Floor Control: Learning the Art of Gaps in Virtual Communication
An
individual speaking in a group setting owns floor control. What most Americans
do not realize is that floor control preferences are cultural and happen quite
naturally. Aspects of floor control become very important to achieve a successful interaction when
communicating through a video or phone conference.
Americans,
familiar with flat organization structures where everyone has a voice, will
spontaneously take the floor without formal cues. In organizations, people interrupt each other
and take over conversations in an effort to add to the discussion. Americans
focus on the right moment to jump in during a meeting. They often search for a moment of silence or
anticipate when someone else will complete their thought, so that they can have
their say. During American meetings,
there is an ongoing mental strategy happening at the table amongst all participants
to be part of the conversation, to provide meaningful thoughts, and most
importantly to say something that others hear. In America, speaking up is not
only important, but your job may depend on it.
Because
of this mentality, there are very few pockets of silence during American
conversations. When silence presents itself, most Americans feel a need to fill
the perceived void. Think about silence the next time you are at a
meeting. You will be amazed at how little
silence exists.
In
other cultures, the structures for communicating are much more formal,
especially inside the Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC) cultures. The reality is that people in these countries
act differently at the conference room table.
There is a unique combination of organizations structured in a tall
triangle with many layers between the CEO and the worker. The focus is on giving power to those that
lead.
Beyond
organizational structures, in the BRIC cultures there is a greater focus on
indirect communication where workers send messages without speaking. They
exhibit this in their use of body language and the use of silence. When you
speak directly to someone from another culture, you will discover more silence.
If you can be patient, you will find that the other side waits a bit longer
to begin speaking. This gap or silence can be irresistible to fill for
Americans who instantly start thinking about whether or not others understood
them and continue explaining.
With
an increased understanding of what the other side is thinking during a call, The
Global Manager has better tools to managing virtual communications with workers
from other cultures. To learn more about
cultural differences and managing virtual communications
, visit http://theglobalmanager.com/cross-cultural-virtual-communication/.
