Justyna Siuta
I work for the British Council as a Skills and Intercultural Fluency Coordinator. My expertise lies in Intercultural Communication and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Location London
Activity
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Hi Ricardo, thank you for your comment. I am assuming that you are using the adjective 'gay' in its dated meaning - carefree and light-hearted. Just a reminder that we are lucky to be a part of a truly international community here! As a consequence, most of course participants are not native English speakers. If you wish to interact with others and make a...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Sue Schoormans
Thank you, Susan, again great tips! I seem like a very self-aware person, which is a rare quality!
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Yes, thank you - it is very clear now. Great tip and I am positive other Learners will also appreciate it!
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Hi Susan,
I can only imagine how many difficult situations you must have been involved in, working in HR. Thank you for additional tips! Would you mind elaborating on the second one as I am not sure if it is entirely clear for me. -
Justyna Siuta made a comment
As mentioned in the previous article, one of the most important components of a successful resilience development process is learning from your mistakes. Life often teaches us painful lessons but it is up to us to decide what to do with them. In this moving and empowering talk, Dr Greg Steinber talks about what can be learnt from suffering -...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Sue Schoormans
Hi Susan,
I absolutely agree with you. 'Being realistic' comes with time - I definitely wasn't realistic when I was younger. For me 'being realistic means allowing yourself to be imperfect and letting go. Letting go of things that we are not capable or don't have time to do, and letting go of mistakes of the past - dwelling on those can be a major source of... -
Justyna Siuta made a comment
There are many sources of stress in the workplace and this is why it is important to develop a set of techniques to cope with if. Stress is not only unpleasant but can have a detrimental effect on our bodies, including your brain. It can change how the brain works, our ability to control stress, our ability to learn new things, and even cause the brain to...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Thanks, Bill, for pointing this out - I had no idea! I can imagine the surprised face expressions when people hear it for the fist time!
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Hi Ademilola,
I agree, there are many unconscious biases that shape our perception and interaction with the outside world. I think the only way to tackle it is through trying to discover them (through being reflective and utterly with oneself) and call them into question. It's not easy but it's definitely worth a try! -
Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
I absolutely agree! When I am in a meeting, be it in my professional or private life, I am fully there - in a moment. I thinks that's the very foundation for successful communication.
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Absolutely! Usually, my first email interactions are quite formal and they tend to warm up a bit with time. The tone of the emails also differs, depending on the seniority of the person I am in conversations with as well as on whether they are an external or an internal stakeholder.
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Dear Learners,
A warm welcome to Week 3. I can't believe we are already half way through the course! What was the most valuable thing you've learnt during the first two weeks?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Dear Learners,
I hope you enjoyed the second week of the course! I would like to thank all of you who contributed to the MOOC by sharing their experiences, opinions and pieces of advice; and encourage others to do so! There is a lot to be learnt through cooperation and exchange of ideas and you have a safe space here to do so!
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Justyna Siuta replied to Basit Jacob
Hi Basit, it is usually used to express sarcasm, irony or euphemism - you can read more about it here: https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/air-quotes.html
Although, it is often used in certain cultural circles, I would advise not to use it in a professional setting unless sarcasm or irony is embedded in the organisational culture.
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Hi Ricardo,
Slurs are actually against the Code of Conduct of Future Learn and have been reported. My question, as a Mentor, is what is it that you, and other learners, are gaining from you spreading them around?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Does anyone here have examples of living in the country and not speaking the language of its people? I think now it's much easier than it used to be in the past. A colleague of mine told me a story about the time he spent living in Poland, my home country, working as an English teacher in the 1970s, which was before I was born! There were no supermarkets back...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Aliyu Abdallah
What a funny story, Aliyu! Yes, words can be confusing, especially when the same language is used by native speakers of different countries as it is, for example, with English, Spanish, French or Arabic. Here is a list 20 words that mean totally different things in British and American English:...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Making a good first impression is an important aspect of visual communication. However, sometimes it does not depend entirely on us. There are other factors at play, including the unconscious bias - https://diversity.ucsf.edu/resources/unconscious-bias Can anybody try to explain what the unconscious bias is?
Interestingly enough, the unconscious bias, as... -
Justyna Siuta made a comment
Understanding what professional image is expected of you in your workplace is a key to success. However, how far can an employer go in deciding what is and what isn’t appropriate? I will give you two examples and would like to know your thoughts:
1. A friend of mine is a corporate lawyer. He works for a multinational company with offices around the world. In... -
Justyna Siuta made a comment
Nowadays, it is very common for us to be a part of dispersed teams. For example, in my role, I work with colleagues based in many of our overseas offices. Hence, we only communicate via phone or email. Do you have any tips of your own on how to build rapport successfully under such circumstances?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Thank you Ani, Angela, Kingley, Victoria, Charles and Nana and others for comments! Some very important points raised, including the importance of asking questions, being friendly, polite, confident (yet not intimidating) as well as listening intently.
