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Gaining awareness of the many differences in any given culture
and learning to effectively manage conflict will significantly
improve your chances for success in school and on the job. The
key to success in both areas is communication. Communication
can take place verbally, through tone of voice, through body
language, or can even be expressed by the clothes you wear.
Understanding one's culture and the various ethnic nuances will
help you to communicate in an effective and respectful manner.
This type of communication can eliminate distracting phrases or
body language that can be offensive and can cost you or your
organization time and money.
If you wish to get your message across in an email, text, on social
media, or a written report, it is crucial to express your ideas in a
manner that is not offensive. The more diverse a community is, the
more challenging it can be to communicate, listen, and
understand the different cultural norms. Fortunately, you don’t
have to be an expert communicator or even a cultural diversity
specialist. You do, however; need to be aware of your own
communication style! And that, you can do!
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Section 10 – Cultural Diversity & Conflict Resolution