You are colleagues. In a multinational team. Experiencing cultural differences. You can address those differences in an honest, open, straightforward manner. By taking the following three steps:
1. Learn
Read/Reflect
Specific to the topic you have selected read and reflect on UC’s analysis. Be sure to look at the Patterns. They contain examples that illustrate how the two countries think and work.
2. Discuss
First Conversation
Specific to the selected topic, identify those differences which are exerting the most influence on cross-border collaboration. This is a conversation with yourself. Focus on what is not working. Share those differences with your colleagues from the same-country. They will do the same with you. Your colleagues from the other-countries will do the same on their side.
Second Conversation
Reflect on the differences submitted by your same-country colleagues. Then meet as same-country group. Discuss the influence of those differences on your collaboration. Decide which differences should be discussed with your colleagues from the other-countries. Then share those differences with them. They will do the same with you.
Third Conversation
Reflect on the differences submitted by your colleagues from the other-countries. Then meet as an all-countries group. The entire team. Discuss the influence of cultural differences on your collaboration. You are deepening your understanding of each other. About how you think. About how you work.
3. Apply
First Conversation
Specific to the selected topic, reflect on the current state of collaboration. This is a conversation with yourself. Recommend how the countries involved can better collaborate. Share those recommendations with your colleagues from the same-country. They will do the same with you. And your colleagues from the other-countries will do the same on their side.
Second Conversation
Reflect on the recommendations submitted by your same-country colleagues. Then meet as same-country group. Discuss the submitted recommendations. Decide which of them should be discussed with your colleagues from the other-countries. Then share those recommendations with them. They will do the same with you.
Third Conversation
Reflect on the recommendations submitted by your colleagues from the other-countries. Then meet as all-countries group. Again, the entire team. Discuss the recommendations submitted. Decide which of them should be implemented. Now implement, monitor, and improve.
Back to Exercises.
