Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2019 - 47

FIGURE 1
Obviously, in order to collaborate,
you need to figure out ways to bridge
those differences.
STEP 2: BECOMING SELF-AWARE
You now have an appreciation for
culture and its influence on behavior.
The second step in the process is selfawareness. Authenticity begins with
examining your own preferences,
capabilities and background. In other
words, it's crucial to recognize who
you are, your preferred communication
style, your likes and dislikes, how you
react to others, what things frustrate
you, and what situations bring out your
best performance.
It's not very complicated, but it
requires conscious focus and effort. As
you can imagine, it's fundamental to
understanding your interactions with
different colleagues.

colleagues are more hesitant to take
risks. Then, you'll be prepared when you
suggest embracing a new practices and
others are resistant to the idea.

COLLABORATING AUTHENTICALLY
ON YOUR MULTICULTURAL TEAM
Continual Process of Self-Improvement

It's not difficult to see why this step
is critical in the process of achieving
authenticity, but how can you do it?
There are simple assessments you can
take that provide guidance. You may
also begin by thinking about how and
when you are most effective and make a
list. It can be as simple as:
*
*
*
*

I like people who...
People who do ... frustrate me.
I am most productive when...
I prefer to work in an environment that...

The trick is being able to see yourself
as others see you. However, in an
intercultural context that becomes a little
more complicated because you're being
looked at through a different cultural lens.

For example, if you know you tend
to be a relationship-oriented person,
and you've done some research about
the cultures of your multicultural
team members, you may discover that
many of your teammates prefer to be
transactional. You now have the benefit
of being aware that others might see
you as "wasting time" when attempting
to establish relationships rather than
getting right down-to-business.

There are many reasons why maintaining
authenticity is critical, but perhaps the
most important is that authenticity can be
recognized by all people, and the absence
of it will impair trust. Without trust, you
will not achieve effective collaboration.
Here's an example of what can go amiss:

Similarly, if you know you tend to be a
risk-taker when it comes to business
decisions, you may find that your

A Dutch individual was on a virtual team
with French and British colleagues.
The group was developing marketing

STEP 3: REMAINING AUTHENTIC
IN ORDER TO COLLABORATE
WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES

Be aware
of culture's
impact on
behavior

Flex your
style while
remaining
authentic

Develop
awareness
of your
behavioral
style

materials for a new service their division
was launching, and their ability to
collaborate was crucial to meeting
tight deadlines.
The Dutch member was aware that his
tendency toward a very brief, direct
communication style was likely to be
different and potentially off-putting to
his colleagues who were more indirect
and contextual in their communication.
He quickly realized that his tendency
to be blunt and succinct would not
encourage his colleagues to collaborate
easily with him. He attempted to be
more ambiguous and obscure in order to
mimic the others' styles.
Unfortunately, he discovered this
approach wasn't working. The team

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE -FORMALIZ ING INFORMAL L E ARNI NG 2 019 I W W W .T RAI NI NGI NDU S T RY .C OM/ MAGAZI NE

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Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2019

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