43. REACH OUT - SLOWLY. Don't be
refrained from approaching people from
intercultural groups by the concern that
you might do or say something deemed as
insulting or wrong in other cultures. Let
them know your concern frankly, and
approach them gradually. People will
understand even if you say something
wrong. (YM)
44. SAME DIFFERENCE. Keep
in mind that people from different
cultures are different, but on the other
hand, they are all human beings.
Cross-cultural similarities exist in many
respects. (YM)
45. TALK MORE. Much of what we say
assumes shared information and values. If
this assumption is faulty, communication
can break down and difficulties will
begin. Be more explicit in your
communication and assume as little as
possible. (ME)
46. FORGET "COMMON SENSE."
"Common sense" is not unversal.
It is based on shared larnings, values,
and experience, which are often not
directly remembered. What is felt to be
"common sense" to someone with
one cultural background may be
"utter nonsense" to someone
from another, with teh same level of
validity for their environment. (ME)
47. PLAN CAREFULLY. THEN BE READY FOR
NOTHING TO GO ACCORDING TO PLAN. Planning
will help you consider many possible
occurences. Opening yourself to the
possibility of scenarios beyond your
plans will further expand your acceptance
of numerous ppossibilities. The more
possibilities you have considered, the
greater your ability to deal effectively
with the many new experiences you will
encounter in a multicultural environment.
(ME)
48. DON'T GET ANGRY - ASK QUESTIONS.
Recognize that unexpected behaviors and
strong emotional reactions are often
signs of language and cultural barriers.
Put aside your own emotional reactions to
unexpected behaviors, and avoid making
assumptions about the motives behind
those behaviors. Ask questions instead,
and you may be surprised at what you will
learn. (ME)
49. RESPECT TIME ZONES. If your
participants have to travel over time
zones, allow for jet lag as well as
culture shock. Begin your sessions gently
to ease the experience. Likewise, adjust
your schedule earlier or later to
accommodate their most alert time of day.
(PM)
50. USE THEATRE! Create, borrow or
re-live role-play scenes with your
participants to create controlled
experiences of another culture. This can
be done with props, clothing,
temperature, food, music, language,
poetry, play, respect and humor, to share
experiences with low risk. Two
exemplar/mentors are Peter Brook, the
playwright, and Colin Turnbull,
anthropologist/professor at George
Washington University, who authored a
manuscript on Cross Cultural experience.
(PM)
51. TRAIN WITH PASSION. If you are not
passionate about what you do, why should
anyone else be? Let people see and feel
how much you care about this topic (JS)
52. TELL STORIES. Across all cultures,
I have found short, relevant, personal
stories and illustrations are an
effective way of reinforcing a theory and
bringing a concept to life. Encourage
others to do likewise, within reason.
(JS)
53. SHIFT STYLES. Working across
cultures is like learning to write with
your other hand. You are not losing the
ability to write with your normal hand,
just learning another skill. You are now
becoming ambidextrous and able to adapt
to any situation. (JS)
54. HUMOR, NOT JOKES. Light,
self-deprecating humor can be a great way
to reinforce points but do not slip into
jokes, jargon or slang. (JS)
55. LEARNINGS FROM ELDERS. A great way
to get people to understand how values
are passed down is to ask them to think
of something they learned from their
elders (family, teachers, mentors,
priests etc.) For example, one of my
all-time favorites is: Some days you're a
dog; some days you're a hydrant! (JS)
56. SELF-REFLECTION. Always allow time
during or at the end of each day for
people to reflect on the day's learnings
by journaling alone or responding to a
few pre-set questions in a listening
dyad. (JS)
57. LOW-TECH AND PROUD OF IT. In these
Powerpoint days, concise and pithy
handouts and colorful flipcharts are
still the most effective ways of helping
all participants -- whether native
speakers or not -- learn, understand and,
most importantly, retain more than the
10% they usually remember. (JS)
58. ENCOURAGE AND STRUCTURE DIRECT
DIALOGUE between the parties involved,
especially if the topic is heated, and
then trust the process. Some of my
biggest successes in high-conflict
situations have come after I thought all
was lost: parties screamed at each other
or said the unthinkable. But the process
prevented abuse and balanced power
dynamics, and the results were
remarkable. (DHS)
59. GO FOR THE "HEAT": In a
high-conflict situation, after some skill
practice I like to structure a
solution-creating process on the
"hottest" topic for the group.
