Nelson Mandela was a revolutionary leader with exceptional ability to connect with people.
He once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
When you speak to someone in their language, you send a message that you care enough to know about the other person. And that you are not much different than them. That creates an instant connection.
I’ve been part of intense negotiations, where a simple greeting in the local language has helped drive a more amicable outcome.
Political leaders and bureaucrats communicate in different languages all the time, to be able to connect to their foreign counterparts.
The concept also holds true in a non-linguistic sense.
Engineers talk a different language than the marketers. A CFO of a company has different priorities than the person-in-charge of products. Developers and Designers see the same product differently. A good salesperson knows how to modify his pitch for different customers. And parents often talk to kids in their language.
Being able to talk someone else’s language is hard and complex. It requires a conscious effort to see the world from the other person’s viewpoint.
But it also creates a common bond. A bond that makes your interaction more meaningful and worthwhile.