Intercultural communication teamwork and leadership/Communication in the workplace/Learning challenge tasks
- You may want to review Chapter 16.6 before viewing the videos and taking the quizzes in this multi-part learning challenge.
- First, watch the video Work Scenarios with Supervisors [1:48] until the one-minute mark, which shows on ‘what doesn’t work’ in a conflict situation.
- Next, take Part A of the Workplace Conflict Quiz before watching the second half of the video, so you can compare your quiz answers to the ‘what does work’ role-play scenario.
- Next, watch the video Work Scenarios with Coworkers [1:28] and repeat the same process, stopping the video at 0:50.
- Take Part B of the Workplace Conflict Quiz before watching the second half of the video.
Note: The two role-play videos depict American business scenarios and the suggested answers also reflect Western perspectives on negotiating conflict. Do you agree or disagree with these answers. What might be considered more appropriate interpersonal communication strategies in your local cultural context?
After viewing all the videos that deal with conflict in the workplace, reconsider your role in the personal conflict situations you reflected on in the Chapter 16.6 exercises. What was your tone of voice and body language in these situations? What messages do you think the other people involved were receiving? What worked well to resolve the conflict(s) and what didn’t? You can get a sense of your impact on others by observing how they respond to you. This will take time and energy, but it is worthwhile to learn more about how you affect a conflict situation.
If you have access to an audio and/or video-capable smartphone, camera or computer, tape yourself explaining a conflict situation to someone else. Then review your recording and reflect on your voice tone and body language when you talked about the conflict(s) and identify aspects you’d like to improve. This activity should take about an hour if you record your experience, and reflect while reviewing your recording.