If the group can be led through a process
where they really hear one another's
concerns and objectives in a deep way,
and do not trap themselves in a digital
"yes or no" choice of next
steps, they can usually create a solution
that maximizes outcome. And, once the
group has had success on their most
difficult issue, they feel empowered and
emboldened to keep practicing their new
skills and solution-finding processes.
(DHS)
60. REAL TASKS. Facilitate processes
with intercultural groups in which they
are working on their actual group tasks,
using the skills and processes you may
want to teach, rather than having them
"practice" on artificially
created tasks. (DHS)
61. HAVE FUN. Help the group members
to enjoy themselves and have some fun.
Even the most serious task can be
conducted in an enjoyable manner, and
many cultures value the interpersonal
connections that are obtained through
good, strong, shared belly laughs. (DHS)
62. RITUALS. Help the group to create
their own shared rituals; rituals that
bridge the cultures of the members and
focus them on their joint vision. Ritual
is an incredibly powerful tool for
strengthening interpersonal bonds and
group identity and reflecting on history
and what the group has learned. (DHS)
63. EQUAL AIR TIME. When you
facilitate groups, be sure that group
members from minority groups are given
enough air time and that their
contributions are not discounted or
disregarded by other group members.
(AT-B)
64. REMEMBER HISTORY. When
facilitating an ice-breaker, classroom
exercise, or constructing an e-learning
exercise, or whenever giving real world
examples, metaphors, etc. in any type of
learning program, remember that the
historical perspectives of people from
different cultures can be very different.
Thus, for most cultures to relate or to
participate in a learning program where
monocultural examples and perspectives
are used to augment the learning,
participants who are not part of the
monoculture will feel alienated, and
perhaps, disenfranchised. Here's an
example of what I am describing: To start
a meeting, a group facilitator asks
participants to tell something unique
about their ancestral backgrounds. Most
of the participants have an Anglo-Saxon
ethnic background, some far-eastern, some
Hispanic, and there are only a few from
African backgrounds. Many participants
described how their family histories went
back into the 19th and 18th centuries,
etc., except the African-American
participants. They went back only to
their grandparents, or in one case,
great-grandparents, to describe something
that they felt was pertinent. I could
tell from the body language and tone of
voice, especially facial expressions,
that they were very uncomfortable in
participating in this type of exercise.
But I also feel that they are used to
this stuff happening to them from time to
time. In summary, all trainers,
facilitators, and instructional designers
should think about how the contents of a
learning program could be perceived by a
multicultural audience. This will help
create successful experiences for
everybody. (RT)
65. DISPLAY WITH TASTE. Ensure that
the environment of an instructor-led
classroom displays photographs, drawings,
patterns, slogans, etc. that do not
offend any participant from any of the
cultures represented in any learning
experiences that are conducted in the
room. (RT)
66. KNOW THYSELF - In order to
understand differences and be sensitive
to other people's thoughts and feelings,
we must be aware of our own thoughts,
feelings, and biases. It is far easier to
understand each other as individuals if
we understand ourselves first. (LS)
67. BE CLEAR ABOUT EXPECTATIONS - Make
a list of what group members expect from
the training and how they expect conflict
or differences to be handled. (LS)
68. NORMALIZE DIVERSITY. As the group
leader or facilitator, pick a topic
outside of the training discussion to
which you know there will be diversity,
like what types of food would make a
perfect desert, and have each person
share their views, and other views that
they are aware of. Use this as an example
to confirm that diversity is interesting,
appreciated and respected. Encourage
participants to share cultural views
during any part of the training where
there may be a cultural difference that
other might benefit to know about. (JdP)
69. GIVE EACH PARTICIPANT A
LEGITIMIZED VOICE Use the example above
or something like it to make each
participant feel appreciated and
legitimized as an equally valued
participant of the training group and
that their voice is as valued at maybe
another voice of a 'large' culture. (JdP)
70. DON'T ASSUME CAUSE/EFFECT
RELATIONSHIPS: Every opinion, strategy,
solution and behavior that you observe on
the part of another person may not be the
result of their national culture. Ask the
individual to explain the basis of their
ideas, before you assume that they are
always inspired by culture. (LD)
71. ASK WHY? When
confronted with offensive or
incomprehensible behavior, ask yourself
how is that behavior valued positively by
the other individual/group. This will
help you to understand the positive
context from which the behavior arises.
(JK)
72. SPACE TRAVEL. Realize that you are
entering another planet where the rules
are different and your rules may lead to
social death. (JK)
73. SUSPEND JUDGEMENT. Realize that
the offending or incomprehensible
behavior is quite normal and acceptable
from the other individual's viewpoint.