Listening, however, can be challenging, especially when we are being bombarded with lots of new information... -
Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Hi Nana, yes, you're right but it's not always this easy to tell! Especially during your first weeks in a new work environment!
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That's true! Recently my flatmate showed me a text from her date saying: “You had that funny look on your face when we were saying goodbye. Is all ok?” She got really upset as she thought he was suggesting that he found the look on her face funny (whilst she was actually upset). But that’s not what he meant at all - funny can also mean strange, weird! I wonder...
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Hi Charles, giving feedback can be an important tool to improve communication. However, it needs to be done constructively and delicately as it might also ruin the relationship. I am not sure that 'setting someone straight' is the technique I would encourage learners to use. Can you think of other ways of giving feedback and ensuring the clarity of...
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As intercultural cooperation and communication are at the very heart of the course, I would really like to encourage you to try to adapt to the inclusive culture of this MOOC's community. As mentioned above, some learners may (and did) feel uncomfortable because of the non-inclusive choice of words you used. I am sure that this wasn't your aim but this is what...
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Hi Jamie, body language can, indeed, give clues but it is often misunderstood as it is largely cultural. One of many aspects of it is what has been investigated by proxemics - which focuses on how space is viewed in different cultures and contexts. What I treat as my personal space may be very different from what you view as your personal, or intimate, space,...
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Thank you Ricardo for pointing out that it is important to avoid discriminatory language. However, I think that the real examples you gave might feel offensive for some participants of the course. How about giving examples of inclusive language instead?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Also, when I moved to London many years ago I was astonished with the fact that everyone is fine here! 'I'm fine, thanks!' - that's all I kept hearing. But, of course, I wasn't fine all the time, I had (and still have) days when I felt great and days when I felt under the weather. I was wondering "what should I say when I'm not fine - shall I be honest or...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
For me, one of the most perplexing questions I encounter every day in the office in the UK, where I'm based, is 'how are you?'. It seems simple enough, however, from a cultural perspective, it is quite complex. In many cases, it is not an actual question but a way of saying 'hello'. I've lived in London for a number of years, and I still don't know: when am I...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Robin Vidler
I definitely can! For me, the main problem lies not in adapting my communication style but rather using different communication techniques to retain my assertiveness. I have a serious problem with saying "no". Here is a short video illustrating the different communication styles that can be adapted to say "no" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMc8AP9KhEM Let...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Dear Learners! A warm welcome to week one, which will focus on communication, one of the most important skills required not only to succeed professionally but also in private life. Last week we talked a bit about the influence of modern technology on our sense of identity. In my opinion, modern technologies have completely revolutionised the way we communicate...
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Absolutely! And we should always keep an open mind, observe and adapt. It is also easier to tell if it's a long-term relationship rather than a one encounter. Would you agree?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Daniela Dobrota
What a great story, Damyant! What kind of humour do you use? Does it different depending on the circumstances; e.g. you joke differently amongst friends, differently amongst colleagues and different with your manager?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Thank you, Yuriy, for pointing out the influence of modern technologies on our sense of self - very important! How about their influence on how we build rapport, develop and maintain relationships? What has changed during the last decade? Do modern technologies make staying in touch easier or quite the opposite - make us more and more isolated from each other?...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Thank you, Joyce, this is exactly what I meant. Equalling culture to nationality can contribute to the emergence of unhealthy and misleading stereotypes that can have a detrimental effect on building relationships. I, for one, get a bit frustrated when someone I meet says to me 'so you're Polish' or ' oh, I used to have a Polish flatmate' and looks at me in...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
How interesting! Pamela, I am a bit of an ignorant when it comes to football (although I still do get carried away when watching Euro Finals or the World Cup!) Great examples, Felipe and Svitlana. I think when if we look beyond the cultural differences, we can discover that we have much more in common then we would have expected! But I also think there is so...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Daniela Dobrota
I agree, for me it is also difficult not to use humour. However, I did find myself in one or two awkward situations and I usually wait until I know a particular person well before joking around. What is more, it is not only the fact of using the humour but also the type of humour used that is cultural (e.g dry, witty, sarcastic, goofy...). Amongst friends I'm...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Being open-minded seems to be a very popular choice - which is great - as having an open mind is key to making connections! For me, one of the essentials for building good rapport is empathy. Here’s a short but incredibely interesting video that illustrates the differences between empathy and sympathy -...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Sue Schoormans
What a creative idea - and a great metaphor as well. I really like the 're-inventing' oneself part but also the fact that a tree has roots as - as al. cultural identities do!
