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Walk into any organization today and you will see cultural differences. Organizations are becoming complex, culturally mixed ‘salads’ as they respond to forces of globalization, technological evolution (digitalization and virtualization), and significant demographic shifts including migration. Everyone working in any type or size of firm-at any level and within every relationship-must know how to communicate, collaborate, and connect with others who are culturally unlike themselves.
First of all, be conscious, observant, appreciative and accepting
People who are self-aware and conscious of their own values, beliefs, bias, judgments, and behaviors will be able to better understand themselves, and be able to seek out relations and collaborate with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Don’t forget that everyone is like a fingerprint –individual but connected in the same way
People around the globe are both similar and different. People in all cultures recognize basic values that are tied to emotion such as self-direction and security. People from different national cultures respond differently to things such as the distribution of roles between genders and the degree to which they are threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations.
Create a value system and write it into the cultural fabric of the company
Values are complex, yet they underlie all the choices and decisions people make at work and in life. Cross culturally competent organizations harmonize and align personal, organizational, and national values and use these as a source of competitive and cooperative advantage.
Master the ‘hidden language of communication’
All communication is culture based. Mastering the language of context, time, space, agreements, and generating empathy as well as friendship is needed to become a master communicator in culturally-diverse relationships and teams.
Remember that conflict is not failure
Because people and organizations differ, conflict too is a part of life. Intercultural negotiation is used every day, by everyone and everywhere, to resolve differences, build relationships, and reach agreements. Adept negotiators understand that the attitudes, styles, and behaviors of negotiation differ across cultures.
Get used to wearing different ‘hats’
Leaders and managers are able to skillfully manage multicultural teams and to inspire and motivate people. They know which ‘hat’ to wear-leader, manager, mentor, or coach-when working with people in diverse environments.
Don’t be afraid to evolve and learn
Cross cultural competence is an evolution, a journey with no end point. People who remain curious, seek out cross cultural experiences, and meaningfully connect with others who are different will thrive and co-create culturally supportive work environments.
Kristine Marin Kawamura, PhD
Professor of Management
For more information and methods to develop cross cultural competence in organizations and people, please see Cross Cultural Competence: A Field Guide for Developing Global Leaders and Managers by Simon L. Dolan and Kristine Marin Kawamura, from Emerald Group Publishing.
www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/tk/CrossCulturalCompetence