It's your job to figure out why and how
which requires you to suspend your values
configuration momentarily. (JK)
74. ASK. Ask when you don't
understand. (JK)
75. OBSERVE. Watch and listen how
others do it. Then try to follow their
model as best you can. (JK)
76. SELECT WITH CARE: Not everyone is
comfortable working in multi- cultural
groups. Therefore, some selection is
necessary in identifying the participants
in such groups. (DPD)
77. DON'T INSIST ON SPEAKING: Not all
cultures are equally verbal. People from
some cultures are not comfortable
speaking in groups. Therefore insisting
on speaking can dampen their
participatory spirit. (DPD)
78. CHOOSE RITUALS WITH CARE: Rituals
like self-introduction, mixing males and
females, etc., may not be acceptable to
all cultures. Therefore, identify some
alternative rituals and get these
approved by the group beforehand. (DPD)
79. TOLERATE DIVERSITY: There is no
common set of values shared by all
cultures. Values like timeliness,
truthfulness, etc., although sometimes
assumed to be universal, are in fact not
(yet) so. Therefore don't assume
anything. If necessary, specify some
ground rules in the beginning. (DPD)
80. OPTIMUM STRUCTURE: Some
facilitators follow the strategy of
'soft-structuring', i.e., introducing the
minimum required structure in the
workshop and allowing the interactions to
evolve. This will not work if a large
percentage of participants expect a
greater degree of structuring and a
greater degree of authority from the
facilitator. Therefore, keep some
alternative designs ready. Don't assume
that less structure is always good. (DPD)
81. NONVERBAL BEHAVIORS. The diversity
of meaning of nonverbal communication is
endless. When communicating
cross-culturally the meaning of the
nonverbal signals can be perceived
incorrectly by the receiver. Or, the
meaning may not even be received at all.
Communication at this level can be
intentional or unintentional and may
cause misunderstandings in multicultural
groups. Remember: Don't take nonverbals
at face value! A shaking head, closed
eyes, or a tap on the forearm can all
mean different things to different
people. So my tip is to keep an open mind
when interpreting nonverbal cues from a
person who is culturally different. (CS)
82. START A CHESS GAME. Chess is the
one intercultural board game that many
people know. Set up a board by your
computer and arrange to play a couple
moves per week. A good diversion from the
stress of the screen. (JB)
83. LEARN GREETINGS. It is never bad
form to learn simple greetings in another
tongue, and to use them when emailing. It
shows an interest in other people and
shows your willingness to accept
differences in others. For example, What
is the American "Hi!" in
Russian? (JB)
84. BE COMPLIMENTARY. Since you can't
use a smile, nod, or a pat on the back
while doing business online, be outwardly
complimentary when it is deserved. Don't
hesitate to say, "Good point."
or "I like your idea." (JB)
85. KEEP YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR. There is
a tendency to be a little stuffy, or
stiff, in the world of words, since they
can be chosen carefully before being
sent. So remember that words and
situations can be a source of fun and
help bring down barriers. The best person
to laugh at is yourself. (JB)
86. DON'T DISCUSS RELIGION AND
POLITICS. Religion is a private matter
that almost no one is comfortable sharing
with others. Politics involves voicing
opinions, and opinions lead to
disagreements and defensive postures.
(JB)
87. PEOPLE ARE INDIVIDUALS. Although
knowledge about cultural tendencies is
very helpful when working across
cultures, people are individuals and
follow cultural tendencies to differing
degrees. Learn about the individuals you
are working with, and let that knowledge
supercede your knowledge about cultural
norms. (ME)
88. FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS. Keep
discussions centered around understanding
and accommodating each person's needs and
values. Avoid discussions about the
"correctness" or
"validity" of those values.
Instead, search for solutions that
respect everyone's position. (ME)
89. COMMUNICATE IN MULTIPLE MODES.
Convey important messages in as many ways
as possible. Say it in person, leave a
voice message, write it down, add
illustrations, etc. (ME)
90. CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING. Minimize
miscommunications by having the listener
retell the speaker what they heard.
Clarify the message until the speaker
accepts the retelling of the listener.
(ME)
91. SIMPLE TRANSLATION ISN'T ENOUGH.
Crossing language and culture barriers
can be very tricky. Direct translation of
existing material from one language to
another often results in unexpected and
unintended results. Get guidance
from cultural experts about the
appropriate approach, method, and tone
for communication directed at a different
cultural audience. (ME)
92. When traveling with a group of not
so sensitive Americans I saw them go up
to merchants and ask in a most demanding
voice. "Do you speak English?"