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Justyna Siuta replied to Sue Schoormans
Hi Susan, that's right - the onion and the iceberg are the two most common metaphors but I also find them not comprehensive, although they do picture some of the qualities of culture - that certain aspects remain hidden or deeply rooted in us or that culture has, indeed, many different layers. What I like most about the metaphor of the ocean - is how it shows...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
One of the factors that really distracts me, and therefore interferes with my ability to build good rapport, is my internal talk. This happens especially when I am in a group of people. I keep focusing on what I am planning to say, on my arguments or even asking myself a questions: “how do they perceive me?”; “what are they going to think about me?” rather...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Thank you Aliyu, Charles, Ricardo, Bill and others for your comments! I would definitely agree that there is something like a 'corporate attire' that is quite standardised across the world. Different sectors and different organisations have their own dress code that often mirror's their organisational culture.
However, how we dress can not only influence how... -
Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Edgeman, when using the term 'negotiated and renegotiated' I related to the fact that cultural identity is no longer fixed and assigned as an unchangeable label (although social labels still exist) but is fluid and interchangeable. There are certain identity traits that we acquire unknowingly and some that we choose for ourselves. If you would like to more...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Justyna Siuta
Svitlana, I also find the influence of language absolutely fascinating! There have been many pieces of research done back in the days, when culture / language association was a hot topic, and the results are quite astonishing! Language defines, to a certain extent (I am not going to get into discussion to what extent as the opinions amongst researchers...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Appreciating and respecting cultural differences is important but equally as important is finding what we have in common. This enables us to build and shape positive and long-lasting relationships. Do you have any examples of building professional or personal relationships based on what you have in common, rather than what differentiates you?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Thank you all for your input! What I find really fascinating, but also quite tricky, is recognising which behavioural traces are products of culture and which of our personality. How can I assess, when interacting with someone for the first time, whether the way they act is culturally-conditioned or plainly rude? Have you ever found yourself puzzled, not being...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Hello again!
Although the above-mentioned group influences are very distinct from each other, they don’t work in isolation but in conjunction. For example, I am a woman in her thirties and originally from Poland. As a consequence, I feel a lot of societal pressure to have my life fully sorted, buy a house and start a family. But, on the other hand, the...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Hi All,
The most important lesson to take out from the graph above is the fact that cultural identity does not equal nationality; that it is the product of many group influences listed above. What is more, our identity is not set in stone but it is constantly being negotiated and renegotiated. How we define ourselves now and how we defined ourselves 5 or 10...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Frank +
As I mentioned above, we do need to think of cultural identity as a product of many group influences - and that you might find more similarities with someone from across the globe than with someone living down the street! For me, for example, gender identity is very important, as is my education, workplace and age - and they influence much more how I perceive...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Eric Obeng Duah
Hi Both,
Thank you for your input! I would like to reiterate that it is not only nationality that shapes our sense of identity - but many other group influences, as shown above - such as education, gender, age or workplace, nationality being just one of many factors at play. There are no set in stone qualities associated with a certain nationality - there...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Hello everyone and welcome to the course! On behalf of the team, I would like to say that we are all very excited to have you join the course. I hope you'll enjoy the resources we created for you, learn a lot about the global workplace and make lots of new friends! I would like to encourage you to interact with the content, and more importantly, with each...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Shona Grant
Hi Ayot, I thought your comments were very valuable. What I really like about MOOCs is how the content is shaped by the participants. Thank you for being proactive!
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Justyna Siuta replied to ousman mahamat issa
Great news, thank you!
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Justyna Siuta replied to CC Zhao
Hi CC, it makes me really glad to hear that you enjoyed the course! Would you mind me using your quote in the future?
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Justyna Siuta replied to JUNJUN XU
Hi Junjun, it's fantastic to hear that you liked the course. Would you be ok with me using this quote?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Simon Njaria
Hi Simon, I am really glad to hear that you have enjoyed the course! Would you be happy for me to use this quote?
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Fantastic news - thank you!
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Justyna Siuta replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
I'm really happy that you enjoyed it - it took a lot of effort and preparations to make it work! Thank you so much for agreeing to use your quotes!
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Justyna Siuta replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Hi Karen, I am really sorry to be bothering you here but there is no other way for me to get in touch with you. Would you be happy for me to use some of your quotes from Global Workplace?
