At the end of a workshop about cultural preferences in the workplace, a team leader in a global pharmaceutical company told me: “I operate with an open-door policy,” and confessed that he sought to keep an open, democratic approach for everyone on his team. However, he was disappointed that some team members rarely took the initiative to speak with him about an idea or provide an innovative point of view. I wasn’t surprised, however, since it was raising a question I’ve often dealt with.
When we’re trying to attract, motivate, and retain a diverse workforce with varying styles of conflict or decision-making, is it the leader’s or the employee’s job to meet the other person in the middle?
The short answer is that flexing is a mutual responsibility. However, in their desire to treat people equally or because of time constraints, leaders often miss out on the individual needs and cultural preferences of their workers.
I’ve worked for years helping organizations close the culture gap of diverse teams and I’ve seen how employees are twisting themselves into different shapes to adapt to the non-dominant culture of the organization while also navigating biases around their cultural identity.
Multicultural teams are here to stay, and learning to work effectively across our differences produces better performance, fosters a sense of belonging, and catalyzes innovation. If you’re managing people across borders, you’ll find they may resolve conflict differently, or prefer a more (or less) structured way of getting things done, for example.
Managers, especially first-time managers, are not always aware that non-dominant culture employees may operate from a different script until they actively work on their cultural fluency skills.
Interestingly, since managers tend to have a better handle on the dynamics of the organization, it is helpful when they take the initiative and set the tone. It’s simple to state but this adaptive competency takes practice and intention to implement. It helps to understand there are many styles of communication and that one is not better than another. All leaders need to maintain an adaptive mindset, especially with workers who are different from themselves.
Here are three tips for meeting your employee in the middle.
Take the time to discover the cultural preferences of your team members
Begin each update or dialog with curiosity rather than judgment when you see an approach you don’t like or don’t quite understand. Try incorporating their preferences into how you motivate your team members in future interactions. These three pre-engagement questions can help get you started:
- What is their thought process?
- How will I best connect?
- How do I demonstrate curiosity about their point of view?
Incorporate proactive one-on-ones
A critical component of development is having regular manager-to-employee conversations to help them know how the manager views their work product. This allows an opportunity for the individual to pivot if necessary. Inform your talent with quick everyday check-ins so that you’re getting and giving feedback. And be clear in your expectations.
Try a different approach for getting your team’s input
Simply making a statement like “my door is always open” doesn’t work for everyone, especially if you’re working with people who have been socialized to see leaders as the ones who should make the call. They may expect clear direction from you and feel uncomfortable crossing the line to initiate a point of view.
One of my clients who grew up in China said it took her a few years to feel comfortable saying, “I disagree.” Introduce this with your employees one-on-one while creating an environment that makes it clear that it’s okay for your team members to challenge an idea. Not everyone feels comfortable approaching the boss, especially if they disagree.
Some employees need to be encouraged to share their point of view with psychological safety, especially if they’ve worked for managers who did not allow this.
In a turbulent climate where senior leaders are distracted by the ups and downs of the economy, you have a unique opportunity to provide direction and nurture growth in your employees. To do this well, it’s important to understand that your employees’ interaction preferences can vary across cultures. Meeting regularly with your team provides multiple opportunities to bring their point of view.
Meeting your employees in the middle might make the difference between their full engagement or having one foot out the door.
