How to communicate feedback in different cultures: 6 important tips

If you are giving feedback to someone from a different culture, it is important to understand how feedback is communicated and interpreted in that culture. This helps to avoid misunderstandings and increases the chances that your feedback will be received effectively.

In this article, we will discuss the biggest communication differences between cultures, using insights from the book The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. This way, you will know exactly how to give and receive feedback effectively across cultures.

Low- and high-context cultures

You may have heard of low or high context cultures before. These terms help explain how communication differs across cultures.

In low-context cultures, communication is clear, direct, and straightforward. The message is delivered exactly as intended, without hidden meanings. A good example is the Netherlands.

In high-context cultures, communication is much more layered, and messages can have ambiguous meanings. People often communicate between the lines, and messages are interpreted based on context. If you are not used to this, it can be challenging to pick up on these subtle signals. The key is to listen carefully and ask open-ended questions to clarify meaning.

But where does this difference in cultures come from? It originates from a country’s history and level of cultural homogeneity. For example, Japan has a rich history and therefore a strong shared context: people often have similar norms, values, and customs. As a result, it's not always necessary to say everything explicitly to be understood. The United States, on the other hand, with its relatively short history and diverse population due to immigration, has one of the most low-context cultures in the world, where clear and explicit communication is essential for mutual understanding.

Now that you have a basic understanding of low and high-context cultures, let's explore how you can use this knowledge to give and receive feedback effectively.

Communicating feedback in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark

Let’s start with the easiest cultures in terms of feedback. Giving negative feedback in the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark is quite simple. These countries have a low-context culture and are very direct when it comes to feedback. In these cultures, messages are meant exactly as they are communicated. While directness can be seen as rude in some countries, it is considered a sign of honesty and respect here.

If you are working with people from these cultures and you are not from a direct culture yourself, avoid trying to mimic their style. You might come across as too blunt or harsh because you may not naturally pick up on the subtle differences in their directness. Instead, focus on clear and simple communication.

Communicating feedback in Spain, France, and Italy

In the high-context cultures of Spain, France, and Italy, people communicate more indirectly, but when it comes to feedback, they can be sharp and direct. Countries like Israel, Russia, Spain, France, and Italy tend to be straightforward in delivering criticism.

However, direct feedback is not always appropriate in these cultures. The way you give feedback strongly depends on your relationship with the person. If you are close friends, family, or a boss giving feedback to an employee, directness is usually accepted. In other situations, it is better to remain diplomatic and avoid being too direct.

Communicating feedback in the US, Canada, and the UK

Communication in the US, Canada, and the UK is quite unique. Americans, for example, are often seen as direct communicators, which aligns with their low-context culture. However, when giving negative feedback, they tend to wrap it in a positive message, often starting with an expression of appreciation. They also frequently use exaggerated adjectives like ‘amazing’ or ‘outstanding’.

To have an effective feedback conversation with someone from these cultures, start by acknowledging something positive that you appreciate about the person. Then, carefully introduce your negative feedback, using softening words (also called "downgraders") like 'a little bit' or 'maybe' to make criticism sound less harsh. In this culture, it is best to balance your feedback and acknowledge cultural differences in communication styles to ensure mutual understanding.

Communicating feedback in Asian, Arab, and high-context countries

Giving feedback in the most high-context cultures*, such as Japan, Korea, and Indonesia, can be the most challenging. In these cultures, both positive and negative feedback should always be given in private and in a soft and subtle way.

The best approach to giving negative feedback in these cultures is to be indirect, spread your message over multiple conversations (over weeks or even months), and discuss it in a relaxed setting, such as over lunch. Focus mainly on the positive aspects, and sometimes, it is best to leave negative points unspoken, as they are often understood without being explicitly mentioned.

Although in these cultures it is sometimes acceptable for a boss to give direct negative feedback to an employee, as an outsider, it is better not to try this approach.

*Countries that follow this high-context communication style include Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, India, Kenya, China, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Japan.

Giving feedback in multicultural teams

Are you part of a team with people from multiple cultures? It can be difficult to consider everyone’s communication style. Assign one person the task of writing down key points discussed in meetings and encourage everyone to summarize their understanding verbally. By communicating in an extremely clear and structured way, you will improve mutual understanding and ensure that feedback is received as intended.

6 key tips for giving feedback across cultures

1. When giving feedback, explain how feedback is typically given in your culture to prevent misunderstandings.

2. If you work with people from a low-context culture, do not try to imitate their directness: you might come across as too blunt.

3. If you are having a feedback conversation with someone from an extreme high-context culture, always do it one-on-one in an informal setting.

4. Consider your relationship with the person before giving feedback. Even in cultures where directness is common, the level of directness may depend on the relationship.

5. When giving feedback to people from high-context cultures like Japan or Saudi Arabia, spread negative feedback over a longer period and focus mainly on the positive. The message is often understood without being explicitly stated.

6. Americans and British people communicate in a unique way: while they tend to be direct, they prefer to wrap negative feedback in a positive message, usually starting with appreciation.

Now that you understand communication differences across cultures, you can start improving how you give and receive feedback. These tips can be used within your organization, but if you operate internationally, they will also help you interpret and utilize customer feedback more effectively. Mystery shopping can be a powerful tool in this process.

With mystery shopping research from Secret View, you receive valuable, honest feedback on the customer journey, directly from real customers in your target audience. Our mystery shoppers come from your local area and understand the cultural and feedback norms, ensuring that the insights you receive are truly relevant to your business. This helps you improve customer experience and take your organization to the next level.

Curious about mystery shopping research and what it can do for your business? Click here or contact us.

Want to learn more about mystery shopping and its benefits? Read our other articles.

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