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Hi Licia, I am really sorry to be bothering you here but there is no other way for me to get in touch with you. Would you be happy for me to use some of your quotes from Global Workplace?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Shona Grant
Hi Ayot, I am really sorry to be bothering you here but there is no other way for me to get in touch with you. Would you be happy for me to use some of your quotes from Global Workplace?
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Justyna Siuta replied to ousman mahamat issa
Hi Ousman, I am really sorry to be bothering you here but there is no other way for me to get in touch with you. Would you be happy for me to use some of your quotes from Global Workplace?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Jennie Beswick
Thank you, Jenny, for sharing.
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Justyna Siuta replied to Claudia Santos
Thank you, Claudia and I am glad to hear you enjoyed the course. Would you be happy for me to use your quote for Marketing purposes? It would only state your first name and where you are from, if you feel comfortable with it.
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Justyna Siuta replied to Priya Varma
Hi Priya, it's really great to hear you've enjoyed the course! Would you be happy for me to use your quote for Marketing purposes? It would only give the details of your first name and country of residence, if you feel comfortable with it?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Miriam Barriga
Hi Miriam! I'm really glad to hear you've enjoyed the course. Would you be happy for me to use your quote for Marketing purposes? It would only say your first name and where you are from - if you feel comfortable with it? It would be very much appreciated!
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Hi Ousman, I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed the course. Would you be happy for me to use this quote for Marketing purposes? I would only use your first name and where you are from plus the quote. Best of luck with everything!
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Justyna Siuta replied to Ayot Adhiambo
Hi again, Ayot! Would you be happy to agree for me to use this quote for Marketing purposes? Ideally, if you feel comfortable with it, it would only give your first name and where you are from. Let me know and I hope you were able to put some of the tips provided into practice!
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Justyna Siuta replied to Licia M
Hi Licia, it's great to hear you've enjoyed the course! Would you be happy in me using this quote for Marketing purposes? If you feel comfortable with it, I would use your first name and ideally where you are from. It would really mean a lot to me - I've been working on preparations for this round of the MOOC for quite some time so it's really encouraging to...
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Justyna Siuta replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Hi Karen! I am really glad to hear you enjoyed the course. Would you be happy for me to use this quote for marketing purposes? If you feel comfortable with it, it would say Karen, U.S. and the quote. Best of luck in the global workplace!
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Thank you all for beautiful replies to my post earlier on Resilience - and how it can be learnt, achieved - cherished (scroll below to see it more). Viviana, I think you are absolutely right - planning and re-planning our priorities in order to gain resilience and flexibility... Stephen, I am not a Christian - an atheist actually - but funnily enough I had a...
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Many thanks to Ozy, Hasmik, Noor, Ayot and others for contributing to our discussions; and a special thank you to Joanna for reminding us never to forget to consider the interests of another person. In William Ury's TED video he reminds us that the secret to peace is the third side. And that the third side is... Us. Each of us, with a single step, can take the...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
What does it mean to be resilient? Could it be learnt from textbooks? I am not sure. I would like to direct this questions to those who feel that they achieved a certain level of resilience. How did you do it? What tips can you give to others who are at the beginning of theirs journey? As I mentioned before, my resilience was born out of failures, mistakes,...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Resilience is a skill, or a personal quality, that I cherish in myself the most. It was a difficult one to develop as it's been born through facing challenges, making mistakes and falling down. Resilience is also born out of bravery to come out of our comfort zone and facing the risk of failing. It is conceived out of suffering and overcoming it. Many years...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
It has been claimed that stress has a detrimental effect on our performance at work and other areas of life. However, stress is a biological response that has been there for a reason. In this fascinating talk, Kelly McGonigal explains how to make stress your friend - https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend#t-81049
What are...
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Sounds like you did pretty well! Please let me know as soon as you hear back from them.
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I think that's a brilliant idea! I always do that when preparing for interviews, especially if they are not in my native language. I look at the job specification and try to think of 10-20 questions that I could possibly be asked. I also rehearse talking about my work experience and try to find as many examples of how I demonstrated relevant skills throughout...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Hi All,
I can't believe that the second week is almost over. I really enjoyed reading and contributing to your discussions! Was there anything that you particularly enjoyed this week? Any tips that you have already put into practice? How did you do?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
For me, the main problem lies not in adapting my communication style but rather using different communication techniques to retain my assertiveness. I have a serious problem with saying "no". Here is a short video illustrating the different communication styles that can be adapted to say "no" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMc8AP9KhEM Let me know what you...
