LEARNING KEY SKILLS IN NURSING MANAGEMENT
and decision making. Independent Generation X members are just the opposite and want decisions made without unnecessary discussion. Collegial millennials (Generation Y) expect immediate feedback to their messages. E-mail, text, or voice mail is the best way to connect with them. Mutual respect and understanding of the unique differences between and among groups will help to minimize conflict and maximize satisfaction for both managers and staff (Hahn, 2009).
Cultural attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors also affect communication (Robertson-Malt, Herrin-Griffith, & Davies, 2010). Such elements as body movement, gestures, tone, and spatial orientation are culturally defined. A great deal of misunderstanding results from a lack of under- standing of each other’s cultural expectations. For example, people of Asian descent take great care in exchanges with supervisors so that there is no conflict or “loss of face” for either person.
Understanding the cultural heritage of employees and learning to interpret cultural mes- sages is essential to communicate effectively with staff from diverse backgrounds. Personal and professional cultural enrichment training is recommended. This includes reading the literature and history of the culture; participating in open, honest, respectful communication; and explor- ing the meaning of behavior. It is important to recognize, however, that subcultures exist within all cultures; therefore, what applies to one individual will not be true for everyone else in that culture.