Sales Manager's Method of Communication Paper Example

A lot of individuals are very reserved about giving decisive criticism. This is because we are not comfortable with the sentiments that may crop up from it-others' and our own. We dislike offending, and we can't stand hurting feelings of other people or stirring bitterness, which only intensifies presented issues. A safer alternative is to plainly not say anything, let people keep on as they are, and be optimistic that they will ultimately comprehend how their conduct is hurting them and the impact it has on others such as the case of the sales representative who has not met your expectations for weeks. Awkward behaviours that may seem evident to you are seldom understandable to the individual displaying them (Martin & Nakayama, 2013). This is why; you need to give feedback thoughtfully, with the maximum intention for the one you are offering it to.

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Working in a mixed team of people from different cultures can be stressful. Giving opinion to Japanese is complicated as if the commitment is too straight, it is unpleasant, and if it is too circuitous, or too soft, it is not taken critically. Japanese do not feel comfortable receiving feedback that is too direct. Many Asian cultures have similar values of losing face and saving face. From a psychological viewpoint, this can be connected with the dread of shame (Martin & Nakayama, 2013). Cultures such as the U.S are rather self-promotional. A person from the U.S could say a thing that is a little pompous, and an individual from a background which values humility could reply, "Oh, gosh that is so uncomfortable. How could you say those things?" Modesty and shame are all associated with the need of not shaming oneself; embarrass oneself or the other person.

To make it harmless for persons to give a response, we should help them to appreciate why feedback is imperative. If no input is given, no growth and progress in attaining the best work is reached. This would be a disservice to the person and the organisation. Each culture is required to gain knowledge of the skillfulness to posses dialogues on feedback in a manner that is not judgmental (Martin & Nakayama, 2013). Many African and Asian nations are inclined to take opinions exceedingly personally, whether it is negative or positive.

Feedback ought to be aimed towards behaviour and actions, not the individual or their personality. For the Japanese, they have hierarchical thinking. They are comfortable with following processes and rules laid down by the person in charge. Giving feedback through writing would work as it would make the sales representative feel safer. The type of language the sales manager uses to provide negative feedback should be sensitive. Erin Meyer suggests the use of "upgraders" for stress purposes and "downgraders" for gentleness to go with the favoured straightforwardness in the particular Japanese way of life.

Americans are the most low-context culture there is. Low-context refers to a conversation that assumes relatively little intuitive. Japan and other East African countries, however, represent the extreme (Meyer, 2014). The Americans hold that excellent communication is clear, simple and precise. They express messages and understand them at face value. Reverberation is done solely to clarify the message. Japanese on the other hand hold that excellent communication is that which is layered, nuanced and sophisticated. Messages are read between the lines and spoken. To convey a message in Japan, you ought not to merely express them but imply them as well.

The most basic solution is merely to be aware of the difference. According to Meyer, "One of the biggest mistakes that lower-context managers make is assuming that the other individual is purposely omitting information or unable to communicate explicitly." The sales manager has to understand the sales representative to counter the problem of sales he is not making. Communication has to be initiated so that both of them can understand the situation on the ground and the expectations.

When it comes to giving negative feedback, Americans are in the middle of the spectrum, despite being explicit communicators. The Japanese are the most indirect when it comes to providing negative feedback. This explains why the sales manager is finding it hard to convey the message on the shortcoming of the sales representative in their Japan branch. Meyer says, 'There is a wise Bahamian proverb: "to engage in conflict, one does not need to bring a knife that cuts, but a needle that sews"." (Meyer, 2014) The sales manager has to find a way to express his concern with the sales representative that does aim to improve on the quality of work he portrays while using the "upgraders" and "downgraders" method.

Some cultures embrace confrontation while others avoid it. For those who encourage confrontation, debate and disagreement is affirmative for the organisation or the team. The relationship they have is not negatively impacted due to open confrontation, and they see it as appropriate (Meyer, 2014). Those who avoid confrontation hold that debate and disagreement as negative for the team or organisation. The group harmony is understood to be broken and inappropriate due to open confrontation. The relationship is impacted negatively by open confrontation. The U.S lies in the middle of the spectrum while Japan lies at the far most, highly holding on avoidance of confrontation.

The method the sales manager chooses to use to confront the sales representative should be culturally sensitive to ensure that a rift does not develop between them after the feedback is given. The use of a letter is advisable as the manager can explain in detail what he requires from the sales representative thus clear the worry of reading in between the lines by a statement that would otherwise be ambiguous and that which leaves room for 'reading between the lines'.

References

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: Breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. Public Affairs.