The organisation I work for is part of a group that has its head office in England. I recently received an e-mailed memo about diversity and the pitfalls of talking to groups of employees. An excerpt of this memo is below:
It is also important to be aware of your body language. Some cultures are very formal and do not appreciate animated gestures and smiles. Gestures that are acceptable in one culture may be considered rude in another, for example a ‘thumbs up’ sign means ‘I’m OK’ or ‘everything is great’ in the UK but is an extreme insult in Iraq. Similarly, some cultures regard strong eye contact as a sign of honesty and credibility, while others find it arrogant. Audience participation is something to bear in mind as well – some audiences are willing to engage with the speaker, while others prefer the opposite. A British audience may nod their heads to show understanding, while a Japanese audience may listen with their eyes closed until the end. Doing a little background research will help to ensure that these reactions do not faze you.
This is part of the political correctness that has enforced itself on this country. I remember six months ago a school in Edinburgh deciding not to hold a Nativity play for fear of offending non Christians. I've read other stories such as the office where staff are banned from displaying Happy 40th/50th/60th birthday banners for colleagues as this is ageist; a coffee shop telling customers they could have coffee with milk or coffee without milk as saying black or white coffee could be deemed racist; and an organisation banning the term 'brainstorm' as this may upset people who are epileptic.
I do think, at times, I'm getting too old to work in the HR profession.
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2 comments:
No, you're not getting too old Mike, just nowadays some people are so sensitive and will take offence to anything that comes thrown at them. It never used to be like this, but it has gotten worse and worse over the past 10 yrs or so and soon enough I'm sure saying please and thank you will be considered rude as well. Chalk it up to your're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Have a good holiday tomorrow - soak up the sun before the rain comes marching back in
Melissa
Mike, I know what you mean, it is so hard to be politically correct at times,trying not to hurt anyones feelings or make them feel offended. Working in HR I can see BOTH extremes of people being WAY too politically correct or others that are just plain racist and nasty rude. Around the holidays I find myself to scared to say Merry Christmas when I KNOW the people I say it to do celebrate it. I just try to get in the habit of saying Happy holidays and be safe this winter...
I also think its nice to know why a culture responds to you in a certain way BUT I believe if another culture moves and begins to live in a foreign country THEY are the ones that really need to make sure they do the research and try not to be offended if we give a thumbs up sign or get used to strong eye contact.
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