TOPIC 3: NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION (HAND
Teams can be formed anywhere, anytime
GESTURES)
TOPIC 4: BUILDING MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
An essential skill for all tourism professionals is the ability to
Work in a Team. The reason it is important is because all
facilities and services offered by tourism enterprise are the result
of the input of many (Shannessy at al., 2008).
A Team according to (Shannessy at al., 2008) is a collection of
people who work together to achieve collectively established
common goals. A team has one main objective: Achieving a
goal through the combined efforts of the members of that team.
On the other hand, Team Spirit is an attitude that enables people
to work together, it is about camaraderie, cooperation, and
collaboration. A team spirit exists in successful teams, team
members who have team spirit demonstrate through their
actions, commitment to the other members, the job and
themselves.
Teamwork is the collective effort of all team members to
achieve the team’s common goals. When teams are effective
there is no doubt that is the result of teamwork, organization will
benefit and that our work life will be considerably more enjoyable
as a result. When the work environment is pleasant, employees
are generally happy. When employees are happy, the
customers will benefit. (Shannessy at al., 2008)
According to (Moga, 2017) in any organization, no one works
alone. Every employee is a part of a team and works in close
coordination with the team members to perform his level best
and in turn benefit the organization. The team members should
complement each other and come to each other’s need
whenever required.
whenever the task is little difficult and complicated.\
Teams are divided into four main types namely:
1. SELF MANAGED TEAM
Also known as Self-reliant or Self Directed teams. They are
natural work groups that are given substantial Autonomy and in
return are asked to control their own behavior and produce
significant results. The combination empowerment and training
to plan, direct, monitor and control their own activities
distinguishes this team from many others. They have wide-
ranging autonomy and freedom, coupled with capability to act
like managers. What is Self-Managing team Like? Typically,
team members learn a wide range relevant skills; this practice is
called multiskilling. As a result, members are flexibly float from
area to area and task to task, depending on where they are
needed the most. They make joint decision about work
schedules, resource requirements, and assignment of tasks.
Self-Managed Team may begin by assuming responsibility for
simple matters such as housekeeping issues and safety
trainings. Later, they may begin to manage their own
absenteeism, set overtime, and vacation schedule, select and
appraise team members, train co-workers, and engage in direct
contact with key customers.
Organization using self-managing teams report several
advantages:
• Improved flexibility of the staff
• More efficient operations through reduced number of
job classification
• Lower Absenteeism and turnover rates
• Higher level of organizational commitment and job
satisfaction
2. CROSS FUNCTIONAL TEAM
Teams where people from different functions work together
towards a common goal. Members of this team could be subject
matter experts from different functions, say for example, one
person is from Marketing, one person from Sales and the other
one from Product Development. These people are put together
to make a cross functional team. Cross Functional Teams are
used when a company is working on its improvement projects,
which require a team involving a number of functions. By their
very nature, they contain a high element of diversity, at least in
terms of professional background and work specialization.
3. VIRTUAL TEAM
Information technology has a powerful effect on the individual
behavior in organizations, and its effect is equally strong on
social networks at the Team level. Technology has allowed the
emergence of Virtual teams. Groups of Individuals from around
the globe that meet through the use of technological aids without
all their members being present in the same location.
The explosion in the use of Virtual teams came about due to
several compelling reasons. For example, the global
marketplace has created a demand for placing employees (e.g.
customer-service persons) near their customers. Also, the most
highly qualified team members maybe located thousand of Miles
from each other, and the cost and time constraints of travel to a
central location would be prohibitive. Further, the personal
expectations of contemporary employees for flexibility and
involvement also create a push in this direction. Finally, the
rapid development of both transmission capabilities (fiber-optic
lines) and communication software has made it possible for
groups to "meet" from afar.
Three (3) Dimensions characteristics of Virtual teams
• TIME: When people work – working with different
hours, shifts or time zones
• SPACE: Where they work – different
locations/countries/continents
• CULTURE: How and to whom people work for –
Gender, Race, Language, Profession, Education,
Nationality etc.
