5 Tips on How To Lead a Multi-Cultural Team
I was recently given a wonderful opportunity: to lead a team of community managers from 5 different cultures. This experience is both rewarding and challenging. It comes with working at a company servicing migrants, whose values include diversity, equality and inclusion. People coming from diverse backgrounds and places of origin can offer a mix of skills, insights, and perspectives that lead to better creativity in problem solving and forward-thinking.
Here are 5 tips that I personally practice in order to keep my team motivated, goal-oriented, and conflict-free.
- Transparency builds trust
I always encourage my managers to stay transparent, whether they have a doctor’s appointment, a kid to pick up or if they are not feeling well — allowing them to keep a balance between their careers and their personal lives. Although this doesn’t happen overnight and it takes time, you need to give your team time to trust you. Having a team that trusts its lead person creates a solid foundation for the team.
2. Mindfully modifying my communication style
Having 5 siblings, I learned that one style or approach may work for one person, but not necessarily for another. This is the same when it comes to managing managers who come from different cultures and backgrounds. While some cultures value a direct and upfront approach, others do better with a more subtle approach and non-confrontational methods. Shifting one’s communication style is a skill that requires careful observation. Be sure to apply it appropriately.
3. Embrace the similarities yet respect the cultural differences.
Believe me, we have more similarities than differences. Yet, when it comes to cultural differences, we need to show respect. It is as simple as giving a gift or having a conversation. As I increase my cultural competency through my team, I learned not to give a bunch of flowers as a gift to one of my managers, nor talk about contemporary political conflicts in her country. When working with a multicultural team, it is best to focus on work and relationship-building, rather than topics that can create conflicts.
4. Involve your team in business decisions
Whether it’s marketing campaigns or other types of communications, I try to involve my team in proofreading, checking the appropriateness of wordings and matters relating to their market. Is it offensive? Is it neutral? Is the choice appropriate and relevant?
Involving and asking for their takeaways will avoid backlash and conflict that can potentially come from customers in their respective markets. Again, bringing their individual understanding and cultural knowledge leads to better problem solving, and more importantly, thoughtfulness.
5. Be clear with your own cultural profile.
Being confident and clear with your own cultural profile can influence one’s work, communication style, empathy, and action with your team. One can improve the overall performance of a team because of the leader’s authenticity to his or her own culture. Remember that we belong to the same tapestry interwoven together — it is called humanity.
It takes a lot to be a community manager at Rewire. Having the privilege of managing a ‘’multi-culti’’ team is challenging, yet, enriching. Multiculturalism could always work to your advantage if you master it. So, learn from it and grow with it. You will be surprised how your position as a leader can be a strategic advantage to impacting your team members and other teams as well.
