![]() People need to know what needs to be done, if procedure or goals have changed, or if something needs to be improved or a problem solved. Communication encourages collaboration, and collaboration helps keep productivity and innovation high. Silence is also an aspect of the Malaysian non-verbal communication style many foreigners find uncomfortable – because they don’t understand what it means.Open communication between employees and management is essential if an organisation is going to run effectively. Yes, Malays use smiles for all sorts of reasons but if you don’t understand that, you can completely misinterpret what they’re trying to communicate. A smile could mean, ‘yes I disagree’, ‘I understand’, ‘I have no idea what you mean’ or ‘I am scared’. Smiles for example can be used for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it’s the subtle moments of silence, a change in eye contact or a smile that can really give us clues as to what someone is trying to tell us. Learn more about this in our Guide to Management in Malaysia.Īs with any culture that values group harmony and face, Malays employ non-verbal language.įoreigners almost need to learn to ‘read the air’ when communicating with Malays. If you are managing Malaysians or going to be a manager in Malaysia, you really need to understand local expectations. When working with Malaysians, until you get to know them, steer well clear of personal jokes of any kind whatsoever. ![]() This sense of face means Malaysians tend to bury tricky issues in conversations to allow time and space for both sides to readdress the topic another time. Malaysians are also very caring of others’ feelings which means they will rarely say what they mean when giving an opinion if it may cause someone to feel bad, sad, angry or anything else. Where there is any sense of blame, people are also ultra-keen to avoid the topic and steer a conversation another way. Within communication, people will avoid disagreements and conflict at all costs. Malaysians prioritise face and feelingsįace places a huge role in Malaysian culture people are very sensitive to any perceived slight on their honour. If you come from a culture that likes to wear its heart on its sleeve and focuses on ‘me’, Malaysians can interpret this as arrogance.ģ. People who like to stick out, and to shout about the fact that they stick out, are generally not well received. ![]() Malaysians are ‘we’ people who think about the group. Above all, humility is key to how you handle yourself and interact with others. Manners, being polite, etiquette and modesty are all highly stressed. Malaysians are a humble and modest peopleĪnyone who knows Malaysia understands what we mean when we say there is a ‘softness’ to their culture. Malaysians can find very direct communication cultures such as the USA, Germany and the Netherlands insensitive and brutal with the truth.ĭid you know that The Business Culture Complexity Index™ ranks Malaysia as the 43rd most difficult culture for foreigners? That's why it's so important to learn about the local culture.Ģ. ![]() They don’t jump straight to a point – they work their way towards it, using intuition to inform them as to the right timing. Similarly, when giving opinions, Malaysians will do so in a roundabout way. They sometimes feel obliged to say something due to the context.Įven if a Malaysian wants to say “no”, they may instead say “yes”, knowing this pleases someone or maintains a sense of harmony. Malaysian culture values tact and diplomacy.Īs a result, people won't always say what they think or feel. Malaysians tend to be indirect communicators ![]() So, here we’re going to focus on 4 aspects of the Malaysian communication style that will help you make a good impression. Culture of indirection communication free#If you want to learn more about Malaysia,Ĭheck out the LINK at the end of the page to our FREE CULTURE GUIDE. ![]()
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