multicultural teams

Cross-cultural teams provide immense benefits to organizations such as enhanced problem-solving skills and diversity of perspectives from the culmination of various backgrounds. Although these benefits can contribute to an organization's success, difficulties can arise for managers tasked with leading these cross-cultural teams. Scheduling conflicts and communication barriers can create points of conflict for managers. Additionally, less apparent issues such as cultural norms and creating a unified team environment can be detrimental to the success of a cross-cultural team. Increased awareness about cultures can work to prevent potential tensions from arising within the workplace. 

Cross-cultural teams may be comprised of individuals working remotely from different countries or expatriates. Regardless of the composition of the physical locations of group members, cultural differences can present tensions in the team environment and communication methods because individuals from different cultures may have drastically different approaches to tasks in the workplace. Various strategies can be implemented by managers to develop cultural understanding, enhance communication, and develop team norms ultimately improving the team's performance. 

Learning about differences between cultures present on the team can develop increased awareness about why team members may do or interpret things differently. A helpful resource to understand more about different cultures is Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension Theory. Hofstede’s theory explores six key aspects of cultures: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, and short vs. long-term orientation. Comparison between cultures using these cultural dimensions can work to explain variances in workplace behavior. For example, team members from cultures with higher power distance increasingly value hierarchy and are more likely to rely heavily on those with positions of power for explicit direction. This may present an issue for teams that depend on quick decision-making processes and independent work. Being conscious of these potentially ingrained cultural differences can guide managers to communicate more about proper procedures and create a more inclusive workplace environment. 

For team members recently relocated to a new country, there may be some distinct cultural differences they are not accustomed to within their new home. Developing proper mechanisms for expatriate training is incredibly important for easing this transition for newly relocated team members. While many companies have established systems for assisting relocated employees to adapt to the new location, as a manager, it is important to develop an inclusive and comprehensive introduction to the new space they are working in. Aiding a seamless transition to the new working environment can include more one-on-one conversations to learn more about the recently relocated team member and discuss any potential concerns they have adjusting to the new environment.

Communication barriers are another important consideration when working with a cross-cultural team. For team members who aren’t working in their native language, aspects such as tone and sentence structure may vary considerably. These differences in communication and understanding present many points of misunderstanding between workers. Strategies to prevent misinterpretation consist of utilizing clear and concise messages. This way there are fewer opportunities for potential misunderstandings. Another strategy to emphasize amongst team members is to encourage clarification. If a team member does not entirely understand something, asking further questions can prevent issues later. Working to develop an environment that promotes questions and clear communication will benefit the entire team. 

Another important facet of communication that can vary across cultures is “taught behaviors”. Within different cultures, there are different cultural norms of communication. For instance, American team members may be abrupt over chat function and directly start conversations with a question or request, while Indian team members tend to practice more indirect communication and may include a greeting and more pleasantries before requesting something. Although a seemingly insignificant difference in communication, this can cause frustration for American team members who prefer more immediate communication and conversely cause frustration for Indian team members who interpret the abrupt communication as rude. Working to discuss appropriate communication practices can help to relieve unnecessary issues arising from these “taught behaviors”. 

With team members coming from various places, establishing team norms increases progress timeliness. Technology developments help to mitigate time-zone-related issues as there is increased communication and immediacy. 24/7 accessible applications such as SharePoint and live documentation features help to allow for consistent communication among all team members. While some team members are off the clock, team members from different time zones can update the live documents and have a record for team members who aren’t currently working. This allows for greater communication and consistency between team members working during different times.  

Another potential issue solved through team norms is establishing a sense of team unity. When managing a team from various cultures, team members may develop an “us vs. them” mentality between different regions when mistakes are made. For teams that have little periods of overlap due to time differences, it can be difficult to foster collaboration and create a sense of division. When an error occurs, for instance during the Australian Central Standard shift, British team members may get frustrated with Australian team members causing increased tensions. Although there is a considerable time difference between these two teams' standard working hours, utilizing some of the overlapping time for weekly or monthly team meetings can unify the team and create a greater sense of appreciation for team members working during the other shifts. Overall, managers need to work to break cultural divides and help build a strong team environment.  

Implementing strategies directly focused on creating seamless interactions between team members of various cultures can be achieved through conscious efforts from all team members. As a manager, introducing measures to develop cultural understanding, effective communication methods, and team norms are important steps for preventing tensions arising from cultural differences is incredibly important. 

