MODERN WORKPLACE
Communication – The
beginning of understanding?
Cross-cultural conversations
in teams
T
By Holona and Trish Lui
here is increasing evidence
that varied backgrounds
gives organisations strength.
There is also evidence that when
it comes to problem solving that
people’s identity groups – ethnic,
racial, sexual, age – matter when it
comes to diversity of thinking. (Ref:
Prof Scott Page, “The Difference:
How the Power of Diversity Creates
Better Groups, Firms, Schools and
Societies.”
The challenge for businesses is
how to tap into and harness that
diversity of thinking from these
different groups quickly and
effectively? How do companies
mould a group of people from
different cultures into cohesive,
effective and highly productive
teams?
Talking to each other is an obvious
place to start, but how do staff
who may speak only one language
converse with their workmates
for whom English or the host
country’s language could well be
their second, third, fourth or more
language?
In the perfect world there would
be some cultural awareness and
8 ModernBusiness
March 2016
cross-cultural communications
training incorporated into
workplace induction, training
and professional learning and
development programmes across
the organisation.
The basics of effective crosscultural communication are skills
that can be learnt. For s