“Being grounded in your lifelong culture and your personal perspective, you are comfortable with the way you see things and may believe it is the best and only way.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Thanksgiving is a time for celebration. It is a festive occasion to enjoy with family and friends.”
Source: The Gift of Thanksgiving
“We will judge others based on their behaviors with little to no understanding or regard for their beliefs or values—standards we may not know, nor typically see. When we do this, things can be taken completely out of context because we are assessing their behavior against our expectations, which are produced from our own personal value system.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“4 Steps for Understanding Each Other
1. Identify your beliefs and core values; ask how they determine your behaviors and habits.
2. Realize with whom you are interacting and try to identify how their values are explaining their behavior.
3. Assume positive intent.
4. Seek ways to adapt your behavior to help bridge the cultural gap.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“When you have orientational awareness, your perceptions and impressions are based on location and proximity. Orientation may imply hierarchy, position, and prestige, or be the result of habits, traditions, and perceptions.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“In America, when a man walks in front of a woman it may imply that they are not equals and he is exerting dominance over her, or being arrogant and rude. In a different culture, however, it may be presumed that he is someone worthy of profound respect and is protecting her by going first.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“On a recent business trip, I reunited with a friend I had not seen in twenty years. After having a lovely lunch meeting, we came out of the restaurant to walk towards the parking lot. He automatically moved me to the inside of the sidewalk as he walked along the curbside. His orientational awareness illustrated a chivalrous gesture of protection and respect which impressed me greatly.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Sociologically speaking, as Americans we often lack social, cultural, and mindful awareness. We hear the stories of how our arrogance has been known to offend, confuse, and alienate people from other cultures. Arrogance is the thief of mindfulness and it happens from both directions.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“To gain greater understanding, clarity, and awareness, you must become aware of your values and beliefs. Think of a triangle or an iceberg. Below the waterline, your beliefs and your values build the foundation for your behavior.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact
“Navigating relationships within our own culture can be challenging enough. When diverse cultures are involved, however, a huge potential for misunderstanding, disrespect, miscommunication, and intolerance is present.”
Source: The Art of Communication: 8 Ways to Confirm Clarity & Understanding for Positive Impact