The Linguist

20 The Linguist Vol/62 No/2 thelinguist.uberflip.com FEATURES Businesses are held back by the lack of a multicultural mindset, but what does that mean for linguists, asks Valentina Lorenzon T he autumn issue featured an interesting article about the importance of adopting inclusive language when carrying out translation work ('Why Words Matter'). This led me to reflect on two things that also play an important role in our practice as language professionals and cross- cultural mediators: the need to encourage a dialogue with clients in order to educate them about what we do and how we do it; and the importance of continuing to question our own biases and improve our knowledge. These factors are even more important in the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) post-pandemic world of work. A lot of our interactions have moved online, creating a major opportunity to engage with a wider range of clients across a variety of assignments. However, this comes with the risk of creating a social and cultural silence, where human interactions and rituals are muted by the lack of direct contact. Linguists and our clients alike now face additional layers of difficulty when it comes to building long-term, trusting relationships, and our role as a cross-cultural and linguistic bridge is therefore becoming even more important. This requires a new way of approaching our work, and better communication strategies to engage clients and show them how we can support entrepreneurial success. Building intercultural competencies Intercultural work often requires a mix of industry knowledge, technical expertise and emotional intelligence. In business, we tend to work with multiple languages and cultures with which we are not familiar. It is normal to have cultural conditionings and biases that come from our specific upbringing, education and experiences. These might influence our approach and the type of relationships we create with clients, as they become shortcuts to finding solutions in complex situations. In order to counter this, we often focus on researching and learning about specific markets, languages and cultures to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Although this is extremely useful, it is not enough in a multi-layered business environment, and can lead to a few common pitfalls. High levels of specific knowledge can lead to dangerous generalisations, for instance. Specialisation presents a variety of advantages, turning us into market experts, but it can be a limitation if we try to interpret other cultures based on the knowledge we have of a particular market. A classic example might be the tendency to use a Western perspective as the benchmark to handle issues, even within an Asian context. It is also important to remember that being of the same culture does not equate to a lack of cultural differences. In Anthrovision, Gillian Tett explores how adopting an anthropological view could help us to understand the often unspoken codes and assumptions that influence the way people think, act and work. She points out that some of the worst misunderstandings in a professional context happen between people who speak the same language and share the same national identity but come from different educational or professional backgrounds. This is because of what they have in common, which stops them from questioning their assumptions and whether these differ from those of the other people involved. They neglect the fact that the way we communicate and act is affected by a multiplicity of factors. Mitigating the risks As cross-cultural mediators, we may be inclined to evaluate every situation through culture and language, transferring behaviours and beliefs that can usually be attributed to a cultural group on to a specific organisation, team or individual. However, a difference in negotiation skills could be due to a company's financial situation or an individual's personality, rather than being a cultural trait. We should consciously take into account the different dynamics that might be at play. In my experience, the key is to shift away from a purely notions-based approach that focuses on acquiring market-specific knowledge, and towards the development of a multicultural mindset. A mindset is a set of beliefs and attitudes that shapes how we perceive and interpret the world around us, as well as the way we feel and behave in a given situation. We generally have one overall mindset, which is made up of more specific mindsets. A multicultural mindset is characterised by an ability to operate efficiently in a highly diverse setting by employing multiple cultural perspectives at the same time, and developing an understanding of cultural nuances, regardless of our level of familiarity with them. An approach based on self- reflection, self-awareness and the capacity to question our assumptions and knowledge is key. A multicultural mindset encourages us to be curious and investigate situations in depth. An open mindset

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