4. Problem Solving Team
They are usually temporary and focus on solving specific issues.
Once guidelines are set in place and plans are formed the task
force, committees or such problem-solving teams are
disbanded.
Many times, PROBLEM SOLVING TEAM are created when an
organization experiences a crisis, financial, operation or
involving other major units or any unforeseen events or
challenges. The team’s aim is to come up with proper solutions
to help the organization climb up out from a steep recession or
whatever its current difficult state.
For teams to be effective, the people in the team must be able
to work together to contribute collectively to team outcomes
(Shannessy et al., 2008). But this does not happen
automatically: it develops as the team works together. You have
probably had an experience when you have been put on a team
to work on a school assignment or project. When your team first
gets together, you likely sit around and look at each other, not
knowing how to begin. Initially you are not a team. You are just
individuals assigned to work together. Over time you get to know
each other, to know what to expect from each other, to know
how to divide the labor and assign tasks, and to know how you
will coordinate your work. Through this process, you begin to
operate as a team instead of a collection of individuals.
There are 5 stages of Team Development process:
1. FORMING. Members share and exchange basic personal
information, start to get to know and accept one another, ask
questions about their assignments and objectives, and begin
turning their attention towards the group's task. An aura of
courtesy prevails, uncertainty is in the air, and interaction are
often cautious.
2. STORMING. Members compete for status, jockey for position
of relative control, and argue about appropriate direction for the
group. External pressure interfere with the group, and tensions
rise between individuals as they assert themselves and disagree
about initial actions. If these stresses are not confronted, hard
feelings may emerge and slows the group's progress.
3. NORMING. The group begin moving together in a cooperative
fashion, and tentative balance among competing forces is
struck. Group Noms emerge to guide individual behavior, role
clarity emerges, cooperative feelings are increasingly evident,
and a sense of cohesion becomes apparent.
4. PERFORMING. The group matures and learns to handle
complex challenges. Functional roles are performed fluidly
exchanged as needed, and task efficiently accomplished.
However, a sense of achievement may also prematurely emerge
because of errors made, pessimism about the prospects of
success, and complacency among some members. Eventually,
however, a fully functioning team will resolve their issues,
establish a unique identity, and develop an atmosphere of
openness.
5. ADJOURNING. Even the most successful groups,
committees, and project teams disband (or change their
composition) sooner or later. Their break-up is called
adjournment. which requires dissolving intense social relations
and returning to permanent assignments or moving on to
another jobs. The adjournment stage is becoming even more
frequent with the advent of flexible organizations, which features
temporary groups. Successful teams examine their own history
in search of lessons they have learned and bid farewell to their
teammates.
Advising new teams of these likely stages can be helpful to
group members and their leaders. Awareness by all team
members can help them better understand what is happening
and work through the issues involved. Consequently, not all
teams will clearly experience all the stages of the cycle. Some
groups maybe temporarily stuck in a certain stage and others
may find themselves reverting to an earlier stage from time to
time. To prevent unnecessary trials and tribulation and expedite
their own development, team members may find it useful to
study what problems other teams have encountered and also
know what elements help create successful teams.
The workplace is a dynamic environment that is frequently
changing. Whether it is people, processes, markets or products,
there are often shifts that employees have to deal with. While
some employees work with the same team for a long period of
time, it is more likely that new team members will come and go
as business needs change. However, not all employees have
the same cultural background or personality traits, so it can be
difficult to get along with everyone and function effectively as a
productive team. As a result, it is important to understand the
differences between team members and know how to work
through them in order to achieve business goals. (Ahmed, 2020)
Cross-cultural teams are global teams that include people who
come from different cultures and unique experiences.
Companies fail to consider these fundamental differences within
a team, leading to conflicts and frustration that can be easily
thwarted once you gain a quick understanding of the individuals
in a team.
These differences can stem from communication styles and
individual frame of references. For example, members in some
countries are willing to work more than the stipulated hours of
work, even working remotely from home. On the other hand,
workers in different countries may not consider working beyond
the said hours except in emergency situations, and their mobile
devices are switched off when they leave the office.
