People today are more likely than ever before to work with others from vastly different cultures – even if they never leave headquarters. While most organizations have excellent global infrastructure, few organizations provide the necessary diversity training to prepare team members for interaction with other cultures. For your staff to be effective in today’s global economy, it’s important for them to receive diversity training when working within and leading culturally diverse teams.
Tips For Leading Multicultural Teams
Here are some of the essential online diversity training points for leading multicultural teams.
Individual Versus Group
Some cultures are more focused on the individual while others focus on groups. In the United States, the focus is more on the individual, and everyone has their own responsibilities. This sometimes leads to employees frequently changing jobs.
However, in other parts of the world like Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, people are more group-oriented. They work better collaborating as a team and the group shares both praise and any blame for projects not working out as expected. When working with someone from a group-oriented culture, it’s important to give both praise and criticism privately.
Authoritarian Or Egalitarian
In an egalitarian culture, leaders and team members are seen as equal. For instance, in the United States, the saying All Men Are Created Equal is popular. In this culture, decision-making and authority can be shared among many people, and leadership is very accessible.
In authoritarian cultures, people are more used to a stronger leader from the top who makes most of the decisions. People from these cultures focus on hierarchy. Leaders in these cultures are more distant, leading to less questioning of authority. Therefore, establishing open-door communication is important for team members from such cultures.
How Leading Culturally Diverse Teams Properly Affects Your Business
In today’s work environment, it’s not uncommon to have a multicultural team. As we have explained, it is very common for these team members to have different ways of seeing the world. For your team to be most effective, they need proper online diversity training with diversity and inclusion courses to facilitate collaboration within a culturally diverse team.
Leading Culturally Diverse Teams FAQs
What are some tips for managing culturally diverse teams?
Some helpful solutions for managing multicultural teams are encouraging cultural competency and sensitivity at all times, cultivating a safe space for everyone, and celebrating different cultures for a better sense of understanding and in turn, belonging.
What does leading a diverse team actually mean?
Managing diverse teams means creating a positive environment where people can learn from each other, everyone feels heard and understood, where all opinions are welcome, and everyone feels valued.
What is a culturally diverse team?
This diverse and inclusive team is a team where its members originate from different places and cultures. This usually means that they speak different languages too. While it’s easy to identify that you have a diverse team, understanding exactly how to manage it isn’t always straightforward.
What is a good leadership style for a diverse workforce?
Inclusive leadership can identify unconscious biases and microaggressions. They also can create a work culture where everyone works together, feels their opinion can be heard and feels accepted.