During our interview with Minh Cao, she brought up some really interesting concepts around working in different countries and cultures, and shared how she navigated work culture dynamics, both in Vietnam and in the US.
If you missed her interview, you can check it out here.
Our conversation with Minh left us feeling curious about how team members and even managers can effectively navigate cross-cultural team dynamics to produce successful results.
There is no doubt that multi-cultural teams are far more productive and efficient than monotone teams (teams where every member thinks and behaves the same way).
Here are some benefits to employing and working in cross-cultural teams.
#1 Diverse cultural perspectives inspire creativity and innovation
Our culture influences the way in which we see the world. A variety of viewpoints along with the wide-ranging personal and professional experience of an international team can offer new perspectives that inspire colleagues to see the workplace and the world differently.
#2 Local knowledge and insight makes a business more competitive and profitable
Cross-cultural understanding, along with local market knowledge, lends itself to more efficient business and marketing practices. For example, culturally sensitive translations of websites, brochures, and other assets are essential in a local economy. But these can be overlooked without the input of a native speaker.
#3 Culturally diverse talent pool allows an organization to attract and retain the best talent
According to a Glassdoor survey, two thirds of job hunters indicated that diversity was important to them when evaluating companies and job offers. In a competitive global job market, demonstrating that your business is invested in fostering a multicultural and inclusive environment can make you attractive to the right candidates.
#4 Diverse skills base allows a broader range of products and services
By drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool, companies benefit from hiring professionals with a broad range of skills that are often not accessible when hiring locally. Globally oriented companies can add to their service range by leveraging the skills and experience their international employees bring to the table.
#5 Diverse teams are more productive and perform better
The range of experience, expertise, and working styles that a diverse workplace offers can boost problem-solving capacity and lead to greater productivity.
#6 Greater opportunity for personal and professional growth
Fundamentally, an inclusive and culturally diverse business will attract talented, ambitious, and globally minded professionals who will appreciate the opportunity for personal and professional growth.
So knowing that there are so many advantages to cultural diversity in teams, how can managers and team members have a more inclusive mindset, work together to make everyone feel welcome and convey the message that ‘every voice matters’.
Here are some ways to practice inclusivity at work
#1 Encourage everyone to speak up with ideas and suggestions
Weekly team meetings and informal ideation sessions are great ways to encourage colleagues from some cultures who may be less likely to let their voices be heard. By having an open forum concept, they are more likely to converse rather than in a formal presentation situation.
#2 Eliminate any and all forms of bias in teams
Integration across multicultural teams can be difficult in the face of prejudice or negative cultural stereotypes. Get rid of any bias before any meeting, conversation or even informal chat by the water cooler. The moment you have a perceived bias, half the battle of being inclusive is lost.
#3 Acknowledge different forms of professional communication
Communication standards different across different cultures. Some cultures prefer structured conversations and communications at all times. Other cultures rely on informal, casual conversations to get any work done. Understanding all these nuances can help team members navigate different work styles and get the best out of everyone on the team without being misinterpreted or misunderstood.
#4 Understand different forms of professional etiquette
Professionalism means different things to different people. In some cultures, titles and experience trump all other factors when it comes to defining a person’s success. In other cultures, hard work and tangible results matter more than any title or praise. These different notions of success may drive different ways of professional etiquette. One is not better than the other irrespective of personal opinions. Coming from a place of understanding about the different forms of professionalism will help all the team members navigate corporate cultures.
#5 Access to opportunities
Offer similar opportunities to everyone in the team. It is not secret that some team members will outperform others. But that does not mean special projects or opportunities are only given to those with a proven track record. Often times this can be perceived as favoritism in the work place. Instead encourage team members of different calibers to come together to problem solve and work on projects. This ensure inclusivity.
{Excerpts from original article and further reading can be found here.}
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