Imagine if a Frenchman came up to you in
the US and asked in a very demanding
voice Do you speak French?" If
you answer no, then you know that you
have lost face in the eyes of the person
asking. If you answer yes, but are
irritated at the assumption that you
should be able to speak French in the
U.S., then you feel like you have
violated your own values if you don't
point out the implication of the
question. I have found that if I say in
English or in French, "I am sorry
but I don't speak French (or German, or
Danish). Do you speak English?" The
response is universally positive, even in
Paris. When you apologize for not
speaking their language it makes it clear
that the onus is on you not on them. When
an insensitive person (intentionally or
unintentionally) asks directly if the
person speaks English, it often creates a
defensive reaction because the question
implies that they should be able to speak
English. However, when you say, "I'm
sorry I don't speak French" before
asking if they speak English, it puts the
responsibility where it belongs - on you.
It also shows that you respect their
language. I have used this many times
around the world and the response has
been universally positive. (GS)
93. TAKE THE LEAD - First and
foremost, it is important to check your
cultural baggage at the door. If this is
not possible, at least be somewhat
introspective throughout and remember
that you are part of the environment and
situation as well. Others in the group
will be feeling uncomfortable and look to
you for leadership (by example). (GW)
94. PASS THE CONCH - An abstract
reference to Lord of The Flies--hand out
a gavel, or similar device to give a
person the 'uninterrupted' floor. Each
person than in turn leads a discussion on
the topic of their choice (interesting to
observe the choices) and feels
un-threatened so long as the conch is
respected. Facilitator must be sure to
firmly introduce the concept and be
prepared to enforce. Also during
debriefing (either as a group or alone)
watch for changes in personality as the
'power' that comes with the floor changes
the personality of the people leading the
discussion. (GW)
95. RORSCHACH TEST - Not sure on the
spelling, but I think you will all know
what I mean. Use ink blots, or other
abstract images (my personal choice would
be clouds), and ask each person what they
see. This exercise can be useful when
trying to help members find similarities
or to explain the basis for differences.
(GW)
96. WICKI STIX - This is a children's
toy (very cheap). Multi-colored wax
coated string that is bendable, not
breakable. Comes in sets of 8. Each
participant can be asked to make
something in particular of any thing of
their choosing. Then, they can either
introduce their creation to the group or
have the group guess what they made. (GW)
97. DISCUSS THE FUTURE. "Where do
you see yourself in three year?" is
a good lead in. People generally enjoy
discussing their future plans, since what
they are doing at the present is really
predicated on their future. (JB)
98. AVOID MAKING PROMISES. In a world
of uncertainties, promises are often hard
to keep and end in disappointments and
hurt feelings. A particularly bad promise
is to say, "Next time I'm in Moscow
I'll look you up." (JB)
99. SHARE NEWS EVENTS FROM AROUND THE
WORLD. If you are an avid Internet
surfer, turn to news from the home
countries of your intercultural friends
and help keep them, and yourself,
informed. (JB)
100. DISCUSS UPDATES IN TECHNOLOGY.
There is often new technology going on in
some countries that isn't available in
others. Or ask someone about the
functions of their handhelds and if they
think it is a good investment. (JB)
101. BE HONEST, BUT BE POLITE. If you
make a mistake, or commit a cultural faux
pas, a simple, quick apology is good
form. On other occasions, it's not okay
to say to say you hate the sushi that
your new Japanese friend has prepared for
you even though you wish you were eating
grilled catfish. (JB)
102. LISTEN TO LEARN--Listening to
people from cultures different than your
own is not an act of kindness. Cultures
different from one's own can offer
different and better ways of reaching
common goals. Don't just listen to other
viewpoints out of benevolence. Listen to
learn. (LS)
103. DON'T SHOUT. Speak slow with
simple words but not in a loud voice.
They are not deaf. (NK-R)
104. WHY? When you get angry, stop
there. And ask yourself "why"?
There must be a misunderstandings, wrong
choice of words, and other meanings.
