When we open the paper and find another story of a plane crash it is natural to assume there was mechanical failure or something worse. The one thing that never comes to mind is cultural communications caused discussions to deteriorate and hundreds of passengers to perish.
I travel a lot and just returned from a trip. As a passenger, I rely on the pilots to be well trained, the plane to be fueled and in good mechanica condition. I expect the staff to ensure we have a successful flight to our destination. All passengers do; and we seldom consider how cultural and social mindsets impact our arrival.
Likewise, employees rely on their executives to pilot the organization to increased profits and successful arrival at the corporate vision. The question is: "Does your organization's culture allow employees to ask questions and offer suggestions to executives?" Or does your corporate culture enforce a strictly top down communication style?
Culture and crashed planes
In the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, the author writes of Korean Air flight 801, on August 5th, 1997 and the events leading up to the moment when the plane hit the side of Nimitz Hill killing 228 of the 254 people on board.
Full details (from the plane's black box) can be read in the book "Outliers", what is interesting here is that at one point the captain "hit his first officer with his back hand for making an error." What ensues are a series of miscommunications where the first officer speaks using cultural codes to a captain who is essentially asleep at the wheel. The result is 228 dead. Subsequent training by another airline breaks through the cultural barrier and today Korean Airlines is a safe carrier.
What cultural communication signals are you sending your people?
Top down communications
Regardless of your company size, you have a vision. The vision paints the way and enlightens your employees/followers on the strategic ambitions of the organization. This is created in a strategic planning session and brought to the implementers through top down communication that informs employees of your future objectives.
Typically, the implementers of the plan are not included in the decision making process of how to bring the vision to fruition. Rather, it is trickled down departmentally, and managers are expected to enroll their direct reports in the vision.
The trouble with strictly top down communications occurs when the manager is insecure or has an autocratic management style that deters input. Consequently, front line employees who know the vision is impossible to meet or the vision needs tweaking do not speak up and the business opportunities are lost.
This raises the question:
- How integrated are your people?
- Do you have cultural and diversity programs internally that prepare employees for intercultural communications?
- What happens when different personality styles are exhibited?
- Do reflective individuals shut down because the more outgoing types take over discussions?
- Are your managers versed in personality and cultural differences?
Educating your staff on cultural and personality differences helps them communicate better, allows you to obtain ideas from all the brains in the room, and help increase innovation. It might even avert disaster for you and your company.
About this Author
Known as a highly effective public speaker, and communicator, Yvonne F. Brown has taught seminars on inter-generational and inter-cultural communications in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada. Yvonne teaches a variety of communication courses, including interpersonal, intercultural, organizational and conflict management. She has also conducted seminars for such corporations as Deloitte Consulting, Lockheed Martin, Citrix Yvonne is heralded by participants as the best speaker and trainer they ever had. Her enthusiasm is contagious. She understands group dynamics, and is creative in developing programs that are powerful, interactive and entertaining. Learn more at http://www.YvonneFBrown.com
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