During my time in Sweden, one of the most interesting challenges I’ve encountered has been adjusting to the communication style. In particular, the contrast between low-context and high-context communication has become clear, and it’s something I never gave much thought to before. Coming from a more direct, low-context background, I’ve had to adapt to Sweden’s more indirect and subtle communication approach.

This difference in expectations led to some early miscommunication. Early into the internship, I met with my supervisors to discuss my tasks for the following months, which included brainstorming ideas for changes to the website. I found this encounter, like many others, to be very frustrating as I was having trouble articulating my creative choices in a way that they would understand. As a result, I’ve had to learn how to communicate in a way that everyone can understand and explain my ideas in a level of depth that leaves no detail left up for interpretation.

The language barrier has also presented some challenges. Our team is made up of people from across Europe and Asia, and while everyone speaks English quite well, the varying levels of fluency can sometimes lead to miscommunication. This is especially noticeable given that nearly all the interns (who actually outnumber the employees) are American. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve found that asking more detailed and thoughtful questions has been the most effective way to bridge any gaps in understanding.