{"id":617475,"date":"2024-04-19T12:25:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T09:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams\/"},"modified":"2024-04-19T12:25:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-19T09:25:44","slug":"how-to-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to build strong, cross-cultural remote teams"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfb5c012a4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dfb5c012a4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams\/#Education_is_key_to_cultural_sensitivity\" >Education is key to cultural sensitivity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams\/#Embed_intercultural_sensitivity_into_your_behaviour_at_work\" >Embed intercultural sensitivity into your behaviour at work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams\/#Clearly_define_the_companys_culture\" >Clearly define the company\u2019s culture\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the past two years, I have worked at a company whose workforce hails from around the globe, including the United States, Europe, and Latin America. I\u2019m the only team member based in Santa Marta, on Colombia\u2019s Caribbean coast, and I work remotely \u2014 like many of my colleagues on the other continents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The experience has opened my eyes to a dynamic blend of workplace norms and cultures, but has also posed some challenges. Differing time zones, humour and customs, access to <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a>, communication styles, and various perspectives on work-life balance, have made it clear that building cross-cultural remote teams is tough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My experience, I\u2019ve found, is not unique. Thirty percent of European Union (EU) workers <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2023\/02\/10\/want-to-work-from-home-these-european-countries-are-the-most-open-to-hybrid-or-remote-work\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">regularly work from home<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, either all the time or as part of a hybrid model. And as remote work became widely adopted during the pandemic, more companies began looking beyond geographical borders for talent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although most business process outsourcing (BPO) is sourced from other EU member states, <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/eurostat\/web\/products-eurostat-news\/-\/ddn-20221005-1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">33%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes from countries outside the EU, and a <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/voltagecontrol.com\/blog\/closing-the-virtual-cultural-gap-managing-cross-cultural-remote-teams\/#:~:text=Recent%20studies%20show%20that%2062,cross%20cultural%20remote%20teams%20management.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reported that three or more cultures constitute 62% of virtual teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For tech workers and managers operating in remote, multicultural environments, here are some recommendations to create an efficient work culture with a sense of belonging.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Education_is_key_to_cultural_sensitivity\"><\/span><strong>Education is key to cultural sensitivity<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWorking with a remote, multicultural team is challenging but enriching for your teams and yourself,\u201d Yasmina Khelifi, senior project manager at international telecoms provider Orange, told me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking the first step to recognize that, even if you\u2019ve worked in cross-cultural teams before, there may be much to learn, and this learning can be fun, is important.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khelifi suggests managers and team members take an intercultural course to help understand how different cultural backgrounds impact communication, decision-making, and conflict management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Established colleges like the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ice.cam.ac.uk\/course\/intercultural-management\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of Cambridge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/learn\/cross-cultural-communication-management\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">University of California Davis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offer programs and online learning platform Coursera <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/courses?query=intercultural%20communication\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">offers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a variety of courses. \u201cThis intercultural knowledge is critical to challenging your assumptions about other cultures and your own,\u201d added Khelifi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another step both employees and managers can take is to adopt a mentor, either from within or outside of your organisation, that comes from a different cultural background than yours. While this may sound easy, adopting a mentor from a different culture \u2014 or mentoring an employee from a different background than yours \u2014 would be going against the grain, considering that <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coqual.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/CoqualTheSponsorDividend_KeyFindingsCombined090720.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">71%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of executives mentor employees that share their same race or gender.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Khelifi, team members and managers can gain immense knowledge by working with cultural mentors that can be handy in the workplace. For instance, understanding current events, work-life balance priorities, important holidays and technological barriers in countries where your co-workers reside can sensitise and help prepare you to react when challenges arise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Colombia, for example, the internet can be spotty compared to the US or EU, so my co-workers are more understanding if my video calls drop out from time to time. And in Europe, companies working with Ukrainian team members must be sensitive to the daily pressures of life in a country under siege.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Embed_intercultural_sensitivity_into_your_behaviour_at_work\"><\/span><strong>Embed intercultural sensitivity into your behaviour at work<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened to all of us at one point. You committed an embarrassing gaffe by mispronouncing a person\u2019s name, or mistaking their country for another. It happens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, cross-cultural teams should take extra effort to avoid these awkward faux pas, and embed more intercultural sensitivity into the workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Khelifi, simple things like pronouncing names correctly and remembering those names can go a long way. \u201cYou can ask people to record the correct pronunciation,\u201d she said, adding that team members should only shorten names or create nicknames with the person\u2019s permission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asking personal questions, even ones that may seem innocuous, team members should think twice to determine if what they\u2019re asking could be negatively received.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou may ask questions with a positive intent, but they might be hurtful,\u201d said Khelifi. \u201cI often get the question, \u2018How long have you been living in France?\u2019 when I was born in France.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Checking your assumptions, even the tiniest of them, at the door (or in this case at the Zoom or Teams login screen) can help to avoid creating more harm than good in the workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clearly_define_the_companys_culture\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Clearly define the company\u2019s culture<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, the most important aspect of building a cohesive, cross-cultural remote team is adhering to company values, regardless of where team members are located.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managers should clearly explain company values to team members as well as ground rules for how the team must operate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Khelifi, managers should be explicit about the rules, but also be open to revisiting these rules from time to time with employees as a way to build empathy and a sense of ownership and belonging within the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s the small things, too, that can help play a bigger role in building workplace culture. For instance, Khelifi recommends creating a set of company-branded virtual background graphics that team members can use on video calls with colleagues and customers. This helps unify the team, aesthetically, in a remote environment with all types of housing situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She also recommends building a glossary of common company terms and business acronyms \u2014 such as EOB for \u201cend of business\u201d \u2014 as a resource for employees from different countries. Global English or \u201cGlobish\u201d is suggested, as it\u2019s easier for international team members to learn compared to American or British English.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, building a calendar that includes holidays and festivals relevant to all team members is another way to promote an inclusive company culture. According to Khelifi, drawing from the knowledge gained in the intercultural courses and from mentors, managers can better build inclusive calendars and help team members celebrate culturally significant anniversaries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As business becomes more globalised, and technology continues to advance remote work, tech workers and managers must start looking to build more sophisticated cross-cultural remote work environments. And with <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/featured-insights\/diversity-and-inclusion\/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> showing that companies with more racial\/ethnic diversity outperform less diverse companies financially, all of the incentive is there to create the next generation of multi-cultural teams.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/how-build-strong-cross-cultural-remote-teams\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the past two years, I have worked at a company whose workforce hails from around the globe, including the United States, Europe, and Latin America. I\u2019m the only team member based in Santa Marta, on Colombia\u2019s Caribbean coast, and I work remotely \u2014 like many of my colleagues on the other continents.\u00a0 The experience&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":617476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2024%2F04%2FDall-eimageofremoteteams.jpg&signature=acd2bcef8a4f235e322995e5224f5a88","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-617475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}