Communicating successfully in the intercultural workplace
Get more out of communicating with non-native employees
Communicating with foreign workers with little knowledge of Dutch can sometimes be quite complicated.
Online knowledge session
In addition to the customized Dutch language training in the workplace and the workplace scan, Lexicon Trainings offers a knowledge session for executives within a multicultural work environment.
During the session, we discuss with supervisors, team leaders or line managers what employees will learn during the Dutch on the job training. For example, what CEFR level indication (A0 - A1) means but how they can give clear instructions to the foreign-language employees. The goal is that through this workshop they will be able to communicate more effectively and successfully in the multilingual workplace.
In addition, they are provided with tools to properly use Dutch as a working language in the department. The result is more understanding and fewer misunderstandings!
From Practice
A non-native employee says "yes" but does not do what is asked. This may be because he does not dare say no to a supervisor. This is culture-related. He has to learn that employees in Dutch companies can tell their managers that they cannot do something or do not understand something.
A supervisor provides instruction with three different messages. "Today you go first ....., then you do ... and finally you have to ......" The non-Dutch-speaking employee hears a long sentence and has no idea what is expected of him. This executive needs to learn to give less information in an instruction. The employee needs to indicate when he does not understand something.