Managing teams remotely has been a test for us all in 2020. Communication can be challenging at the best of times, but video conferencing means much of the simple human interaction we once took for granted is pretty much lost.

Recognising cultural nuances can help us understand the dynamics of group communication – all the more important in our new remote working world.

Here are 3 cultural differences you might not realise are festering into rifts within your team. 

Why does a team member continually say ‘I’ instead of the seemingly more inclusive ‘we’? 

Thinking that this person is not inclusive or demonstrating true leadership or team spirit is a mistake. This behaviour can be driven by a cultural value that views identity on a scale of individualism versus collectivism. People who identify with individualistic cultures tend to prefer personal goals and stress personal freedom, so will predominantly speak from the ‘I’ perspective. In contrast, those whose orientation leans more towards collectivism will see themselves in context of a group of people, and tend to use ‘we’ to focus on group goals.

Why do some people get straight down to business compared to others who prefer casual banter to open a meeting? 

This relates to the cultural value of achievement – cooperative verses competitive. Competitive cultures tend to prioritise tasks over relationships, whereas the opposite is true of cooperative cultures that prefer to collaborate with others. That said, regardless of orientation on this value spectrum, outcome achievement is equally important for both cultures. The leaning merely highlights a difference in style as to how goals are accomplished.

Why do some colleagues tend to dominate a meeting whereas others hold back, despite being asked to participant more actively? 

We can look to the cultural value of authority – high power distance versus low power distance – to understand this. People who belong to high power distance cultures are respectful of hierarchy and those in positions of power. They will tend not to speak up openly in a group situation, especially where seniors are present. They may also be reluctant to make decisions autonomously, awaiting directives from those in senior roles. People who tend towards a low power distance culture are more likely to voice opinions freely and challenge the status quo. 

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The reality is that there’s no right or wrong, cultural value preferences merely are as they are.  When someone’s behaviour differs to our own though, it can appear strange or even unacceptable. Cultural intelligence fosters the ability to determine when someone’s behaviour is driven by culture or personality. So, if any of this sounds familiar it could be time to deep dive into the cultural drivers that have potential to cause misunderstanding in the workplace.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Start by simply facilitating a dialogue with your team to determine where individuals sit on the continuum along these 3 cultural values.  This cultivates a better understanding about where and how people might need to adjust their behaviour to build stronger connection and be more personally effective.

Better still, facilitate a cultural diversity mapping exercise with your team to uncover individual preferences along 10 cultural values that impact the way we engage with others.

 Want to understand your cultural value orientation?  Or are you looking to bridge cultural value diversity for your team?