What does it take to work effectively across cultures? In today’s world, many businesspeople and organisations work across different cultures every day. With offices around the world, projects that cross borders or simply a diverse workforce, understanding how to work with people from different backgrounds, regions, countries or continents is becoming an ever more valuable skill.
By following RICS Recruit’s top ten tips for working across cultures, you will be able to approach these interactions a little differently.
1. Start with yourself
Before you start looking outward, look inward at your own ways of thinking and behaving. It’s important to understand the impact that your preconceptions and subconscious actions have on others. Take time to consider your responses to different situations instead of continuing to act unreflexively.
2. Be objective
Remember that all approaches to work have their own advantages and disadvantages. How can you use a different approach, such as collectivism or a focus on relationships, to the advantage of yourself or others in a different context? Be aware that your usual way of working may not be the best approach.
3. Be willing to adapt
A major challenge in working across cultures is that the world doesn’t stand still. An ability to adjust quickly to new circumstances is vital. Cultures change and adapt as they come into contact with others, and with the impact of ever-evolving technology. Tread carefully when you make assumptions about the people you’re working with and be willing to alter your perceptions based on experience.
4. Stay curious
Every culture views the world from a narrow perspective, seeing things in a certain frame. It is only by staying curious and being willing to learn that we expand our view of the world. A lack of interest can quickly be perceived as disrespectful or dismissive. Ask specific, open-ended questions and pay attention to the answers so you can demonstrate your willingness to learn.
5. When in doubt, ask
If you don’t understand something, or even if you only think you do, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. You may find that your assumptions were incorrect because you weren’t considering the other person’s perspective. For instance, certain words may not translate into other languages just as customs may not translate across cultures.
6. Empathise
It is hard to see the world through other people’s eyes, even in the same cultural setting. However, to collaborate properly, you need to try. Sit down with others to understand their approaches to aspects of business such as communication, decision-making and information sharing. You don’t necessarily need to agree, but it is worthwhile to take the steps towards understanding.
7. Be friendly
Relationship building is important in many cultures, making it critical to be liked and trusted as an individual. Make an effort to get to know people on a personal level. It may sound simple, but avoid being cynical or abrasive. Success in other cultures can often be about no more than being liked.
8. Patience is a virtue
Don’t expect to learn, or produce results, as quickly as you usually would. It is easy to get frustrated when things aren’t moving as fast as we’d like, but this leads to burn-out, ultimately meaning that we retreat back into our own culture as a comfort zone. Give talent more time to shine in new cultural situations.
9. Use your perceptiveness
Without the ability to identify differences and similarities between people, cross-cultural working will fail. Go into these relationships with your eyes open and ready to see the differences between cultures. Without perception, you can’t adapt.
10. Find your resilience
Finally, crossing cultural borders can be exhausting. Being alert the whole time to a different culture takes a lot of concentration and energy. A good sense of humour can help you to get through difficult times and achieve success.
Are you thinking of working abroad? RICS Recruit is global, so see what opportunities we have available around the world.
One of the most severe flaws of organizations is their failure to recognize the relevance of cultural awareness in company operations. It is incorrect to believe that culture has minimal impact on an organization's performance. Individuals are defined by their attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral patterns, referred to as culture. Cultural differences are one of the significant aspects that firms are concerned about in today's corporate world.
Culture affects various things because it determines how an individual or a group behaves. In this post, we'll look at culture and why it's essential to understand different groups.
Realizing why it is so vital is the first step, as it is with any comprehension.
Understanding Culture will Enable you to Build Relationships with Customers on a Deeper Level
People's purchase decisions ultimately get influenced by their surroundings and values. As a result, before developing new products or services in other countries or areas, it is critical to research the target market. Consider things like the role of gender in the culture, how they make decisions, and what they value most. Knowing what inspires them will set you apart from the competition and allow you to reach customers more effectively.
Nurture Better Stakeholder Relationships by Understanding the Culture
If you have investors or deal with suppliers from other nations (as most businesses do), you understand the importance of maintaining a positive connection with them. If your organization relies on stakeholder funds or international suppliers, you should learn as much as you can about how they operate. After all, your business could be worthless if you don't have them.
