Managing a Multi-Cultural Team

Achieving Results with a Diverse Workgroup

“In our team of many nationalities we all speak the same language, so communicating is not really a problem. And yet it is so hard to really work as a team.”

“We recruit from all over the world. How do we get people to think and act together?”

“Some people seem much harder to motivate and others will not stick to agreed deadlines.”

Purpose

Technical expertise knows no international boundaries. Professionals increasingly migrate across the world to live and work in new cultures / countries. Multicultural communities are increasingly evident in most countries and many companies. Often the minority cultures are accepted but not understood.

This course will help managers who have several people from other cultures in their team to get the best from each person. If you have short or long term migrant staff or international assignees, this course is for you. As a result you will be able to :

  • Understand culturally different attitudes to Power, Authority and Status - and how to exercise them effectively
  • Build teams that work
  • Combine different approaches to decision-making
  • Notice differences in communication style - and know how to get your message across
  • Take advantage of the many differences in the team to achieve even greater performance.

What do we mean by Culture?

Even in this cosmopolitan world we grow up immersed in the (unspoken) rules and values of our native country. These affect our perceptions, judgements, motivation and behaviour patterns. In this workshop, through consideration of culture we get beneath the surface of forms of behaviour to begin to understand how other people think. As a result we are more able to reconcile the differences by taking the other person’s viewpoint into account as we express our ideas and desires. This course is not simply a set of social Do’s and Don’ts. It will help you to understand the basis for behaviour – and enable you to act accordingly.

Who should attend?

Managers, Team Leaders and Consultants who are trying to get the best from multi-cultural work groups; as well as anyone frustrated by the work performance of “foreigners”, or interested in what makes different people tick.

You will learn to:

Manage people successfully across cultural differences

Mange projects to get results reliably

Motivate, appraise and reward in ways that work

Understand the impact of culture on behaviour

Recognise cultural differences and avoid surprises

Build stronger relationships with your colleagues

Content

Understanding Culture

  • The roots of influence
  • Effect of informal education on behaviour
  • Effects on management decisions
  • Value and dangers of stereotyping
  • The CRATUS Model of culture

Power in the Structure

  • Nature and location of authority
  • Status symbols and sources
  • Decision-making processes

Motivation

  • Differences in motivation factors
  • Getting involvement and commitment
  • Rewards and recognition
  • Accountability

Management Style

  • Leadership strategies
  • Direction or collaboration
  • Communication - what and how
  • Risk-taking and initiative

Project Management

  • Agreements and the paper they are not written on
  • Gaining commitment
  • Ensuring progress
  • Managing contract creep

Time Management

  • Priorities differ
  • Use of time
  • Perspectives on time