Consulting for an organization like a hospital and school share some basic underlying similarities; both organizations are large, have multiple departments, different levels of leadership and responsibility roles within the organizations and both deal with the general public. Both organizations must develop a clear plan and stipulate their desired outcomes by adapting to the use of effective intercultural communication.
The organizations ultimately wish to make their staff/environment better suited to meet the needs of a multicultural clientele and to do so they must identify the various cultural groups they deserve. This does not mean that they must have a full understanding of each cultural group but it does mean that they must develop skills and sensitivity to working with varying groups. Lidzy, S. (2010) cites Osborn (2002) as saying that “The lack of cultural sensitivity often leads to miscommunication, dis- satisfaction and stress for communicators.” Reducing the aforementioned results of lacking cultural sensitivity are the primary goals for both the hospital and school

Spoken Communication
Spoken communication is often overlooked as a root of many misunderstanding. For both clients the language used in their organization internally and externally is English, it is an assumption often that the language is the same but language is composed of generally accepted definitions, idioms, colloquialism, and specific frames of references rooted in the person whom is speaking and if when engaging in dialogue we are not careful to avoid using idioms, complicated vocabulary and obscure words then the intended message is lost and received by the person on the other end (Sweeney, E., & Zhu, H., 2010). Native English speakers have the tendency to bring with them their cultural communication norms and being ignorant to the language norms of the persons they are dealing with.

In the United States alone different parts of the country have their own dialect or language traits such as slurring, speech pace, tone, slang, and pronunciations that are not easily understood by everyone, especially someone who is not from their area of group. Non-native language speakers according to Sweeney (2010) “begin interactions already feeling frustrated by their inability to express their ideas fully and spontaneously.” The barrier created by spoken communication must be addressed by these organizations and staff needs to be instructed that when they are dealing with patrons they must be mindful of the way that they speak. They should avoid speaking idiomatically and refrain from using jargon and also take care to reflect the rhythm and pace of speech that the individuals they are interacting with are communicating at.

Cultural Awareness
As both institutions will interact with varying publics and groups being aware that they may be of different cultures is important. Being culturally aware means that their staff is not taking things for granted and making sure to ask questions that address the needs of the patrons. Things that may be an obvious indication of pain or discomfort should not be misread or taken lightly as different cultures will employ different expressions or are less likely to show certain emotions or feelings publicly.

Ethnocentricity
Ethnocentricity creeps into our way of life and blinds individuals to the similarities and differences that exist between/within cultures. Bradford Hall (2005) indicates that one reason so many are treated poorly is because of fundamental attribution error, which occurs when we categorize what people do based on some perceived similarity, i.e. men are aggressive. Treating all male patients as if they are acting aggressively will cause conflicts with patients coming into the hospital, not all males seeking assistance will be aggressive nor will they appreciate being treated as such. As organizations that provide a service to the general public staff must be aware of the tendency towards ethnocentrism and learn to counter the inclinations or effects of such behavior. The staff must be taught and reminded that when dealing with individuals assumptions should not be made about what they mean, who they are or that they hold the same values as those assisting them. Because people are so different staff should be trained to ask questions and ask for clarification when there is doubt about intended meanings to minimize going on assumptions or ethnocentric beliefs. Many organizations already practice similar tactics such as not using religious specific holiday phrases or decorations and focus on more general sentiments like “Happy Holidays” as opposed to “Merry Christmas.” The cultural sensitivity in that allows flexibility when dealing with the public because not everyone celebrates Christmas.

Developing cultural sensitivity is the center of focus for the kills that should be embraced by both organizations so as to achieve effective intercultural communication within both organizations. Lidzy, S. (2010) identifies the skills as “a willingness to use cultural knowledge and culturally appropriate language while interacting with others, understanding and respecting the values, beliefs, and attitudes of others; and adapting one’s own interaction to the needs and emotions of others.”