Leading teams: From Driving Culture to Culture Driven.

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In the dynamic world of leadership, steering through the nuances of international teamwork involves more than just business strategies.

Imagine driving through the diverse landscapes of China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, the United States, the United Kingdom, Fracne, Italy, Germany, and the list goes on.

Each country brings its unique driving culture to the road, and surprisingly, these driving behaviours offer valuable insights for those managing international teams.

Throughout my career, I have managed and worked with teams with various cultural backgrounds from the countries I listed above. Recognizing the impact of culture on team dynamics is crucial. Failing to comprehend these cultural nuances can lead to misjudgments in evaluating team performance, understanding how to inspire the team to go the extra mile, or even in everyday communication.

Driving behaviour at a glance

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There is always good and bad driver in every country, here I would like to explore a more generalised observation of different driving behaviours in different countries and see if we can draw any insight between driving and team culture.

Recognising driving style as a cultural aspect aids in shaping business and team approaches tailored to specific markets and backgrounds.

To start with, like many of us, I asked ChatGPT :) to give me the driving culture in various countries, I further summarised the findings under each country below and see if I can link back to my study and observation.

ChatGPT : “The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) is a widely used instrument for measuring driving behaviours [1].

• China: High adherence to traffic rules and collective driving behaviour. Fast-paced driving reflects a rapidly evolving economy.
• India: Varied driving styles, influenced by a diverse and dynamic culture.
• Hong Kong: Fast-paced, efficient and disciplined driving, influenced by both Chinese and Western cultures. Relatively low accident rates, reflecting disciplined driving habits.
• Singapore: Strict adherence to traffic rules, reflecting a disciplined and organized society. High road safety, reflecting disciplined and organized driving.
• Japan: Polite and disciplined driving, reflecting cultural values. Courteous and considerate driving, emphasising social harmony as a priority. Low accident rates due to disciplined driving.
• Korea: Emphasis on speed and efficiency, influenced by a competitive society.
• USA: Individualistic driving culture with a focus on personal freedom. Varied safety records, influenced by a diverse driving culture.
• France: Tolerant attitude towards traffic violations, reflecting a more relaxed culture.
• UK: Strict adherence to traffic rules, characterized by organized driving.
• Italy: Aggressive driving style, indicative of a more expressive culture. Higher accident rates reflect a more expressive driving style.
• Germany: Efficient and disciplined driving, mirroring the country’s work ethic.

”

When it comes to team management across different cultures

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As I illustrate how team management strategies vary based on diverse backgrounds, it becomes obvious that my perspective is not merely subjective. It’s crucial to identify the advantages and drawbacks of each cultural approach in team management and understand their impact on team dynamics. This comprehensive understanding ensures the team operates cohesively and effectively.

• China: Emphasis on teamwork and collective decision-making in a hierarchical structure. Fast pacing and prefer faster decision making and correct mistakes and improve along the way.
• India: Diverse team dynamics, influenced by a mix of cultural backgrounds.
• Hong Kong: Fast-paced and efficient teamwork, mix of Chinese and Western culture and background with flexibility and understanding of how to facilitate when East meet West (or vice versa).
• Singapore: Structured and disciplined team management, reflecting an organized society. A mix of Western and South-East Asia culture making them very diversified and efficient in communication.
• Japan: Polite and disciplined team interactions, reflecting cultural values. Show respect and understanding of their culture goes a long way.
• Korea: Priority on speed and efficiency in team processes, influenced by a competitive society. Fast decision-making is crucial and provides various options in different situations. Why does Samsung Mobile have so many models and can launch new models in a short period?
• USA: Individualistic team culture with a focus on personal contributions. Pay attention to their individual value and recognition to one’s contribution is important.
• France: Tolerant approach to diverse opinions, reflecting a more relaxed team culture. I always like how they answer questions by saying “peutêtre (maybe)”. They exhibit beauty with diverse backgrounds, particularly evident in their approach to work-life balance and their appreciation for art and beauty.
• UK: Structured and organized team dynamics with a focus on following established protocols. Very diplomatic .
• Italy: Expressive and energetic team interactions, indicative of a vibrant culture.
• Germany: Efficient and disciplined team collaboration, mirroring the country’s work ethic. They are very organized and task-focused but also very diverse depending on which part of Germany one came from.

“

I’d prefer to stop here, allowing you room for reflection. These are over-generalized observations I know, each individual of your team will have one’s own personality. The list above is just to remind us to pay extra attention to culture-driven behaviours when managing our team.

Final words… about team communication

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Extended thoughts: I will challenge you to also think of using car horns as a metaphor for communication in different cultures and how understanding these cultures of car honking can profoundly impact your role as a leader in managing team communication with different cultures.

Have you ever wondered why team members remain silent during video calls while others engage non-stop? Is it a matter of confidence, culture, or both? Do some people find it rude to horn while some find it a necessity?

Thanks much for reading and wish you a nice day!

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