Managers leading multicultural teams need to have special skills to leverage cultural differences, avoid conflicts, and improve employee productivity.

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Top Strategies for Managing
A Multicultural Team
Managers leading
multicultural teams need to
have special skills to
leverage cultural
differences, avoid conflicts,
and improve employee
productivity.
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Companies that do business globally have teams with members from different countries.
Managers need special skills to lead a multicultural team and leverage cultural differences.
Team meetings and meeting transcription are important tools to improve exchange of ideas
and productivity. However, managers in companies with multicultural teams face the
challenge of running meetings with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Managing a multicultural team would be easier with direct communication, but in today’s
global economy, most of the interactions take place through conference calls or email. Other
issues include difficulties with accents and fluency, conflicting attitudes toward hierarchy
and authority, and conflicting decision making norms. Consequently, managers need to be
mindful to avoid misunderstandings and breakdown in relationships, which could lead to
project failure. The following strategies can promote collaboration and high performance in
multicultural teams:
• Adapt: Flexibility is important in teamwork, but all the more significant when
working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. One of the keys to success is
to acknowledge and embrace cross-cultural differences openly and work around
them. To succeed with diverse teams, managers should adapt their leadership styles
and focus on bridging gaps.
• Communicate effectively: Face-to-face communication is undoubtedly the most
effective approach, but if this is not possible, pick up the phone. Speak with new
members on the phone instead of sending out emails. Organize proper modes of
communication such as video conference calls for strategic meetings or a platform
for document sharing. If you set up group chat, communicate clearly and keep the
conversation professional.
• Keep an open mind: When you run a meeting, keep an open mind as
communication styles differ across cultures. If people have difficulties with English,
be patient and wait till they find the right words to express themselves. It may be
even necessary to over-communicate, that is, send a detailed email to ensure that
discussions and action points are well understood. Being prepared for these cultural
differences can help avoid potential misunderstandings.
• Pay attention to nonverbal communication: Nonverbal communication includes
facial and hand gestures, tone and volume of voice, level of participation, dressing
style, etc. Remember that gestures have different meanings in different cultures.
When you’re communicating face to face, it’s important to be aware of what team
members from another culture consider positive or negative. For instance, in Japan

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and other Asian countries, people don’t make as much direct eye contact as people
in the West do.
• Understand how culture affects motivation: People from different cultures have
different values. Managers need to understand what motivates their employees from
different backgrounds and culture. For instance, employees from some cultures may
be motivated by working conditions and high remuneration, while those from other
cultures may be motivated autonomy or by praise and appreciation for their efforts
at work. Managers need to explain their expectations while customizing their
management approach to deal with cultural differences.
• Avoid cultural bias: Managers need to avoid bias when dealing with and assessing
employees from different cultural backgrounds. In a Forbes article,
seasoned coach and therapist, Dr. Carmen Bolano points out that as humans, we
have the natural tendency to favor those who look like, act like, or share similar
backgrounds as us. This can affect interactions with the team as well as
the way team members interact with each other. Managers should make a special
effort to avoid cultural bias, foster inclusion, and reach out to and encourage every
team member.
• Build trust: Focus on building bonds and cultivating trust among your team
members. Managers should also build credibility by ensuring that they are
accountable for their actions.
• Resolve conflicts: Cross-cultural misunderstandings or conflict can arise due to
various factors: misinterpretation and miscommunication, misunderstandings
between different nationalities, religious or ethnic groups, differing cultural practices,
cultural ignorance and insensitivity to different societal lifestyle practices. Managers
should identify the reason for the conflict and mediate only to get the team back on
track. The best solution is to empower team members to manage future challenges
on their own.
• Be flexible: Cultural differences can make meetings challenging. In the HBR report,
Jeanne M. Brett, professor of dispute resolution and negotiations at Kellogg School of
Management says that holding pre-meetings, informal one-on-one conversations,
and impromptu group discussions can encourage open conversation before the
formal meeting.
• Manage the time zone burden: Remote teams could be spread across multiple
time zones and regions of the world. The burden of 24/7 should be shared across the

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team with a rotating meeting schedule. Discussions can be scheduled in advance so
that members can distribute the time.
The benefits of multicultural teams for businesses include in-depth knowledge of different
product markets, culturally responsive customer service, and 24-hour work sharing.
Resolving challenges, friction, and misunderstandings due cultural differences is critical to
get the best out of any multicultural team. A Michigan University study found that, in
descending order, in-person contact, video calling, audio calling and text messaging/emails
are the most effective means of communication for building trust. Managers need to
determine and adopt the best communication strategies for their particular circumstances.
Documenting the recorded discussions with the help of a business transcription service will
ensure that they are available for employees and managers to reference.