Skip to main content

Workplace Bullying (3) - Exclusion and Language

The biblical story of the Tower of Babel has always fascinated me.   Not least because I have never been good at languages, having struggled with both Afrikaans and Latin at school, even though I come from a multilingual family.     Back to Babel, though, and the story that the people of Shinar built a tower to reach heaven, and the Lord came to earth, and saw that people with one language could be unstoppable in their achievements, both good and bad.   And so He "confounded" their language and "scattered" the people.

In South Africa, we have 11 official languages.   At +Accsys (Pty) Ltd I have done a rough count and have come to the view that we have around 20 languages either spoken or understood in the company.

When I put out the blog on exclusion being a variation of bullying, I started to receive feedback about people feeling excluded because of language.   While a number shared that they didn't feel it was malicious, just that people are more comfortable talking their mother tongue, the impact is the same, they didn't feel they were being included.

One of my nieces worked in Hong Kong on a three month business secondment some years ago.   Every day, the group she was working with asked her to join them for lunch.  Every day, they spoke Chinese.  After a week, she stopped going.   She said if she was eating in a group, but effectively on her own, she might as well be on her own.   Today, I would give the advice, take the people you are most comfortable with to one side and ask them to join you for an out of work coffee, one on one.   Not to complain, but to start building relationships.   When people know you better, and like you, they naturally (sometimes) become more inclusive.   There is also no question that it is worth making the effort to try and expand your knowledge of languages other than your own.

Its not just about the spoken word, those who have hearing difficulties are also excluded by not being able to hear.  

Getting back to the story behind Babel, if we ensure that everybody who is with us is able to understand what we are saying, how much more powerful would we be, as individuals, as groups and as companies, if open communication was always a common objective?  

There are two sides to this story, as with everything.   The question "Why should I have to speak your language, when you haven't bothered to learn mine?" is a valid one.   Another comment is "When you joined us, we were speaking X language, why should we have to change now?"   Also valid.


Sometimes being right has to succumb to being kind!



“Life is a fight, but not everyone’s a fighter. Otherwise, bullies would be an endangered species.”
Andrew Vachss, Terminal

References and Links


Workplace Bullying - Wikipedia
Accsys News

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Its all about the numbers - retirement age

Weight, height, age, dress size, shoe size, all numbers that we (and the media) use to define people. I was fascinated by an article from the Leicester Mercury where the age of each witness to a bus crash in January were carefully listed. Sue Kellett, 56, whose front garden is bordered by the wall, was one of the first at the scene. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.html#ixzz31lXUuyZg Read more at http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.html#9cHShVptF30lJw4X.99 Sue Kellett, 56, whose front garden is bordered by the wall, was one of the first at the scene. Read more: http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.html#ixzz31lXUuyZg Read more at http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Bus-driver-airlifted-hospital-collision-tractor/story-20512289-detail/story.htm...

Flexibility in the workplace

Is flexibility now a reality in the workplace?   And is it really working?   The assumption of control over one’s own time and deliverables does look like a great way to work and live, and it seems to be is a high priority for those entering the business world. Decision makers in business, along with HR managers and recruitment consultants, are very much aware that both current employers and new recruits are looking for guidance and ideas as how to achieve work/life balance. It is accepted that this balance has to form part of the workplace. Yes people still need to prove themselves, initiative is still expected, hard work and commitment are still viewed as non-negotiable – but the dynamics of employer/ employee relationship has changed. And it is innovation in ICT that has paved the way. The advantages of a mobile workforce can include an increase in productivity, lower total cost of ownership and a wider, more direct reach to the market. In ess...

Sales - Setting Targets

Are your salespeople included in setting targets?   Very few are.  Sales targets are based on previous individual performance, sales division performance and budget requirements.   In some companies everybody gets the same target, regardless of abilities or previous successes, while in others it is an enormously complex beast with all sorts of criteria used. While the business requirements have to be met, it is important to discuss and collaborate with the salespeople themselves. Sales is a game, and each time you play a game, you should want to do better.   If you are not competitive by nature, sales can be a very tough career.  It is, anyway. More and more, sales management is about coaching, not managing, so it really important for sales managers to understand how coaching works.  There are great courses out there which guide sales managers through the coaching methodology. A simple, but structured approach to target setting with lots of commun...