Today, due to globalization and the dynamic nature of societies around the world, a diverse and inclusive workforce is the norm for many businesses. As well as the driving force in creating and executing new services, products, and business strategies. There is no doubt that a diverse and inclusive workforce is a competitive advantage for every business today; yet, they frequently tend to encounter difficulties in working together towards a common direction and align to set actions.
Let’s observed how to handle the challenges that diverse and inclusive workforce can bring to our organizations and the elements that have proven to be crucial in helping global teams reach their highest levels of performance and achievement.
Diversity is a crucial purpose when we are building teams. It is also one of the employment solutions that promote progress in a company. Even more, diversity when well managed can be among the strongest factors that favor success in any business.
To support diversity, an organization should be fully committed to the process required to build multicultural teams and be ready to invest the essential resources for promoting workforce growth, innovation, and creativity.
In the end, both parties will highly benefit from multicultural teams. In that, companies get to improve their ROI (return on investment), while employees have the opportunity to share their unique know-how as well as cultural backgrounds strengths. Thus, they get to grow and expand their horizons.
Just like any other team, multicultural teams need:
- Time and room to allow for the members to get to know each other, perhaps experiment, and built trust. Consequently, to consent for the diversity of thoughts, it is crucial for multicultural teams in any organization to strike a balance between the development of original ideas and the use of trustworthy (cultural) practices.
- Commitment to the process and the team members’ willingness to work beyond their comfort zones will go a long way. And in so doing, a team will offer each member the chance to share their personal and professional expertise. Thus be acknowledged and valued for what they bring to the table.
Thus, to support and obtain the most benefit from any multicultural team it is necessary to practice a very distinct and necessary skill set that only global leadership possesses. Without global leadership and the required intercultural training, multicultural teams may have difficulty becoming innovative, productive and cohesive units.
Keep in mind no one can achieve something meaningful by itself. Likewise, thanks to globalization, a multicultural team can be a rewarding experience in terms of growth and innovation. More so when you consider how the different backgrounds in a team, bring in their strengths and different perspectives for a common goal.
Global leadership competencies The first step is enhancing the understanding of cultural differences to minimize misunderstandings and maximize productivity, results, and success.
Followed by the understanding and practice of the elements of the Global Team Effectiveness Model ® which have proven to be a key factor when helping global teams reach their highest levels of performance and achieve their set goals.
These elements are:
- Cultural Diversity
- Team Foundations
- Conflict Resolution
- Team Process
- Team Performance
- Virtual Communication
- Team Meetings
You will find a more in-depth exploration of each element in my blog and in our YouTube channel.
By working on diverse teams, you will be setting the foundation for success. Also, it is considered as the cornerstone of any organization. If you and your team are ready to determine the effectiveness of the team and gather feedback to improve their performance we can help you! Learn more about our solutions for Global Teams.
Question: How can you improve effectiveness in a multicultural team?