21 July 2012

Leading
a
multi-cultural
team
In organizations around the world…

Multi-cultural teams are serious business!

The agenda for the presentation

To understand the multicultural nature of organizations in a

globalized world

To zoom in on the team as a microcosm of multi-cultural

exchange

To look at the challenges of leading a multi-cultural team

Understanding the manager’s role in leveraging a multi-

cultural team to achieve results
Culture and globalization

An individual brings with himself a set of values, beliefs, customs,

perceptions and institutions. His upbringing, in a socio-economic
environment, with a certain way of doing things, assessing situations,
dealing with people, constitutes culture.

In a globalized world, where the environment necessitates working with

people from other countries and/or cultures, either virtually or in real time,
managing a culturally diverse team is both a science, and an art.
 Let’s zoom in on a team

The Arabs believe in The Japanese close

building relationships and their eyes while
prefer one-to-one meetings concentrating The Italians like their
business meetings
scheduled 2-3 weeks in
advance

The British prefer politeness

over directness in business
transactions
For Americans, a meeting is
called to discuss and take a
decision, there and then
For the Spanish, business is rarely
conducted in the first meeting since it
serves more as an icebreaker between
all of the attendants
Challenges in a multi-cultural team

Stereotype

Prejudice Discrimination
 Challenges in a multi-cultural team

PARAMETERS AFFECTED

Perception of
Inclusivity and competence of Dependability on Speed of Team
CHALLENGES membership team-members team-members execution Performance

Trouble with
language fluency
and accent
Differing
attitudes towardsMembers who aren’t fluent in the team’s dominant
hierarchy language may have difficulty communicating their
knowledge. This can prevent the team from using
their expertise and create frustration or perceptions
Direct vs. Indirect Team members from hierarchical cultures expect to
communication beof incompetence.
treated differently according to their status in the
organization. Members from egalitarian cultures do
Conflicting not.
SomeFailure
teamof members
some members use to honor explicit
direct, those
decision making expectations
communication can cause
while humiliation
others are or loss of stature
indirect, for
norms and credibility.
example, asking questions instead of pointing out
problems vary
Members withinahow
project. When
quickly they members see such
make decisions and
differences as violations of their
in how much analysis they require beforehand. culture’s
communication
Someone norms,making
who prefers relationships can suffer.
decisions quickly may
grow frustrated
*Managing Multi-cultural Teamswith those
– The who need
Essential Guidemore time.
to Leadership, HBR 2009 Publication
Strategies to overcome these challenges

An American engineer heading a team that INTERVENTION

MEANING WHEN TO USE IT
included Israelis was shocked by their in-your- TYPE
face, argumentative style. Once he noticed working with or Members are willing to
they confronted each other and not just around differences acknowledge cultural
him—and still worked well together—he Adaptation differences and figure out
An international research team’s leader
realized confrontations weren’t personal how to live with them.
realized that when he led meetings, members
attacks and accepted their style.
“shut down” because they felt intimidated by reorganizing to The team has obvious
his executive status. After he hired a Structural reduce friction subgroups, or members
A softwareto development
consultant team’s members
run future meetings, business
Intervention cling to negative
language was
participated English, but some members
more. stereotypes of one another.
spoke with pronounced accents. The manager
explained they’d been chosen for their task making final Rarely; for instance, a new
expertise, not fluency in English. And she Managerial decisions without team needs guidance
directed them to tell customers: “I realize I Intervention team involvement in establishing productive
have an accent. If you don’t understand what norms.
When twojustmembers
I’m saying, of ask
stop me and a questions.”
multicultural
consulting team couldn’t resolve their voluntary or Emotions are running high,
disagreement over how to approach involuntary removal and too much face has
Exit of a team member been lost on both sides to
problems, one member left the firm.
salvage the situation.

*Managing Multi-cultural Teams – The Essential Guide to Leadership, HBR 2009 Publication
As the leader-manager
of a multi-cultural team…

Learn about the cultural background of team-members

– especially check for the do’s and don’ts in that culture

Keep communication simple

– remember, the receiver’s first language may not be the same as yours

Communicate individual roles to team members stressing upon skills/competencies of

each
– make sure everyone’s area of expertise is known to the team

Hold regular one-to-one sessions with team members

– keep these sessions short and try to gauge the team-member’s
current engagement level

Discuss and resolve issues as they arise

– and encourage the team-members to raise issues without hesitation

Never lose sight of the team-goals in trying to manage a cross-cultural outfit

– set the performance expectations from the team up-front
Thank You

“Differences have to be identified, discussed and channeled,

rather than accommodated, absorbed or ignored.”
- Schneider & Barsoux, Managing Across Cultures (2003)

Presented by : Amandeep Grover

Email id : amandeep.grover@gmail.com
Contact no. : +91-9971004401

References:

1. Managing Across Cultures by Schneider & Barsoux, 2003 edition

2. Managing Multi-cultural Teams – The Essential Guide to Leadership, HBR 2009 Publication