(NK-R)
105. MULTI-CULTURAL PICTIONATRY. Break
participants into groups and play a
variation of pictionary. Use emotions,
expressions or events rather than the
usual places and things. Encourage
dialogue and exploration during
debriefing. (GW)
106. ENVIRONMENT IS EVERYTHING. Be
sensitive to surroundings and unofficial
hierarchy. Arrange chairs, tables, etc..
to prevent any one person or persons from
being in a 'power' position. Use various
techniques at different times, such as a
giant circle, sitting on the floor,
standing..? A level playing field gives
people a real sense of comfort. (GW)
107. LET EVERYONE KNOW THE RULES. We
take a lot of things for granted. Don't
be shy about telling a diverse group
where the bathroom is, that they are free
to get up as needed, when and where they
can smoke, where a telephone is located,
cell phone etiquette, eating and drinking
policies. Ask yourself, "Have I ever
been embarrassed, because no one told me
something?" (GW)
108. SILENCE IS GOLDEN. Dramatic and
not-so-dramatic pauses are often needed
in order to allow participants to digest
what has taken place, and to allow for
dialogue and feedback. (GW)
109. SLOW DOWN. If the pace gets to
fast, take control and ponder for a
while. If you are not comfortable with
that, take a 60 second stretch break, or
brief meditation session. (GW)
110. SHOW THAT YOU'RE VULNERABLE. Even
though you are a newcomer to training in
this area, you will be perceived by the
participants as a seasoned veteran. You
can make your life easier, and set them
at ease by demonstrating your
vulnerability. You can share a story
reflecting on a cultural mishap or an
embarrassment you suffered or show them
something that you, as an individual,
representative of your culture, finds
uncomfortable. As an alternative, you can
share with them a stereotype or
misperception you had felt, until you
learned otherwise. (GW)
111. USE THIS MAGIC WORD. When
conflict arises in a cross-cultural
setting try to use what I call the TABAR
approach to get some perspective on the
situation before responding. TABAR means
to Take A Breath And Reflect on what
happened and why it happened. It is
important to do this before reacting --
especially if your values are involved.
If the problem is a cross-cultural issue,
it usually means that the other person is
either oblivious to it or that his or her
values are also involved. Stop, take a
breath and reflect before reacting and
escalating the situation. (DR)
112. UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS. When running
a country-specific training, it is
important to keep reminding participants
that generalizations are guideline, but
that individuals are unique. (DR)
113. MIRROR. When working across
cultures, the technique of subtly
mirroring the other's body language
generates a sense of rapport in the other
person. But perhaps more importantly, it
will also help you to gauge your
behavior. For example, you will more
naturally convey the level of formality
or informality your counterpart is
comfortable with at that time. If you
mirror speech pacing (including
silences), it will help you to avoid
speaking faster than the other party can
understand you or monopolizing the
conversation. (DR)
114. GIVE RESPECT. In working with
people anywhere, probably the most
important aspect of your behavior is
conveying respect. If it is apparent that
you have, and are trying to show, respect
for the other person, then generally faux
pas are of little consequence. However,
if it appears that you lack respect, then
small infractions can be seen as major
slights. (DR)
115. CULTURAL INTEGRITY. If you
understand a behavior to be a cultural
custom, you must also realize that,
whether or not you like that behavior, it
has cultural integrity. (DR)
116. LISTEN TO RHYTHM. It's easy
to overlook that non-native speakers of a
language use a different rhythm and
pattern for speaking. I don't just
mean speaking a 2nd language slower or
faster. I mean a different length
to one's pauses within and between
sentences and a different beat to the
exchange between speakers. To help
minimize interrupting others who are
speaking "your" language,
listen to the speakers using their native
language to gain a better understanding
of what their preferred speech patterns
are. (BK)
117. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS EARLY.
If personality and/or cultural
characteristics lead to some people
desiring more time to process a question
before responding, one tip for
interviewing candidates for positions is
to distributed questions ahead of the
interview. A way to easily
implement this is to have candidates
arrive 15 minutes before the interview
begins and pick-up the questions.
You don't necessarily have to distribute
all interview questions ahead of time;
you could save a few to solicit
spontaneous reactions, if that is
required/desired for the position. (BK)
