How to become more flexible in your conversations

Flexibility in conversations is not about betraying your values or trying to please everyone. It’s about your ability to connect with people who think, speak, and behave differently from you. In today’s interconnected world, this flexibility is more important than ever.

We often underestimate how different people can be — even within the same country, company, or team. People from different departments like IT, marketing, or HR often use different vocabulary, focus on different details, and have different assumptions. Studies have shown that even leaders within the same organization can struggle to understand their employees unless they receive communication training.

Now add layers like culture, language, and international work environments — and you have a perfect recipe for misunderstanding. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The problem is made worse by modern media. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok feed us more of what we already believe. Algorithms create filter bubbles, making it less likely that we encounter opposing views or unfamiliar voices. Add the shift toward remote work, and many people go through their days without spontaneous encounters or informal conversations with colleagues.

To counteract this, you can develop your own “exposure habit.” Systematically seek out contact with different kinds of people, perspectives, and experiences. Here are some ways to do that:

·        Explore other regions. If you're based in the UK, for example, make it a habit to watch news from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, or even Jamaica and Guyana.

·        Learn across professions. If you work in marketing, try listening daily to podcasts from fields like IT, engineering, or accounting.

·        Broaden your hobbies. Regularly explore content related to interests you don’t usually care about — from gardening and embroidery to video game design or travel vlogging.

·        Travel virtually. Use tools like RandomCountry to discover a new country each day, and watch a short travel video to gain insight into its culture and landscapes.

·        Leave your social bubble. Look for stories or interviews with people from social classes or realities different from your own.

This practice doesn’t take much time — 10 to 15 minutes a day is enough — but it can significantly increase your mental flexibility, empathy, and adaptability in conversations. In short: it helps you become a better communicator and a more curious, open-minded person.

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Want to get rid of insecurity and bad feelings regarding the foreign language(s) you have already started to learn? Want to learn a new language, without going through various levels of standard courses? You feel you are making no progress?

Go to Amazon and grab a copy of my book ”The GO Method – breaking barriers to language learning”.

https://www.amazon.com/GO-Method-Breaking-barriers-language/dp/1973118688/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZLMGYKR6PDY3&keywords=Gerhard+Ohrband&qid=1694099394&sprefix=gerhard+ohrband+%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-1

Get the first two chapters for free by subscribing to Gerhard's weekly newsletter, with advice and resources on selling in foreign languages. Just click here.

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Communication Psychology: in small and practical lessons once a week.

With a focus on international and multilingual business conversations.

Gerhard Ohrband is a psychologist from Hamburg/Germany, specialized in Communication Psychology. He coaches individuals and companies worldwide (in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and Russian) on how to avoid costly misunderstandings and handle conflicts with employees and clients.

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