My recent posts have examined the data that indicates when teams are more diverse – whether culturally or gender diverse – they help generate financial returns greater than their less diverse peers. That financial analysis is interestingly supported by a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article which quotes multiple research findings in its argument that multi-cultural teams, if managed effectively, work smarter and more productively than more homogenous teams – precisely because they’re diverse. It turns out the multi-cultural diversity forces team members to consider different perspectives, and thereby think more carefully about the concerns of their projects.
But because diversity can be statistically analyzed, it can be easy for organizations to fall into a “check the box” mentality simply to show the world that yes, they are in fact diverse. That, however, is no recipe for better business productivity. In an article titled “Diversity Doesn't Stick Without Inclusion, HBR shows that merely filling quotas doesn’t bring the business productivity benefits made possible by embracing diversity through successful inclusion practices. That means genuinely making people of all cultures, races, genders and sexual identities feel welcome, and creating an environment in which they are all encouraged to contribute their thinking in the ways that are natural for them.
Yet, even today, too many corporate leaders still take the “representation” view of diversity. They target diversity quotas and may pay lip service to diversity goals, which amounts to diversity without inclusion.
That is particularly unfortunate for their organizations, because other studies have shown that productivity can decrease when diversity isn’t met with open arms. Analysts note that workplace discrimination – whether subtle or explicit – is detrimental to performance due to its impact on physical and mental health, organizational behavior, and job attitudes. Consequently, it can stifle synergy, dampen productivity, and even damage organizational image.
It’s crucial that organizations foster an inclusive atmosphere for their diverse workers, and avoid simply hiring members of a minority group to fill a diversity quota.
Maximize Business Productivity by Welcoming Differences
Lip service, though, isn’t the only challenge. Inclusion turns out to be hard work. Successful management of diverse teams requires real organizational change, not a push to meet a statistic.
This is because people tend to be more comfortable working in homogenous environments—where they can identify people as being like themselves. It’s no question that diversity in the workplace can cause friction, ranging between conflicting communication styles to thought patterns, even down to different personal interests. These differences, if ignored, can prevent employees from feeling comfortable and generating their best work, possibly minimizing their performance.
But managing multicultural teams and making cross-cultural relationships flourish usually requires extra effort. It necessitates self-awareness, cultural awareness, and effective cross-cultural communication – far more effort than what’s required when interacting with someone from the same background as us! While it can be easier to ignore what sets us apart, remember that research mentioned above showing how heterogeneous teams perform better precisely becauseit’s harder work to consider multiple diverse perspectives – it forces people to think more carefully and be more aware of their own biases. In HBR’s words: “Working with people who are different from you may challenge your brain to overcome its stale ways of thinking and sharpen its performance.”
Instead of turning a blind eye, recognizing and highlighting differences and acknowledging the challenges associated with working on diverse teams can go a long way toward creating an open workplace that kindles genuine intercultural relationships and encourages everyone to feel free to be themselves and contribute their maximum potential.
Some best practice strategies for doing so include:
Cross-cultural training and mentorship.Few people are born with strong intercultural communication skills. It takes time, effort, practice, and feedback from others. This is why cross-cultural training programs and mentorship from leaders and colleagues who have mastered a global mindset can help facilitate relationships among multi-cultural team members. It’s important to provide feedback and be open with one another all while recognizing that it can be difficult to establish deep intercultural relationships.
Ask open-ended questions. HBR notes that, “open and curious questions demonstrate that being different makes someone more valuable.” Moreover, these questions can outwardly express the desire to learn about one another. For example, when chatting with colleagues, instead of asking if they’ve read a particular book or have seen a certain movie, ask, “I’ve been looking for a great book to read or movie to watch, what are some of your favorites?” Otherwise, we have the potential to alienate each other by inadvertently pointing out different culturally informed tastes and preferences.
Carefully – but openly – structure work-related gatherings. Social mixers can often impede socializing, especially for introverts or cultural minorities. You may have noticed that people tend to stick to who they know. To break such patterns, formal ice-breaker games can be effective because they give everyone an equal voice, create purpose through order, and eliminate some of the effort needed to make connections.
While diversity without inclusion may hinder multi-cultural teams, a genuine embrace of cultural differences can foster the trust and openness necessary for the benefits of collaboration among different work styles to come to life – and enhance your business’s productivity. In order to see the benefits of workplace diversity shine, organizations and their leaders must genuinely embrace our cultural differences.
