Cross cultural and functional teams

Many teams are now made of members representing different functions across a business. This is often further complicated by employees being managed in a matrix structure. They may also be distributed around the world in different geographies.

Each business function has its own language and approach. For example, a sales team and engineering team have their own sub-cultures, yet are often working together on major projects with specific goals.

Challenges

In working with these teams, some of the challenges we have identified include:

• The risk of misunderstandings due to linguistic interpretation (even between English-speaking cultures)
• Transactional communication, rather than building valuable relationships
• Judging from a single cultural perspective rather than adapting to take account of cultural differences
• Lack of appreciation of the differences in communication styles in various cultures leading to a disconnect between indivduals or across a team

Our Approach

We work with leaders of these more complex teams to set them up for success. In addition to the normal planning activities for a team, this includes outlining how and when the team will meet to take account of geographic differences; increasing the understanding of language, culture and contextual differences: and developing an agreed team charter.

Success for any team in a cross functional or cross cultural environment requires a mutual understanding and respect for each respective contribution. Each function and culture can bring rich expertise and a unique perspective which together is a powerful formula for success at both local and global level.