Multicultural teams, on-site and virtual, are becoming the norm within today’s global business enterprises. Under the pressure to perform and compete, conflicting cultural styles can become most painful and costly. Leading an organization of this nature is often like conducting an orchestra: Not only do the instruments differ, but the performers are often looking at a different score.
On an intercultural team, different work styles, communication styles, assumptions, and rules of behavior all come into play at the same time — often when there is little time to recognize, let alone manage, them. Moreover, many teams are formed on an ad-hoc basis, called together and dismissed on a moment’s notice; there is little time to get to know each other, bond effectively, or look for resources to understand the dynamics of cooperation. Leading such teams is a special managerial competence all its own.
The following activities focus on providing tools that can be used for addressing some of the principal needs of leadership and team development in a multicultural context. They deal with essential attitudes such as trust and self-awareness, and help participants come to a common definition of what a team is and how it manages common processes, such as decision-making and supervision.
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