Another major difference of style in a cross-cultural team is the
communicating pattern of each team member. While some
team members vociferously voice their unfiltered opinions and
ideas, those from hierarchical cultures tend to think a lot before
raising their voice. So, how can you make sure that in such a
team all the ideas of the members are heard equally and
manage the team effectively?
According to (Ahmed, 2020) it’s important to understand the
differences in order to foster harmony in a team. Cultural
differences affect teamwork as a result of the following areas:
1. Religious & Political. beliefs a person’s religious or political
belief should not affect the team as their relevance in the
workplace is insignificant. However, religious observation may
influence a person’s ability to perform their task, which they need
to observe certain practices during work time.
2. Communication styles. In some cultures, it is considered
rude to speak directly, whereas in others it is encouraged. This
can cause miscommunication, resentment, and confusion.
Some team members may not speak up if they disagree with
another team member because it is not something that is done
in their culture. In other cases, providing direct feedback or
instruction may be taken as stepping on toes or taking too much
authority.
3. Hierarchy and power. Equality in the workplace is the norm
in some cultures, whereas in others the structure is more
hierarchical. For employees that come from cultures that focus
on status and authority, speaking up about problems may be
difficult because they feel uncomfortable or disrespectful. On the
other hand, those that value equality may perceive others as
lacking competence if they don’t share their thoughts and
opinions with leadership.
4. Risk and decision making. In some cultures, making a
decision requires more data and information than others. Some
employees may have a low tolerance for risk and not want to
commit to making a decision without having context or details.
Others may be confident in making decisions without much data.
This can affect the pace of the team and how work is conducted.
5. Influences. There can be chances that a section or group of
the team has similar cultural identity or homogeneity. They may
attempt to dominate the process and try to influence the entire
team to swing their way. As a result, it can create unnecessary
tensions and a frustrating environment for other team members.
Team and group dynamics can be a major concern in a cross-
cultural team. This can lead to unnecessary group politics and
conflicts within a team.
6. Motivation Factors. Normally, companies have a single-
threaded motivation and rewards system that is largely
determined by the norms and values of the company. It does
not account for the distinct motivational factors of a cross cultural
teams. The motivators for employees can range from tangible
benefits of increments, bonus, incentives, career progression
and intangible benefits that include recognition, job satisfaction,
encouragement, etc.
It is important to recognize what motivates each individual to
excel in their role so that you can drive them aptly towards
performance. In the absence of a proper catalyst, the team
members may lack enthusiasm and be less engaged at work.
A prime concern in managing a cross-cultural team is to find a
unified thread to tie across all the distinct personalities. A one
size fits all approach is not an effective solution. Since there are
different beliefs and styles of communication at play,
multicultural teams are prone to friction.
The good news is that there are simple ways to minimize this
friction and manage a cross-cultural team successfully.
According to statistics, culturally diverse teams outperform non-
diverse teams by 35%. If you have a cross-cultural team and
steer it in the right direction, it can lead to greater efficiency.
Companies are afraid to implement diversity with a fear that
introducing people who may not agree with each other will
hamper productivity.
On the contrary, having different types of people on the same
team can help others look at problems prudently while also
being more innovative, creative and inclusive about their
solutions.
Here are some tips to foster cross-cultural working relationships:
1. Get to Know Each Team Member
It is essential for the team leader to take the time and get to know
each team member. Learn about their story and journey. This
will help you analyse individual skills and leverage the
knowledge to help the group. You might uncover specialised
skills that can be beneficial to everyone and also understand the
personality of the member at the same time.
2. Adopt Flexibility
According to a book named the Cultural Map, scheduling and
decision making are two key workplace values that greatly vary
across cultures. Assessing these values can go a long way to
understand the priorities of your team members. For example,
different cultures prioritise either flexibility or a linear time
construct to finish a task.
3. Promote Open Communication
Give every team member a chance to voice their opinions. An
open communication line is essential for greater efficiency.
