Communication Style

This dimension of Communication Style describes the way we communicate with each other. The dimension is highly relevant for people of all cultures, as our differences in whether we appreciate directness or indirectness directly affects how we listen to what is said and how we come across to members of other cultures.

In this section you will learn how to:

1. Understand how people from different parts of the world come across to the British.
2. Adjust your communication style to make it more efficient in the UK.
3. Respect the cultural values of your British counterparts whilst disagreeing.

The Dimension of Communication

This is a dimension that is ranked as highly relevant in the global business world. This can for example be seen by the fact that almost all cultures have a proverb saying something to the effect of; "it is not what you say, it is how you say it!”.

The cultures of the world belong either to a group that appreciates directness or one that prefers indirectness. In many cultures there is a difference between how direct we can be when we communicate with friends and when we communicate professionally. However, this is not the case for all cultures. In the UK this separation only exists to a small extent and it is considered safer to always be slightly indirect and respectful.

An aspect which is closely related to directness and indirectness is emotional or attached communication. In the UK it is uncommon to show too many feelings when you speak. In fact it is often seen as unprofessional or directly embarrassing if you let your true feelings show on the surface. This is especially the case if you are in a somewhat stressed situation