The rise of multicultural teams: how to ensure they are successful

Whether you are overseeing or are part of an international team, harnessing the advantages of such an environment has huge benefits not only for the enterprise, but also for the individual members of the team. Multicultural teams are spaces where unique skillsets come together, creating a wide pool of knowledge and expertise. According to a McKinsey report, companies with high cultural diversity are 36% more profitable than those with less diversity. Moreover, Deloitte found that working in a diverse environment significantly enhances individual creativity.

What can you do to ensure that your multicultural team is a powerhouse of success?

Embrace diversity…

Each team member brings to the table distinctive elements of their personality, experience, learned attitudes and behaviours. This becomes even more prominent in culturally diverse environments. Recognising and respecting these differences between team members is key to a successful cross-cultural collaboration.

Moreover, being accepting of the other members as well as staying open-minded and curious is the first step towards building a successful diverse team.

… but also provide a clear corporate framework

Employees of different backgrounds may have different views on various aspects of the work or the organisation, for example the notion of hierarchy, the role/involvement of management, or the balance between the formal and the informal in the workspace.

To fully reap the rewards of a multicultural work setting, it is important to establish some ground rules regarding the fundamental elements of the organisation. With such a reference system firmly in place, the team will be able to focus on more creative work, without expending their energy on procedural minutiae or potential misunderstandings arising from cultural gaps.

Establish common ground, especially in the virtual world

Diverse teams that are brought together remotely via digital platforms like Skype or Zoom should be aware that they must display a higher level of flexibility than homogenous teams meeting face to face. This is because they have to negotiate issues such as the times they will meet and the tasks they will prioritise, taking into consideration factors like different time zones, cultural constraints, and the gravity of specific situations on a local level.

Finally, take a light-hearted approach

Working alongside people of different cultures and backgrounds is bound to lead to awkward moments at some point. If you find yourself ‘lost in translation’ or realise that you have inadvertently committed a cultural faux pas, don’t beat yourself up over it. Rather be open about it, allowing yourself to learn from the other person(s) and letting the situation serve as a valuable lesson for the future.

Thinking of pursuing a multi-cultural work experience? Read our article on The invaluable benefits of international work exchange programmes.

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