Otherwise, team members feel under-appreciated and
dominated by either the management or the dominant players in
the group.
When attempting to reach a consensus through virtual meetings,
plan ahead and ensure to send the agenda well in advance to
actively solicit each team member’s opinions.
4. Encourage Team Building Activities
When a mix of cultures is trying to come together in a team,
organizations should make every effort to create opportunities
for casual interactions. Happy hours, team outings, lunch and
learn, birthday parties, pantry banter, etc. help employees to
bond with each other despite their differences. Encourage team
members to interact during their downtime and through social
events.
5. Address Conflict Immediately
If a conflict ensues regardless of your efforts, make sure to
address it promptly before it is too late. Understand different
cultural perspectives at play and try to resolve the conflict by
taking the middle path. A leader should serve as a cultural bridge
to connect different members of the team and bring unison.
7. Create a Cross-Cultural Awareness Program
You can teach your members how to interact with others in
different regions and countries effectively. Training and
awareness can include sessions on greetings, business
etiquette and dining customs. This will help to dissolve the
tension and educate members on the prevalent cultural styles of
other team members.
This will also enable you to identify and embrace cultural
differences rather than ignoring them altogether. Organisations
will be able to create resilient global teams and better
relationships with clients, customers across the globe.
8. Develop a Team Identity and Clearly Define Roles and
Responsibility of Members
In a team, it’s important that all members understand the
common goal. Having a shared goal and a common purpose will
give your team an identity that can bring them together. At the
same time, clearly outline the expectations of each team
member and let everyone know that their contribution matters.
Break down the common goal into actionable steps that define
each member’s role and responsibilities. This way, everyone will
collaborate and work together without stepping on each other’s
territory.
9. Build Great Rapport and Trust
Building work relations and trust cannot happen overnight. Take
the steps to slowly build an environment for collaboration.
Respect individual differences and understand them to build
unity in a culturally diverse team.
The proliferation of cross-cultural teams might bring challenges,
but it can be handled successfully with sensitivity and respect
for other cultures. We need to institute a framework that makes
it easier to understand individual differences and leverage those
differences to bring out the best capabilities in a team.
Most of the times a clear understanding and acceptance of
cultural differences is what it takes to successfully manage a
cross-cultural team.
Having a cross-cultural team is the greatest opportunity to learn
different backgrounds, innovate new solutions and procreate
success. It’s time to consider cross-cultural teams as an asset
and not a liability!
What is Team Feedback?
This is information about a reaction to a product, or a person’s
performance of a task, which is used as basis for improvement.
Giving and receiving feedback is an important component of
successful teamwork. In addition, feedback should always focus
on work performance. According to (Shannessy et al., 2008)
Team feedback must:
Be communicated positively to have the desired effect.
Positive Feedback would include communicating your concerns
assertively, openly and by highlighting the impact the behavior
has on achieving the team’s goals.
Positive feedback allows the person to receive the information
without feeling defensive or hostile in return
Negative feedback must also be expressed but should not be
done in a harsh way, intended at making the person feel guilty
and defensive. The feedback may be negative but the purpose
of communicating it is always to be constructive so that the
situation and performance will improve.
Here are some tips on how to give valuable and constructive
feedback to staff according to Jones, (n.d.)
1. Be problem focused and specific
Example: “You need to be getting into the office earlier”
Telling the employee what they need to do better. Explain them
why one needs to be clear about the actual problem at hand.
2. Talk about the situation, not the individual
Example: “Your presentation put a lot of people to sleep”
Constructive feedback focuses on outcomes and impartial
observations rather than the employees’ personal attributes.
You are just showing that you are concerned about fixing the
problem at hand not the employees personality
3. Give praise where it is due
EXAMPLE: “I think you did a great job with this account. Sales
are up 13% since last quarter.” “However, we've had a few
customers still complaining about product”
Weaving some positive among the negative can be a good way
to reassure employees that you have not lost perspective. It tells
the employee that you are not criticizing their overall
performance; just that certain aspect of the job that needs
attention.
