MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR Greater PROJECT SUCCESS

The global economy means that increasingly project teams contain a variety of nationalities and hence, different beliefs and customs. Raising team productivity can often be a matter of awareness and adaptation for everyone on the team. Is your “cultural IQ” helping you increase project success?

The richness of a culturally diverse workforce is its differences of ideas, methods, motivations and competencies, but these differences sometimes present opportunities for misunderstandings and cultural blunders.

A recent Harvard Business Review article calls for managers to learn to become comfortable with diversity tension—the stress and strain that accompanies mixtures of differences and similarities—and to use it as a creative force, rather than trying to minimize this tension. The article goes on to say that “leaders who prepare and empower their employees to understand others without judging, to be requirement-driven, and to be comfortable with diversity tension are more productive and successful.”

Here are some general guidelines to remember in working with foreign-born team members, onshore and offshore, which can help bring out the best talents of everyone.

• Become mindful of your own cultural imprinting. It can help us from unconsciously projecting our values, beliefs, and culture onto others, which can lead to misunderstandings and wrong assumptions.
• Take time to bridge cultural gaps by developing rapport and trust. Don’t be afraid to ask about the origin of someone’s name, their homeland or customs. Genuine interest is usually welcomed and it can be the opening for mutual learning and relationship.
• Understand there are differences in cultural work styles so be explicit in discussing your expectations. For example, some cultures place more value on strictly following procedures and processes ahead of meeting deadlines, which might result in some workers not automatically adjusting their procedure to meet a deadline. Pay attention and adapt to work style differences – preferences for formal vs. informal, communication styles (written, oral, text, email video-conferencing, etc), and motivations. Accept that there are many different methods, positions, and styles which people can use to accomplish goals and directives.
• Cultivate an inclusive work environment where people feel welcomed and valued for sharing opinions and skills; where it is safe to say “no” and to make mistakes without fear of repercussions. Fear can be heightened for those who hold visas and may face deportation from losing a job. Customs around respect for others, especially persons in authority, may result in such workers not speaking a dissenting view, having difficulty disagreeing or placing judgment on the boss, the process, or their co-workers. Depersonalize requests by having an individual or team present their findings as a job function, rather than expecting an individual to informally comment on how things are done. When ideas are shared, be sure to give credit where it due.
• Be tactful, supportive, and offer positive reinforcement. Feedback about an individual’s ideas or work should always be done respectfully and constructively, without damaging the person’s self esteem. Reinforce desired behavior with praise and genuine appreciation.
• Major holidays and festivals are important to every culture. Efforts to respect requests for time off to observe such holidays will be appreciated.

For any expatriate, the pace, pressure and protocol of living and working in a new country can be overwhelming. Those new to the U.S. can experience tremendous homesickness for loved ones and familiar customs. Navigating the new culture, managing logistics such as housing, transportation and interfacing with immigration laws can be difficult and stressful, so take that into account when engaging new team members.

The rewards of navigating the cultural differences effectively will benefit your project, broaden your resume, and likely enrich your personal experience.

For more suggestions on managing cultural diversity, refer to some of the sources for this article.

Mirror Image: Know Your Own Culture to Understand Others
Motivating Employees from Other Cultures
Cultural Sensitivity at Work
The Challenges of Being Different

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