Different countries have different business practices. Western cultures, for instance, are more casual, with corporate leaders addressing one other by their first names. It is frowned upon in places such as Japan because it shows disdain. It's critical to be aware of the variances because they may receive your message differently than you intended.
Organizational Decision Making Requires Cultural Understanding
Making company-wide decisions without taking cultural difficulties into account might be disastrous. If the decision affects your entire company, think about all aspects that will influence the decision's success.
When making company-wide decisions like deploying a time tracker to track work, for example, it's critical to examine how the decision may affect specific employees. Some cultures may see it as a violation of privacy, while others may see it as a fantastic endeavor to inspire them. Because of poor decision-making, causing a schism in the organization will foster a negative workplace culture and, as a result, reduced productivity.
To Create a Positive Workplace Culture, You Must First Understand Cultural Diversity
To put it another way, involved parties benefit from understanding varied cultural backgrounds. Promoting diversity and enacting policies that encourage it will inevitably result in a healthy work environment. There has already been a lot of research done on why workplace culture is so influential; the first step is to understand why it is so vital.
How does one understand culture?
Interacting with people from different cultures allows you to learn about their struggles and community customs. You also get the opportunity to reconsider any preconceptions you may have about your habits and daily life. Such knowledge helps you grow as a person while also allowing you to learn more about your culture.
There are a variety of ways to learn about other ethnic groups. You can, for example, undertake research or question your friends about their cultural standards on various social media sites. Remember that practical approaches such as traveling and camping can help you better comprehend multiple cultures.
Here are a few of the most successful methods for learning about different cultures.
- Learn a Native Language
Knowing a native dialect allows you to interact and engage with individuals from various cultures effectively. Cultural competency is another name for this capacity. Learning new words and phrases is an easy way to strengthen your bonds with others.
- Differentiate your Reading Methods
Instead of reading novels written by individuals you relate with, make it a habit to read books published by people of diverse cultures.
- Comprehensive Knowledge of Geography and Economic Habits
Any country's economy and geography are intertwined and interdependent. You can start by putting in place the following.
- What are this culture's trading customs? Do they rely on trade or cash?
- Are there any materials available to the culture?
- Is the culture known for its exports? What do they primarily export if they do?
- What part do these elements play in their cultural ideas and practices?
- Interact with people from many different cultures
It is one of the best methods to learn about and comprehend other cultures. Going to international camps is one method to accomplish this. Attending these camps has the benefit of introducing you to people from various countries and races. You not only learn about another culture, but you also pass on your own.
What are the benefits of knowing about other cultures?
People worldwide are quickly discovering the value of learning, understanding, and embracing different cultures in today's ever-changing world. Why is this required? It is crucial in the development of communities that excel in problem-solving and improving a variety of situations. Let's talk about the advantages of knowing diverse cultures.
- You get a better understanding of the world
People from various cultures populate the globe. Exposure to diverse cultures, if possible, helps you welcome and respect people who are different from you. Furthermore, the more your children engage with youngsters from various cultures, the more regard and importance they place on them.
- Reduce the number of stereotypes
Your children will be less prone to categorize people based on stereotypes if they know about people and their many cultures. Remember that everyone is unique, and one should not use one person's actions to label an entire society.
- Aids in the prevention of ethnic and racial separation
Ethnic and ethnic divisions have the potential to harm society. It could, for example, result in a lack of chances, misunderstandings, and, in the worst-case scenario, violence. Ethnic and racial rivalries frequently deplete both human and financial resources in regions. These vices divert attention away from the need for communities to find concrete answers to their burgeoning problems.
- Effective communication is improved
The importance of language in human interaction cannot get overstated. It is, however, not the sole component that contributes to good communication. Understanding diverse cultures can help you communicate more effectively in a variety of ways. For example, figurative language, pace, and presentation can all get influenced by cultural factors.
Culture has an impact on how people express themselves through gestures and body language. Meeting and connecting with others allows you to broaden your communication and gain a new view of the world.
Bottom Line
Organizations worldwide focus on identifying possibilities and enhancing performance in globalization as the world moves towards a new age. Managers should consider the need to know cultural diversity to have effective communication.
There are many different cultures, traditions, beliefs, and norms in the world. Children get better prepared to face the world if they get taught to be culturally aware and courteous of others.
It's a great approach to teach kids that what they're used to may not always be the best option.