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Hi Thet, it's fantastic that you urged your colleagues to do the little test. Hopefully, they also found some of the tips useful. Patience, empathy, understanding and an open mind - all of these help me to communicate with people, regardless of their style, cultural background or even their level of seniority.
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No problem! I know how hard it can be to re-launch your career! Good luck to everybody in this position and let me know if there are any areas of concern I might be help with.
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Hi Joana, are there any meet up groups you could attend to have a bit of practice before the interview? If you really like the job you might want to go to a couple of English classes beforehand. I used to teach English in my home country and prep people specifically for interviews. Two-three classes were enough to refresh my students' skills and boost their...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
One of the reasons why we are becoming worse and worse communicators is the rise of modern technology. And by that I not only mean the fact that we keep texting and checking our Facebook messages whilst interacting face-to-face with others, but more importantly the fact that, as it seems, the way our brain works was seriously altered by it. The Telegraph...
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Ha ha, House of Lords is a good example!
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Justyna Siuta replied to Mari Rodriquez
It’s interesting that you mentioned “hi, how are you?”. I’ve been living in London for a number of years but I still feel uncomfortable when being asked this question and simply walking by and not even stopping to reply “fine, thanks!”
Recently my flatmate showed me a text from her date saying: “You had that funny look on your face when we were saying... -
Justyna Siuta replied to Filadelfio Andrade
"Words generate power" - greatly put. There is a quote that I really like - "Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." -Pearl Strachan Hurd. Do you agree with that and why?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Claudia Motta
Hi Claudia, that's really interesting - thank you for sharing. What do you do under such circumstances in order to avoid confusing whoever you are speaking with?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Roseli Dias
Hi Rosel, that's right - situation we find ourselves in is equally important. Can you give examples of how you adapt your communication style to the context?
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Justyna Siuta replied to Arianna M
Hi Arianna, it's true - one communication style can have traces of another one and the other way around. I think context it's often important to take context into account. When I speak with a senior colleague, I tend to stick to the point and be more analytical, whereas with friends I am much more expressive. How about you? Do you tend to use different...
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Justyna Siuta replied to Abby Sarbah
Hi Abby, that's true. I think it's also about a difference between being content-oriented and relationship-oriented. What happens in a situation when you find yourself communicating with an Expressive? How do you react? Do you have any examples of successful adaption? What about unsuccessful one? What did you learn?
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Hi Thet, this is really interesting - and good to know! What about when you find yourself in a conversation with an Amiable or an Expressive? Do you adapt? If so, how do you do that? And, how difficult do you find it?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Nowadays, we not only need to adapt our communication style to a variety of audiences - to the people with whom we communicate - but also to the channel we use. We communicate differently when in a face-to-face meeting, differently on the phone, differently in the text and differently in a Facebook post. How can we adapt to these constantly changing...
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Hi John, I think you are absolutely right. Using visual and audio aids can really influence on our ability to communicate, especially complex ideas and especially whilst communicating with a group of people. Do you have any other tips on how to keep your listeners involved whilst giving a presentations?
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Body language can be a huge give-away in terms of whether or not we are being understood as wells as whether or not we are successfully building rapport. However, body language can be hard to decode as it differs greatly depending on the culture. I absolutely love how expressive people are in Italy, although it is a generalisation and can't be taken for...
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Hi Paul, this is a really excellent example. Do you have any other ideas of solutions that could be applied to ensure full participation of all attendees?
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Thank you for mentioning pronunciation, which is an aspect we also need to take into account. But even native speakers need to do that, especially in the UK, where you have such a variety of accents. Many of them can be difficult to understand for non-native English speakers. This variety of accents was a big surprise for me as in Polish we don't really have...
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Hi Maria, I know how tough it can be as a non-native speaker. But everyone makes grammatical mistakes, even the ones who know the language well. I think it's all about finding the balance between ensuring that you communicate correctly and ensuring that you communicate well. Perhaps it would be good to try applying those tips with people who speak your mother...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
It’s true – the choice of words – simple and specific – is really important. I recently attended a professional writing course. Our tutor reiterated how important it is to use plain English only in all business communication. And what plain English is exactly? It is clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary and its main goal...
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Thank you Abby, Siri and Hassan for your stories and thoughts!
“When it comes to language and communication, the rule is that what really matters is not what you say, but what people hear”. Based on your experience, would you agree with that?
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Justyna Siuta made a comment
Hello again!
I agree with Ohmar that communication style can be complex, and can be a result of a mix of features of one style and another. Thank you, Aman and Roseli, for pointing out the importance of context in which the communication is occurring.
One of the techniques that can be used in order to stay in the moment and adapt both to the situation...
