Observation of team behaviour: Intercultural and Interpersonal Communication

As a result of globalization and development of technology especially in communication, we have chances to work with people from different countries and different cultures. Communicating effectively with them is a big challenge that we have to deal with.

If you want to communicate with people from different country, you have to learn about their culture: greeting, having meal, nonverbal action, etc. It does not mean you have to act like them, but you need to understand what is appreciated and what should not do. For example, it is considered to be impolite making noise when you have dinner in a western family but it is the way Chinese people express the deliciousness. Another example is that when you should not make beef steak for the Indian or pork stew for the Muslim. Learning a new culture could be difficult but it is very important to have make a good impression on other people.

Studying in Singapore - a multicultural country - offer me chances to be friend with many people especially Indian, Chinese and Malay but it also a big challenge. The difficulty not only come from languages - we are not speaking our mother tongue but English - but also from the diversity of culture. Luckily, everyone in Singapore respect other cultures that make me feel more comfortable. My team, C04C is a combination of three people from three different culture: Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian. To work harmoniously with them, I have to learn about their culture especially their way of thinking, gesture or the use of time. By understanding each other, we can be good friends and achieve in this semester.

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person, you might be the world.
Kindness is the golden chain by which our world is bound together."
Johanne von Goethe

Communication and teamwork: why are they important for me?

Communication is undoubtedly one of the most essential activities in life of all species. Humankind, through ages, has overcome many changes since the first picture was carved on the wall of the cave to nowadays when people can communicate with each other no matter how far they are.

For some animals, communication is the basic instinct which help them find the food or protect themselves from danger. For human, communication is at a higher level. It makes people know about each other, solve a problem together or express the emotion. Beside languages and gesture, the basic means of communication, modern people have mobile phone, fax or internet to contact to each other. The development of technology not only makes the communication become easier but also more complicated. It is no longer a basic instinct that people were born to have. It is what we have to learn. Good communication can help us make friend with others, solve the problem faster and save time.

Teamwork is a high level communication. There are many problems that can only be solved by many people working together. Therefore, teamwork plays an important role in the effectiveness of a team. Good teamwork means there are an understanding among the members and between the leader and the members. If a team has a good leader, each member solves a part of a problem without any conflicts, the problem can be solved very fast and effective. Bad teamwork can cost time and cause disagreement among the team.

Communication and teamwork are very important in studying and working. They can get the job done fast and effective. A good communication and teamwork skill can be a key to the success.