Why Most Multilingual Communication Breakdowns Aren’t About Language
- Ann Desseyn
- Sep 25
- 2 min read
When a global project hits a wall, the instinct is to blame “language barriers.” But in most cases, the real culprit isn’t vocabulary or grammar—it’s how managers lead communication across cultures.
1. Directness vs. diplomacy
What feels like clear, efficient feedback to you may feel like a public shaming elsewhere. When managers assume their style is “neutral,” they overlook how their words land across different cultural lenses.
2. Silence isn’t the same as buy-in
Managers sometimes take a quiet room as proof of alignment. In reality, team members may be holding back—because of hierarchy, uncertainty, or a reluctance to challenge the group. Lack of questions doesn’t guarantee shared understanding.
In reality, there are many employees or co-workers who may stay quiet during a debate or meeting, because of power hierarchy, fear of losing face, uncertainty of expressing themselves in a language or simply because the manager hasn’t created that safe environment and work conditions where speaking up is encouraged.
3. Shared language ≠ shared understanding
Even if everyone is “working in English,” words like urgent, approved, or later don’t carry identical meanings across contexts. Managers who don’t double-check interpretation risk costly misunderstandings.
4. Unspoken rules
Every culture has rules about greetings, interruptions, decision-making, and how much small talk is appropriate. If you, as the manager, don’t name these differences and set a shared framework, you leave space for confusion.
5. Pressure magnifies gaps
Under time zones, tight deadlines, or crisis, people default to their home-culture habits. Without guidance, those habits collide.
What managers can do
Set the tone: Make clarification normal, not a weakness.
Model curiosity: Ask “What does that mean in your context?”
Build protocols: Define terms (urgent = reply within 24 hours) instead of leaving them open.
Invest in awareness, not just language: Training in cultural interaction pays off more than another vocabulary list.
Multilingual communication isn’t just about words—it’s about how leaders frame interaction. If you manage across borders, your role isn’t to “fix language gaps.” It’s to make space where meaning can’t slip through the cracks.