118. ASK DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONS.
The Describe, Interpret, Evaluate process
(written about by Jon Wendt and Stella
Ting-Toomey, among others) is an
excellent tool for double or triple
checking one's reactions to a
cross-cultural experience. In
preparing sojourners for cross-cultural
experiences, we have heavily emphasized
the skill of describing what one has
experienced (participants are prompted to
come up with a "pure"
description until other participants
agree it is a description). The
emphasis on description is helpful in
that it is much better to ask "what
might it mean if someone stands and
touches me on the shoulder?" because
it is much less apt to get a defensive
response than "why are the people so
aggressive in this culture?" (BK)
119. STORY OF YOUR NAME. As an
icebreaker for newly formed group-or even
as an activity with a group that feels
they know each other well, encourage
members to share the story of his/her
name. This is a great way to learn
about personal, family, and cultural
history. I have seen it also be a
great way for Euro-Americans to realize
the importance of trying to pronounce a
non-U.S. Americans name correctly -
because of the cultural and family
importance of the person's name. I
first saw this idea listed as an activity
on a handout by Juan Moreno of The
Diversity Institute, University of
Minnesota. (BK)
120. ACKNOLWEDGE THAT VALUES ARE A
SYSTEM FOR DECISION-MAKING. It is
impossible to compare cultures by saying
this culture values "this"
while another culture values
"that." Humans and the
societies we live in are much more
complex than such simple comparisons
allow. If we want to understand why
a person behaves the way she/he does, we
need to understand the context in which a
decision was made, and thus, the context
in which the person prioritized her/his
value system and which one came out on
top. For example, it is often said
that U.S. Americans value time, while
others value relationships. But,
when I, as a U.S. American, walk across
town on my way to a meeting, whether or
not I stop to visit with a person I know
depends on several factors - sometimes my
emphasis of timeliness will rise to the
top (I am on the leader of the meeting,
it's a job interview, etc.), whereas
other times my emphasis on relationships
will rise to the top (depending on the
person's status, family relationship,
etc.). (BK)
121. BE PATIENT, WITH YOURSELF AND
WITH OTHERS. Working across
cultures provides many
*opportunities* to make mistakes, be
unintentionally offensive, and react in
surprising and inappropriate ways.
Be patient with yourself, and with
others, and move past these occurrences
as quickly as possible. (ME)
122. UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CULTURE BARRIERS AND CULTURE SHOCK.
A culture barrier is external, and is
encountered when two or more people
experience a difference of values,
assumptions, or expectations of
appropriate behaviors. Culture
shock is internal, and is a reaction to
unfamiliar stimuli. Culture shock
can be triggered by the experience of
hitting a culture barrier, however
culture shock is a personal experience,
whereas a culture barrier is a shared
experience. (ME)
123. LEARN TO SPEAK INTERNATIONAL
ENGLISH. If you are working across
a language barrier, and you cannot speak
the other language, at least learn to
modify your speech for easier
comprehension. Choose simple words
rather than complex ones. Use short
sentences. Speak slowly. Speak
clearly, pronouncing each sound
distinctly, especially the sounds at the
ends of words. Avoid *filling* with
unnecessary chatter -- rather leave
silent time for processing. Avoid
idioms and slang. (ME)
124. ESTIMATE YOUR TIMELINE, THEN
DOUBLE IT. (IF YOU ARE WORKING FROM
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, THEN DOUBLE IT
AGAIN.) Working across language and
culture barriers takes extra time and
energy. Plan for it, and you will
avoid the added stress of falling behind
schedule. (ME)
125. CHOOSE YOUR HUMOR
CAREFULLY. Humor does not always
translate well across language and
culture barriers. Check carefully
that your humor is understood as
intended, and be ready to explain and
apologize if needed! (ME)
126. DE-STRESS. Exercise,
meditate, sing, dance, whatever you do to
relieve stress. Do it regularly,
and do it often. (ME)
127. WHAT'S IN A NAME. Since I come
from a different culture and a have a
hard name, I abbreviate it and let people
mispronounce it any way they want to.
However, I have notice that when some
people spend time and effort and gently
insist I teach them how to say and spell
my name, I feel important and happy.
While it may be a bad idea to generalize
from my vanity, I always make it a rule
to apply this let's-focus-on-your-name
strategy with people who have unusual
names. (Warning: This approach may
backfire with Tom Jones.) (ABC)
128. VERB PLUS PREPOSITION. As a
second-language speaker of English, I am
particularly confused by verb +
preposition phrases such as turn
on, turn out,
turnover, turn
down, turn up, and
turn off. The non-native
speaker's initial tendency is to
translate each word, combine the
meanings, and then try to make sense.
Please avoid this confusion by using
straight verbs as motivate,
result, reject,
appear, and
ignore. (DEF)
129. WRITTEN WORDS. Most professionals
from non-English speaking cultures
probably have a wider reading vocabulary
than listening vocabulary. Make use of
this phenomenon by supporting your oral
presentations with handouts and text
slides. (GHI)