In the future, what is desired of workers in society is the ability to solve complex problems, creativity, and communication skills. Furthermore, it has been found that these abilities can be improved in heterogeneous groups. The high added-value productivity of teams that bring together so-called heterogeneous human resources is attracting attention. However, there are cases that teams that have been organized with excellent human resources do not achieve the results expected. Among them, it is known that teams that increase productivity have a culture in which members respect each other’s ideas. There is a sense of security within the team that allows them to admit mistakes and take risks and challenges. In this case, it can be said that the communication environment is in place in some respects.
Communication contains complex elements. Communication is based on the exchange between the speaker and the listener. ① In a conversation between person A and person B, if they communicate well with each other and are satisfied with each other, it will be happy. However, ② in a conversation between person A and person B, if person B misunderstands what person A is saying, problems will arise. In a simple example, if a teacher gives a child a math problem and the child makes a mistake, the teacher will point out the mistake to the child. The next example is ③, that intentional lying is involved. Person A skillfully deceives Person B. Person B simply believes what Person A says. It seems that communication within a team that includes foreigners is required to be at the level of ① and ②.
When people talk, they can convey non-verbal messages through eye movements, facial expressions, and gestures. Messages such as gestures are called non-verbal messages. People often place importance on non-verbal information, such as the intonation of the voice, posture, and the atmosphere of the situation. By reading the other person’s non-verbal messages, misunderstandings can be reduced. By reading non-verbal messages, it is possible to reduce misunderstandings in communication. While the ability to communicate through conversation is important, we are now living in an age that the ability to understand non-verbal messages is also required. If you can communicate at this level, you will be able to overcome issues of psychological safety and productivity.
