Sections of this topic
Trying to communicate technical information to various cultures is not as simple as others may think. For a technical communicator, it requires more than just training, because being moderately acquainted with cultural differences is just not enough.
Likeminded
A previous post that I had written on communicating globally, noted that ‘Individuals need to understand the culture; their language, ethics, principles of value, moral codes, etc. …’ I still think those are very important attributes. However, being ‘likeminded’ should also be added to the list.
What is important is not only being able to communicate the ‘right words’ clearly and correctly, but to also be able to be ‘likeminded’ with the audience so that they can really understand what you are saying.
For example, within technical documentation, writing ‘Click the box.’ may have an individual trying to tap on any box on a monitor screen, whereas writing the instruction ‘Put a check mark in the box beside the appropriate….’ might have been more easily understood. It is important that the communicator be able to relate to, understand, and recognize how the audience accepts those words in order to ensure that the information is transferred correctly.
Empathy
I would also like to include just one more critical item to the list, and that is ‘empathy’, because it is important to understand how the individual will perceive the information, and that can be defined as having empathy. How someone responds to words depends on how they are related to or connected to those words.
For example, saying to someone that you think they are ‘working too hard’, could actually be misinterpreted as a criticism and not a nice comment on their good work ethics. They may mistakenly interpret it as they are working too slow. The individual may be very sensitive and insecure about themselves and so may take the statement the wrong way. To get around this, it is a good idea to smile when a statement is made and follow it with another statement about the individual, such as, ‘Your work is so good, you don’t have to work so much or so hard’.
Outcome
The above were simple examples. But more importantly, to ensure that everyone is on the same page, connecting by being ‘likeminded’ and having ‘empathy’ for your audience is as important as other items previously listed. This is really important especially when creating requirement specifications at the onset of the project (as those documents are an agreement between management and their client describing the background of a project as well as how and what is needed to complete the project). Hence if you do not explain a project correctly in the beginning, then any succeeding specifications (technical, functional, etc.) will not be correct.
As an added note, your audience has a stake in understanding what is communicated, so be understanding and be aware of the above factors mentioned before you make a statement or convey your information. These factors lead to less misinterpretation when writing or speaking to your audience. It also makes us aware of possibly different expectations as well.
If you have other thoughts on relating to the audience, please leave a comment. Thank you.
