Exploring culture and technology: Day 4

Another day, and another round of fully experiencing how hard communicating virtually across cultures can be. I guess my conclusion is that no matter what you choose to do, someone will potentially have problems with it. Best to use a variety of processes to at least allow people to be more comfortable some of the time.

Verbally directing a visual

In the first exercise of the day we sat back to back. One person described a visual, the other tried to draw it. None of the teams did very well. For the second round, the person who had the visual could stand behind the other and coach them as they were describing the visual to the drawing partner.

I drew in the second round. We finished first, and I came pretty close to reproducing the visual. However, I had huge advantages:

• my partner was a US American
• we both were native English speakers
• we both used the same native units of measurement
• I can draw (not totally necessary, but gives me confidence if nothing else)
• the visual was an electric circuit, and I am married to an engineer so I am familiar with the type of visual we created

The other teams were working across native language difference and nationality.

Shared meaning is very important

Without shared meaning there is no understanding

• need to probe for understanding
• try to say it other ways
• double the care when working cross-cultural

Assumptions of similarity is a big challenge. It can be tricky when native language is shared, but birth nation is not.

Simulated conference call

We sat in a circle with our backs turned. Each person received three cards with information about a culture and a monument built there. The task was to figure out which day the monument was completed, but sharing the bits of knowledge we had with each other.

One person was selected as the leader of the call. She was really good, and you could tell all the participants had been on a number of conference calls. We knew a lot about identifying ourselves, turn taking and the behaviors that help calls run well.

It was basically a math problem, with parts labeled in unfamiliar terms. We did accomplish the task in just over half and hour. However, It was exhausting for me. Even though I could take notes, getting all my input through audio was really hard. Especially listening through all the accents. Even though everyone is quite fluent in English. If I had a job where I had to be on conference calls all the time, I’m afraid I would have to quit. It would be like working with one hand tied behind my back all the time.

Building paper roller coasters

Our last task was to break into three teams. Each one is responsible for building a section of roller coaster from 10 sheets of paper, a length of tape, and some paper clips. Over technology. We were sent off to various place, and were only allowed one five minute conference call, and five – four minute other calls to teams. The goal is to come back face to face to put it together and be able to roll a chocolate covered coffee bean down the track.

Can we just say round one was a disaster? Even our faculty brought us back face to face to come up with a new strategy for tomorrow. Technical challenge for the day, getting Skype and iChat working on my laptop. Never mind the roller coaster.

I did get the interview with Terry Brake recorded. Sent if off for editing, so I should be able to share that with you soon.

See also:

Exploring Culture and Technology

Exploring Culture and Technology: Day 2

Exploring Culture and Technology: Day 3