Culture Diversity

Truthfully, I do find myself communicating differently with individuals from other cultures, because it seems like many times when I call customer care for help, they usually have people from other countries for responders.  The individuals know English, but it is limited and it gets a little frustrating when they talk so fast and you can't understand.  So, I ask politely for my responder to repeat and talk a little slower, because I am having trouble understanding.  My main things is to try to be polite and achieve my overall goal, which is to get help, because if the tables were turned, I would want them to be polite with me.

The ways in which I communicate with other groups are: talk slower, pronounce my words clearer, and I ask questions so that I can be of help rather than a hindrance.

One strategy that can help communicate more effectively with people or group is being mindful.  Instead of lumping groups of individuals, I can take into count each of their individual qualities as I encounter them and it helps to relate and communicate better.

Secondly, I can deconstruct my schemas and in doing so, I can eliminate some of the schemas that might have been created based on stereotypes.  I find that it is easy to train oneself to believe something, that is not necessarily based on the true, but rather a preconceived idea; but it is harder to go back and self correct a prior thought process to enhance communication and become more effective with various cultures.

Last but not least, I can expand my perspective.  As a college student, one of the things that was stressed, was to get out on campus and in the community and get involved.  By getting involved, it opens a gateway to understand, and with understand, people can begin to relate and communicate with one another.  Cancer Awareness, Battered women programs, community center involvement, church aide groups (that issue food, clothing and vouchers to those who qualify).  The more one is exposed too, the more he or she expands her perspective.