Singaporeans are known to be efficient in all that they do. Everything in the country is supposed to work like clockwork, never breaking down. Well, almost. In our quest for speed and efficiency, our communication gets that way too. We are "to the point", without beating around the bush, even in sensitive areas.
It's possible that we got this from the Americans. Singapore is a mix of both east and west, but more west than east. We function in English more than any other Asian language. I was pleasantly surprised when I read this post on American Business English.
Communication is a two-way street. The sender has a certain message he wants to convey. The reader may perceive a different meaning. In brief communication, the tone may sound completely rude, simply because the message is so "to the point". But, remove that thought and step back one step. All we're trying to do is get the message across quickly. Personally, I like that. Going round in circles drives me nuts. Just tell it to me straight. I won't be offended.
Can that happen in Asia? Maybe in the next generation. In the meantime, we have to be students of the culture we're working with, which may not necessarily be our own. Or we can take a Business English course from +Mohalam Gonoux.
Happy learning!
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