to generation. And the more diverse they are, the less the need for contextual communication. So, to avoid confusion in such a society, everyone speaks in plain language. Nothing is hidden in body language cues.
Understanding this as a manager or even as a regular guy can save you from a lot of unnecessary drama or trouble. It can help you build cultural resilience. Being an agile communicator is a valuable skill. Getting a grip on differences in cultural context can help improve your communication effectiveness.
For instance, when you speak to friends and colleagues in low-context societies like the US, Germany, Canada, etc., you should try to be as clear and straightforward as possible. And when you communicate with those from high-context societies like Japan, China, India, Kenya and others, you don’t just listen to what is said but also what is meant. It requires that you listen more with rapt attention, ask clarifying questions, and watch out for body language cues and the tone of language used.
If you’re a low-context person, know that a higher-context person isn’t trying to be evasive or mislead you by not saying it all. That’s the communication style that s/he is culturally accustomed to. And when speaking to him, he reads between the lines and watches your cues to make sense of the unsaid. You need not repeat yourself too often. He can easily make sense of what is said and unsaid. On the other side of the coin, however, if you’re a high-context person engaging a low-context person, be clear and succinct. Understand that your silence is taken as what it is. Silence. Don’t read between the lines. State clearly what you don’t understand. Don’t make assumptions on their behalf in the guise of politeness. This and more are how you can avoid frustration and misunderstanding in communications.
This skill becomes much more valuable when you have to work with teams and colleagues across multiple cultures and countries or do business with customers and suppliers from different countries. So, please pay attention lest you get frustrated with communication gaps.
