Imagine this: Rachel is a Director at a global manufacturing company in the United States, working out of the Atlanta, Georgia, office. Lars, a new sales team member from Denmark, contacted Rachel for her thoughts and feedback on a project proposal. Rachel replies:
—
Hi Lars,
How are you? It was nice meeting you last week. It’s finally nice and sunny over here in Atlanta, Georgia, after many rainy days! What’s the weather like over in Denmark? Hopefully you are able to enjoy some sunshine as well. 🙂
Thanks so much for sending along this proposal. You’ve done an amazing job!! I can tell you put a lot of time and effort into it. Attached are my thoughts and feedback. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks,
Rachel
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She’s ready to hit send, right?
This email could work, but let’s pause to think about it.
Rachel is American, and Lars is Danish. Since Lars is from a different culture, insight into how Danish people tend to communicate and work with others can guide Rachel in her first interactions with Lars.
Per our GlobeSmart® Guides, which provide essential business information for 100+ cultures, the Danish communication style tends to be direct and avoids hyperbole or exaggeration. Danes appreciate honesty and humility, so there is no need for flowery or effusive language in email communications.
Let’s tone down the praise in the email:
—
Hi Lars,
How are you? It was nice meeting you last week. It’s finally nice and sunny over here in Atlanta, Georgia, after many rainy days! What’s the weather like over in Denmark? Hopefully you are able to enjoy some sunshine as well. 🙂
Thanks for sending along this proposal. I can tell you put a lot of time and effort into it. Nice work. Attached are my thoughts and feedback. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks,
Rachel
—
When first meeting Danish counterparts, it is acceptable for a newcomer to focus on business matters after spending just a short time on introductions and small talk. It is common to get to know one’s counterparts through discussing business matters rather than through the extensive socializing expected in some other cultures. In Danish work contexts, people generally expect to focus initially on tasks rather than on developing relationships.
Small talk isn’t as common in Denmark as in other cultures. Since relationships with Danes usually take time to build and develop as work progresses, Rachel will get to know Lars over time and will likely have informal conversations outside of work tasks. However, to start, it is a good idea to get to know Lars principally through business discussions.
Given this, let’s remove the first few sentences about the weather from the email:
—
Hi Lars,
Thanks for sending along this proposal. I can tell you put a lot of time and effort into it. Nice work. Attached are my thoughts and feedback. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks,
Rachel
—
Looks great! Now she’s ready to hit send.
Let’s look at another example.
Imagine this: Joshua, a team leader and manager for a global organization working out of the London, UK office, is emailing Daniela, a member of his team who is Brazilian and works remotely. He’s writing to let her know she can start working on some reports. This is a new responsibility for Daniela, and he mentioned in his last meeting that he’d email her with the reports soon. He writes the following email:
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Hi Daniela,
As discussed last week, I’d like you to begin working on the attached reports. Do you have what you need to get started? Let me know, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Joshua
—
This email could work, but let’s pause to think about it.
Being aware of the work styles of those you collaborate with makes a significant difference in virtual communication. Team leaders especially have much to gain from being aware of how their team members work.
The GlobeSmart Profile is a great way to visualize work styles and compare them to receive insight into the best ways to work together. In this example, Joshua can compare his GlobeSmart Profile with Daniela’s to see how their work styles are similar and different. He can also better understand how Daniela is used to communicating, collaborating, and more. This insight can inform his email communication with her so they both have a good understanding of the task.
For example, Joshua learned from Daniela’s Profile that she is a very interdependent worker, so he could offer to walk through the reports together over Zoom. This may make Daniela feel more comfortable and prepared for this new responsibility and it also creates a psychologically safe space for her to ask questions or gain clarity.
Let’s rephrase the email given this information:
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Hi Daniela,
As discussed last week, I’d like you to begin working on the attached reports. Do you have what you need to get started? If you’d like, I’d be happy to jump on a quick Zoom call with you to walk through the reports. Let me know, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Joshua
—
Clarity is important when communicating via email. In globalized workplaces, virtual communication can be an organization’s greatest strength or its greatest weakness.
For employee/manager relationships especially, effective communication techniques can go a long way. Open-ended questions help draw out richer responses from individuals, whether they are direct or indirect communicators. They encourage direct communicators to reflect more deeply and allow indirect communicators to share valuable context, fostering clearer and more collaborative exchanges.
In Joshua’s email, he asked: Do you have what you need to get started? However, a more open-ended question would go a long way in supporting Daniela as she starts working on a new task.
Let’s rephrase the email:
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Hi Daniela,
As discussed last week, I’d like you to begin working on the attached reports. Can you take a look and let me know what additional support, resources, or tools would help you get started? If you’d like, I’d be happy to jump on a quick Zoom call with you to walk through the reports. Let me know, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Joshua
—
Now he’s ready to hit send!
Anyone worldwide can use the industry-leading tools in Aperian to enhance their communication and collaboration with others by using tools for understanding remote team communication.
Strong email communication on global teams hinges on cultural awareness, clarity, and adaptability. By understanding diverse work styles and communication preferences, teams can build stronger connections and enhance collaboration across borders.
With Aperian’s cultural competence tools and resources, organizations can gain actionable insights for stronger communication, provide culturally resonant feedback, and foster deeper engagement.
Start a free trial of Aperian or contact the Aperian team today to see how Aperian helps bridge differences and drive success in today’s global workplace.
