WORKING WITH A MULTI-CULTURAL TEAM

Operating in a foreign country or business culture, you might face several challenges yourself when dealing with the differences. As well, the many other conflicts that arise between your team’s and headquarters’ relationship need to be reconciled by you.

Let’s consider a complex scenario. You are from a western business culture with the following business tendencies:

• Rules are more important than relationships.

• Your management style is very specific.

• You are impartial and unemotional when it comes to work.

• You want to do one thing at a time, with strict deadlines.

• You want to plan and do not want to change your plans unless absolutely necessary.

• You value people based only on their achievements, not on their backgrounds or relationships.

• You like to receive opinions but make the final decisions on your own.

• All your subordinate team members and clients are Turkish with the following tendencies and expectations:

• They expect you to respect relationships and re-evaluate the rules when necessary.

• They want a diffuse relationship with you, just like a father or mother who cares not only for business results, but also for them as people.

• They want you to show your emotions as you are part of the team.

• They can perform several tasks at a time if provided with a priority list.

• They respect age, family and background as well as achievements.

• They want someone to protect them as a group.

• Let’s think positively. With a good inter-cultural business relationship workplace and having worked in many other countries, you have developed a respect for and understanding of the local attributes. You manage your team and clients by preventing or resolving conflicts when they occur. Unfortunately, as a General Manager, your problems do not end even if you are able to do all this.

What about the relationships your colleagues have with people at headquarters? You are not the only one who has to communicate, convince and achieve results. Do you know how many conversations take place daily between your team and headquarters? Do you know how many misunderstandings, misperceptions and conflicts take place, and which in turn have financial implications?

This communication is in four different forms when you are not present:

a. Emails

b. Telephone calls

c. Video conference

d. Personal visits

If one of the parties is not communicating in their own language, telephone conversations are the worst way to understand each other. Even the tone of the voice differs from culture to culture. Emails, although generally better than telephone calls, can be a great source of misunderstanding, especially when copied to a zillion other people. Losing “e-face” is more important for some cultures than others. Especially in Turkey, video conferences and personal visits can be less harmful. Hospitality is the biggest asset every Turk still has. The impression of being a good host can put a veil on some of the irritations that might arise because of cultural differences.

The best way to handle all these issues is to attend a Cross-cultural Business Workshop with your team. If you and your team are made aware of the main differences and how to resolve them, you can prevent both your own problems and problems when you are not around.