Criss-cross cultural collage
BEING `Inter-cultural savvy' is the success mantra for the new age manager. Globalisation has arrived, what with the advent of outsourcing of services across the globe. India is host to diverse enterprises in the fields of IT and ITES. One never knows when one might land a job where there is need to interact with people belonging to different cultures. Within the nation too, regional barriers are getting blurred due to cross migration of people. With the mushrooming of IT hubs and techno-towns, commonalities converge on skills and not any other factors. This setting is however more prone to communication troubles. More often than not, one can't pinpoint the cause behind such troubles. The upside being that a manager who can handle this situation can work and deal with people anywhere in the world! With technology effacing man- made barriers, it's time to do away with the mental ones too.
Importance of direct contact
If you are a manager handling a team that comprises people of various cultural backgrounds, do not make the mistake of segregating them to avoid communication trouble. Rather, it's advisable to facilitate more and more direct contacts between the team members, both in formal as well as informal settings. Such contacts enable one to know the other person as an individual and not just as a representative of a particular culture, region, etc. Psychologists say such an interaction helps break the stereotypical moulds that may be deeply entrenched in our psyche. Similarly, if you are part of the team working under a management that comes from a different cultural setting, do not shirk interaction with them.
Check yourself for bias
Cognitive errors are an outcome of our preconceived notions regarding certain traits of people. A stereotype comes to our mind the moment we get to know a factual truth about a person's background; this is true for culture, nationality, gender, etc. Meeting a person and getting to know them better can help change the picture. In fact, according to psychologists, the biased perception in cases where the stereotype is deeply set is almost immediate. In this case, your demeanour could be influenced without you being aware of it. Look for any deep-seated bias that you feel could be hindering communication process with your team or your superiors. Nothing can make you look worse in a culturally diverse environment than being biased. You will also not be able to carry on for too long if that is the case. One can begin by taking the following steps:
Look for similarities - Similar interests in terms of hobbies, favourite actor or actresses or music can bring you closer to others
Avoid generalisations - This is a cognitive error that may happen unknowingly. One must make a conscious effort to overcome this
Adopt culture - Go in for neutral communication strategies and language. For example, if you plan using some icebreaker activities, take care that nobody gets left out. Talk of experiences and events where each one of the team members can participate
Shared challenges - Opt for activities that are based on team groupings and shared challenges. This will help the group magically transcend any kind of dissimilarities. Shared goals can bring diverse groups closer. Outdoor teambuilding activities or formation of teams for carrying out projects should help a lot
Right approach - Be inclusive in your approach to avoid any misunderstandings. Divulging information, which is relevant for the team, to one particular individual might send out the wrong signals
Right attitude - Aim for a change in attitude if the present one is hindering you from adjusting to a culturally diverse environment. Remember, there are more variations within a group than between groups. Moreover, a dynamic interaction with people belonging to different cultures offers you great scope for personal development
Equality - Avoid hasty judgments and maintain equality in appraisals and review meetings
Politeness - Finally, remember that politeness and charm win hearts across cultures. Practice it to perfection.
A surprising fact, vouched for by psychologists, is that we could be oblivious to the discrepancy between our own attitudes and related behaviours. More often, there is no correlation between attitude that is expressed or held and the related behaviour. A communication trouble with others leads us to challenge our own beliefs, causing dissonance. Accepting and correcting it will go a long way in promoting communication at workplace. And that is true for both the employee and the employer.
DEEPSHIKA MEHTA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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