4. Be direct but formal
Try not to use technology (Phone, email, SMS) to relay your
feedback, as this can lead to misinterpretation and make it seem
less important than it really is. Find a quiet room where you can
have an honest and informal one on one chat with the employee.
5. Be Sincere
If your tone and manner do not match the context of the
feedback itself, you could send out a mixed message that
confuses the recipient
If feedback is positive, let your emotions indicate that you
appreciate their effort. On the other hand, if providing negative
feedback, a more concerned tone will show that you believe that
the problem should be taken seriously. Always avoid displaying
negative emotions, such as anger, sarcasm, or disappointment,
as they are likely to be perceived as personal criticism.
6. Listen
While giving constructive feedback, make sure that staff is given
a chance to respond. You must be prepared to listen to their
concerns and their interpretation of events; it can also be used
as an opportunity for employees to express their ideas.
7. Make Timely
Always try to give positive feedback when the employee's
praiseworthy achievement is still fresh in everyone's memory.
The same applies to negative feedback. When giving
constructive feedback focus on the behavior, not their
personality and it is given in a tone and setting that conveys
support and respect.
INTERACTIVE CONTENT
For cross cultural teams, motivators for employees can range
from tangible benefits of bonus, incentives, career progression
and intangible benefits that includes recognition, job satisfaction
and encouragement. It is important to recognize what motivates
each individual to excel in their role so that you can drive them
properly towards performance. --- True
When providing feedback, it’s best to use technology (Phone,
email, SMS) to relay your message, as this can avoid
misinterpretation and make it seem so important than it really is.
--- False
Teams which do not have a face to face interaction, working in
different time zone, from different culture & languages and they
are working towards a common goal using the help of
technology. --- Virtual Team
A person’s religious or political belief affects the team, as their
relevance in the workplace is significant. Religious observation
may influence a person’s ability to perform their task, which they
need to observe certain practices during work time. --- False
To foster Cross Cultural working relationship, we must
understand different cultural perspectives and try to resolve
issues right away. A leader should serve as a cultural bridge to
connect different members of the team and bring unison. ---
Address conflict immediately
Constructive feedback focuses on outcomes and impartial
observations rather than the employee’s personal attributes.
You are just showing that you are concerned about fixing the
problem at hand not the employee’s personality --- True
In some cultures, making a decision requires more data and
information than others. Some employees may have a low
tolerance for risk and not want to commit to making a decision
without having context or details. This can affect the pace of the
team and how work is conducted. --- True
When providing feedback, it needs to be communicated
positively due to the fact that it provides a desired effect to the
person receiving the feedback. --- True
Giving & receiving feedback is an important component of
successful teamwork. --- True
An attitude that enables people to work well together. It’s about
camaraderie, cooperation, and collaboration between different
members of the organization. --- Team Spirit
Organizations should make every effort to create opportunities
for casual interactions. Happy hours, team outings, and birthday
parties to help employees to bond with each other despite their
differences. --- Encourage team building activities
The ability of team members to work together, communicate
effectively, anticipate, and meet each other's demands, and
inspire confidence, resulting in a coordinated collective action.
--- Teamwork
While giving constructive feedback, make sure that staff is given
a chance to respond. You must be prepared to listen to their
concerns and their interpretation of events; it can also be used
as an opportunity for employees to express their ideas. --- True
Training sessions on greetings, business etiquette and dining
customs. This will help to bring awareness to dissolve any
tension and educate members on the prevalent cultural styles of
other team members. --- Create Cross Cultural Awareness
Program

This type of team are usually created after a company

experienced financial crisis or any unplanned events or
challenges. Its aim is to come up with proper solution to help
the company climb out of a steep recession. --- Problem
Solving Team

A group of people with different skills & task who work together
on a common project, service, or goal --- Team

Consider allowing people to work from home to help them

achieve a better work/life balance. --- Adopt Flexibility

Give every team member a chance to voice his or her opinions.

--- Promote Open Communication.