build better contacts

This blog has been created with the idea of becoming a hub of critical discussion on all things culture, conflict, and communication.

My name is Ram. I have grown up on two different continents. As an adult too, I have lived and worked in Europe and Asia, and in 3 countries with very different cultures, both as an individual team member, and as a team coordinator. I am fluent in 4 languages – English, French, Hindi, Tamil, and can speak Dari (Persian). In addition, sometimes I indulge in reading Spanish texts, though I have no formal training in that language! Quite frankly, I am fascinated by:

1. differences in cultural values, belief-systems, symbols, norms, and rules between individuals, communities, societies, regions, and countries;
2. how individuals, teams, and communities can come together or work on common goals in spite of these differences;
3. culturally-adapted verbal and non-verbal behaviour, and how to acquire it;
4. how confusion, misunderstanding, and conflict results when culturally-adapted behaviour isn’t employed;
5. cultural biases, stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination, and how to overcome them.

Articles on this blog will be in either English or French. As I am just starting on my blogging journey, I will initially limit myself to shorter posts. As I gain experience, I plan to publish thematic dossiers as well.

In case you wish to learn blogging yourself, I heartily recommend the Blogging and writing for online audiences online course from the University of Cambridge, which is where I began my own journey.