While I was doing an internship with an engineering firm, I had the chance to meet two newly-employed Thai engineers. I was able to communicate with them as they both spoke English.
On the other hand, they seemed to have problems communicating with their superior, who was the senior engineer of the firm. On several occasions, after delegating work to them, he asked if they understood and they always answered that they did. However, the Thai engineers did not carry out the tasks the way in which their superior had instructed them to. This behaviour puzzled those of us working there as they had little problem understanding us, yet they were unable to comprehend whatever the senior engineer said.
After some probing, we realized that the two engineers did not understand the Singlish that was used by their superior. He was Chinese-educated and while we locals could understand him, the Thai engineers could not make sense of what he said. Furthermore, we learned that it was considered rude in Thai culture to question your seniors or superiors. Due to this belief, the Thais acted as if they understood their superior even though they did not, as it would be considered rude and impolite not to do so.
Upon this realization, the senior engineer tried to converse in English when speaking to them. In addition, he would ask them questions to test their understanding, rather than to ask “yes” or “no” questions like he used to.
While it is important to abide by one’s culture and customs, I feel that the Thais could have made an effort to ask their fellow colleagues for help when they did not understand their superior’s instructions. After all, a simple mistake at such a firm could lead to dire circumstances. I also think that what the senior engineer did was commendable. Even though he was more used to speaking in Singlish, he was willing to step out of his comfort zone in attempt to communicate more effectively with the Thais. This shows the importance of respect for other cultures, in order to foster intercultural communication between groups.
6 comments:
Hi Gwen,
It was indeed smart and magnanimous of the superior to use an alternative way of conversing with the Thais. He knew that they have difficulty in answering 'yes' or 'no' so he questioned them on their understanding. He neither picked on them nor left them alone figuring what he said. I feel that he has set a good example to the rest of the colleagues on the way to communicate effectively in an intercultural situation. It is also a lesson that I have learnt from this blog post!
Cheers,
Serene
Hi Gwen,
I agree with Serene that the superior engineer did indeed handle the situation smartly.
Well I think it is also true that even if they could not question the superior, they could have asked for help from the rest of their colleagues. However, what I am guessing is that since they were new they did not want to let on to the rest of you that they were not coping well or that they could not understand the superior. It is a little embarrasing.
However, maybe next time, we could brief new employees from a different culture or country more clearly on the working culture of the company and emphasize that asking questions is a good thing.
Hopefully this will provide a better working environment in the future. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Divya
From: Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach
This post shows so clearly how leaders and managers can benefit from intercultural awareness and training. With knowledge of your team members' outlooks, cultural norms, and personality types, the success is limitless.
Loved your example and thanks for sharing this story.
Hey Gwen,
Thanks for the wonderful post. I did not know Singlish could make such a huge difference in the way someone perceived instructions. Thus far, I only believed it was an "unglamourous" way of presenting the English language!Well, I guess any leader for that matter should take into consideration the clarity of their spoken English, especially when it involves foreign employees.
Cheers,
Jiv
Hi Gwen,
I also think that the senior engineer’s action should be praised as normally, I felt that the seniors will refused to change their way of communication to suit new workers. From my point of view, the seniors will expect the new-incomers to adapt to them. I felt that those seniors in any company should be ashamed of themselves and they should learn from this senior engineer.
See you in class=)
Shi Ting
This is an excellent description of a very noteworthy observation, Gwen. It's interesting that the Thais could have gone along for so long without knowing what was being expected of them. When the senior engineer did discover that they weren't understanding, he took a more effective approach.
I'm impressed by the commentary added to your post by your classmates, and especially by the fact that Kate Nasser, apparently a corporate trainer, has read your post and left a comment as well.
Thanks for inspiring such feedback!
Post a Comment