Louis is a French manager working at an international clothing company. While working in the French branch of the firm, Louis has been recognized numerous times for his strong leadership and effective communication. Due to his successes, Louis got relocated to the American branch of the firm to assist with the implementation of a new clothing line. After 2 months of managing in the United States, Louis is astounded to hear from a colleague that Louis’s team members have complaints about his leadership style. While Louis was an effective leader for his French team members, his incredibly direct leadership style comes across as cold and abrasive to his American team members. To effectively manage his new team, Louis must adjust his leadership style to accommodate the new cultures represented in his team. 

Louis, like many managers of multicultural teams, relied on his home country’s culture and management styles when working with individuals from different cultures. While this management style may be effective in one's home country, it's crucial that managers adapt to the cultures within their teams. Whether relocating to another country or managing a cross-cultural team in one's home country, these are some strategies to leverage to effectively lead a multi-cultural team. 

When leading a cross-cultural team or managing in a foreign country, it’s important to conduct research about the other culture(s) to develop a deeper understanding. Cultures may vary drastically in their communication styles, views on hierarchy, methods of handling conflict, and other critical interpersonal aspects. Learning about these variances will allow managers to better understand how their team members think about and perceive the world. 

There are various cultural frameworks that provide detailed breakdowns of differences between cultures that can enhance management effectiveness. Trumpenaars, Hofstede, and GlobeSmart are a few of the many existing frameworks that outline key cultural differences. Each framework has different dimensions that are used to evaluate cultures. Breaking down the different dimensions to understand them and thinking holistically about the differences in cultures will build a strong foundation for managing a cross-cultural team. 

2. Acknowledge Cultural Differences 

After researching different cultures to learn more about them, collaborate with the team to further understand critical cultural differences. While it may seem uncomfortable, encouraging open communication about cultural differences will take away some of the guesswork of trying to navigate a multicultural setting. Asking questions and learning about other cultures outside of the work environment will create an open space that embraces the variety of cultures. 

While conducting research on other cultures creates a solid background of different cultures, recognize that learning from the team members is the best way to truly understand a culture. Furthermore, each person is different and may not entirely fit into the norms of their culture. Being curious and creating time to discuss these differences will demonstrate a desire to learn and grow together. 

 
3. Establish Team Norms 

Once cultural differences have been identified and discussed, establishing team norms will allow for improved workplace performance. Collaborate with the entire team when building these norms. Forming these norms as a group increases group buy-in and ensures all team members feel committed to the team norms. 

Consider the variances in cultures and how they may shape the team norms. Some cultures tend to be extremely rigid with deadlines, while others have more flexible timing. Cultural differences in hierarchy may mean that some team members will seek more frequent approval from management while others may operate more autonomously. Make sure to establish clear norm expectations that take into consideration these different ways of working. 

4. Overcommunicate 

Within a cross-cultural team, overcommunicating can be a key to success. While it may seem redundant to constantly check in with team members, ensuring frequent communication will make sure everyone is on the same page. Especially at the beginning of team formation, prioritizing communication will prevent team members from making their own assumptions. 

Cross-cultural teams may be comprised of individuals who have different first languages. It can be difficult to communicate when there is a language barrier within a team, so simplifying communication can prevent interpretation issues. While using less complex words and slowing down communication can make sure everyone understands what is being said, actively make sure to avoid foreigner talk. Foreigner talk is characterized by using slower and louder speech, which can be offensive to non-native speakers. 

5. Avoid Assumptions

While it’s natural to have a perception of different cultures, actively make sure it avoid assumptions about individuals based on their cultural identity. Furthermore, avoid assuming that everyone on the team is in agreement or has a shared understanding. Cultures vary on how people indicate they agree with something, so assuming that everyone is on the same page simply because there is no vocal disagreement is not a reliable strategy. Leveraging strong communication and feedback mechanisms will help to avoid making incorrect assumptions. 

Another assumption that is often made in cross-cultural settings is based on language ability. When someone is more fluent in a language, they are often perceived as more capable than individuals who are less fluent. Make sure to avoid making assumptions of cognitive ability solely based on language skill as the team may over or underestimate team member abilities. 

Incorporating these strategies can be challenging, as there are many dynamics involved in culture. Recognize that it takes time to adjust management styles and its a constantly evolving process. To gain insights on effective strategies for managing a cross-cultural team, leverage performance management software. Managers may also find it helpful to discuss challenges with peer mentors to learn about the strategies they found most effective when dealing with similar challenges. 

Through the use of these 5 strategies, Louis was able to adjust his management style to fit the needs of his new team. Recognizing that Americans have a strong preference for less direct criticism and a stronger sense of team camaraderie, Louis implemented more team bonding activities and conversational feedback mechanisms. After shifting his management style, Louis saw a positive change in his team's productivity and was able to better support his team.