Corona is raging and many people are still working from home. But even if you are in the office, traveling is still largely impossible. Europe is slowly opening up again, but if you have projects in India or China, you are currently forced to manage them virtually.
Virtual project management – focus on communication
This is where the pitfalls lie, because in order to work well together, everyone involved must understand each other well. This has nothing to do with sympathy, but purely with communication. The Germans believe that facts that are clearly described on paper should not pose any problems. Especially in the technical field, where the German language leaves little room for interpretation, it should be possible to communicate directly and simply. However, India and China are cultures that communicate and interpret indirectly. A “yes” can therefore also mean “possibly” or “yes, I have understood” or even “actually no, I don’t want any conflict with you.” “. It is helpful to keep the 6 stages of communication in mind.
The 6 stages of intercultural communication
- Thought is not said – many things that we take for granted are not taken for granted in another culture. So you have to address it.
- Said is not heard
- Heard is not understood – Especially when there are language barriers, it is necessary to express yourself as clearly as possible and to question whether things have really been understood.
- Understood is not agreed – in India and China it is usually impolite to say “no”. If this is the case, a rejection is either not expressed at all or is expressed in such a way that the Germans understand it as consent. This is because Germans trust the word
- Agreed is not done – after all, the agreements have to be implemented. The time factor plays a role here.
- A procedure that has been implemented once should be checked to ensure that it has been maintained.
If you suspect that something is wrong, you can then analyze at which level there may have been misunderstandings and react accordingly.
Yes or no – when should you take notice?
Your business partner
- Says nothing at all
- Suddenly changes the topic of conversation
- Distracts: “Have you read my elaboration on Phase C yet?”
- Postponed: That’s an interesting idea. We can discuss it later.
- Refers: Mr. Sharma is already working on this idea.
A good way to do this is to ask open questions and remain persistent – until you are convinced that everything is in order or your business partner finally has to come clean.
Project management by phone or e-mail – what’s the catch?
When you face someone, you have three “ingredients” to get your message across:
- Words – they only account for about 7% of how a message is understood
- Tone of voice – it is responsible for approx. 33% of how a message is understood
- Gestures and facial expressions account for 60%
This shows where the limits of virtual project work lie. With virtual communication, you are reduced to 40% of these possibilities on the phone, and only 7% with emails. This makes the scope for misunderstandings clear, because words alone can be interpreted in any way. And every culture does this through its “own cultural lens”. What is considered a neutral and factual statement in Germany can cause irritation in India or China.
Video conferencing as a way out?
Video conferencing has become very popular in recent months. At least you can see each other that way. In my experience, it’s better than nothing, but it’s not the same, as Mrs. Merkel has already admitted. Nevertheless, the following rule applies:
- Video conference if possible
- If not possible, telephone
- If not possible, write an e-mail
E-mails – important tips
As already mentioned, emails are the most dangerous source of misunderstandings. Here are some suggestions on how to formulate them skillfully:
- “I need the documents in my mailbox by 7 p.m. tonight.” It is more clever to formulate your request as friendly as possible and, if possible, even as a question: “In order to continue with the project, I would need the documents today if possible. Could you manage that?”
- “You forgot the sales figures in your report.” Instead, you could say: “Thank you for your report. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the sales figures. Could you show me again where I can find them?” or even: “I was asked by my boss if I could quickly provide him with last month’s figures. It would be a great help if you could send them to me by this afternoon. Do you need any more input from me on this?”
- Last but not least – there are situations in which you have your back to the wall. Surely your Indian or Chinese colleagues will be able to understand this. And then you can also be direct in emails, for example: “Unfortunately, time is very short, as all the next steps depend on your information. It is therefore crucial for the continued success of our project that you provide it to me today, otherwise our superiors could also have problems.” In this version, it is also pointed out that others would also suffer, and important people at that!
Conclusion
Virtual communication in projects can therefore be very challenging. You can find out more ideas, tips and background information in a seminar on intercultural project management, intercultural training in India or intercultural training in China – which we also offer virtually!
