Leadership strategies for managing global and diverse workplaces

Global and Diverse

Introduction There are a number of different things that can be done at the leadership level to ensure that a global and diverse workplace functions at the highest level. These can be divided among three categories, roughly. The first thing is that there needs to be a way to integrate varied perspectives. The second is that there needs to be a way to resolve disputes, and the third is that there needs to be effective communication methods. All of these things, once identified by leadership, and entirely achievable. It simply takes a few changes to how a company does things.

Varied Perspectives One of the major benefits of diversity is that there are people with a number of different perspectives working in the company. Not only does this help with things like marketing, where you are able to relate better to different audiences, but this can also provide a means of solving problems – people thinking one way might find a situation intractable but a diverse perspective might be able to break through the cognitive logjam. Watson, Kumar and Michaelsen (1993) note that there are definitely areas where diverse teams or groups outperform homogenous ones, and this is typically attributed to the different perspectives that people bring to addressing problems. Being able to integrate varied perspectives requires skilled management. First, it requires the leader to be able to listen , recognize and value the different perspectives that are being offered, if not to outright seek out those views. In addition, the manager needs to have more of a global perspective. One of the major issues in integrating cultural perspectives comes in the form of cultural bias from the decision –makers, which render voices, even if heard, relatively marginalized. It is important, therefore, that the manager is trained to hear different perspectives, and evaluate them with a minimum of bias. In fact, teams perform better in this sort of bias-free environment, because everybody feels that their voice will be heard, which gives confidence (Mason & Aramovich, 2013). Negotiation One of the issues that will often arise in a diverse team, one that can inhibit productivity if not handled correctly, is that of interpersonal communication. There are going to be instances where conflict arises, but that conflict is not necessary between two people in the sense of ideas clashing, but more is related to differences in communication styles. When positions of difference arose, some negotiation is needed to resolve the issue. For the most part, this is the role of the leader, to ensure that there are few if any differences that cannot be quickly resolved. Understanding the different communication styles that might be engaged within the team dynamic is one way to help negotiate the challenges associated with communication problems between team members (Ghorashi & Sabelis, 2013). The leader of a diverse organization needs to be sensitive to the fact that there are different communication styles among team members. Some are partial to high-context communication, while others are partial to low-context communication, for example. Some might have language difficulties that make it more difficult for them to express exactly what they are thinking. The manager as conflict resolver is something that comes into play here – if you lead a diverse team you should have a sense that there are different communication styles, and be open to the idea that while these differences might cause issues on one hand, they also might be where some of the positive outcomes come from – the clashing of different ideas to flush out the very best one.

Common Goals One of the most important aspects of intercultural communication is that there are established common goals. When interests are understood on all sides, it is that much easier to come to conclusions about what needs to be done. Conflicts can be resolved more easily, by drawing the group back to that common goal (Pieterse, 2012). Merger and acquisition activity is high stakes, and there is considerable risk with respect to intercultural communication. It is actually important that the counterparties take the time to understand the culture with which they are dealing. One might be tempted to assume that all business people at that level have fairly common motivations, interests, and basically \\\"speak the same language\\\", but that is not the case. There are often significant cultural issues that arise just in the process of negotiating a merger or acquisition. When doing business internationally, it is worth taking the time to study, and hire advisors, who can help negotiate the cultural landscape of the counterparty, in particular where communication is concerned. Different countries have different negotiating styles, and they can also have very different understandings of how the M&A process works, or what it means to enter into a joint venture. It is better for each party if both parties take the time to understand the culture with which they are dealing, rather than simply assuming that there are few differences at that level; there are actually many differences, which is why there are so few international mergers. When a merger does occur, one of the biggest challenges is then to align all of the employees around a common vision. In a perfect world, all would understand and be keen, but that is seldom the case. Usually, companies have very different cultures, and ingrained ways of doing things. If one cultural ends up as the dominant one, that can be tricky waters for leadership. At the end of the day, the common goal approach is generally the best way to resolve this issue. The reason is simple – a common goal gives everybody the sense of focus that they need to perform, something that they can work towards. Goal alignment does not come easily, however. To achieve goal alignment requires that leadership commits to a clear vision, and communicates that vision just as clearly. The people within the organization may be different in many respects, but all people can understand the role of vision, and working towards something that is mutually beneficial. Leadership might have a challenge on its hands if indeed there is only benefit to one party – the other side will buy in no matter what if it cannot reasonably see a benefit. Conclusions Diverse workplaces and multicultural teams present unique challenges to business leaders. The norms of communicating with a large group of people are challenging enough already without adding the cultural element. Overall, a leader must be open, must take the time to understand something about the cultures in question, and at the end of the day must be prepared to run point on handling any issues that might arise. This may seem like a lot of work, but this is ultimately the price to pay for getting things done; the leader\\\'s work here will allow the organization to win the benefits of workplace diversity in ways that less well-run companies will fail to achieve.