You're struggling to connect with a diverse team. How can you adapt your communication style for success?

1. Be Culturally Aware: Understand and respect cultural differences, including communication preferences and social norms. 2. Use Clear and Inclusive Language: Avoid jargon, slang, or idiomatic expressions that may not be understood by everyone. 3. Actively Listen: Pay attention to team members' perspectives and ask questions to ensure clarity and mutual understanding. 4. Adapt Your Approach: Tailor your communication style to suit the preferences of different team members, such as being direct or indirect depending on the cultural context. 5. Encourage Open Feedback: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns, allowing for continuous improvement in communication.

First, when you adopt empathy you are able to comprehend the experiences of your team members and appreciate them. Listening without prejudice and consideration of their opinions make them feel respected and accepted by the community. This leads to free and frank exchange of information and assists in dealing with varied ‘culture clashes’ thereby enhancing teamwork and collaboration.

To develop cultural awareness and connect with diverse peers, take the time to know them personally. Engaging in shared activities can offer valuable insights into their daily lives. For example, organizing a movie night followed by a discussion is a great way to explore cultural differences. Films often rely on stereotypes, making it hard to discern reality. My French friends, for instance, are frequently asked how much Emily in Paris reflects their lives. Similarly, Outsourced showcases U.S.-India cultural differences but may not fully capture the reality, even in a work setting.

Bias awareness is crucial for effective communication and collaboration, particularly in diverse teams. Biases, whether conscious or unconscious, can influence how we perceive others and make decisions. By acknowledging and understanding these biases, you can work to minimize their impact on your interactions. This awareness allows you to approach each team member with an open mind, valuing their unique perspectives and experiences. Cultivating bias awareness strengthens trust, fosters inclusivity, and enhances overall team dynamics, leading to better decision-making and collaboration.

One of my favorite books on culture is Erin Meyer’s The Culture Map. It outlines eight key management behaviors, one of which is a scale ranging from 'low-context' (e.g., the U.S., Netherlands, Australia), where communication is direct, to 'high-context' (e.g., China, Japan, Korea), where communication is more nuanced and layered. For multicultural teams, Meyer offers practical advice: communicate as if everyone is from a low-context culture to ensure clarity. This means avoiding implied meanings, being straightforward, asking questions when needed, and documenting all agreements in writing. This approach helps minimize misunderstandings and ensures success.

One of the 7 Cs of communication is rather an important element to observe when you engage in communication. Efficient language users do not specifically emphasize on using vocabulary and expressions that are difficult to understand for common listeners, instead they focus on the variation of language as per the context.

Find out how your group wants to be communicated with and receive information. You can't change up your approach until you know HOW to change it up. Maybe they want fewer meetings or more meetings but fewer emails. Maybe they'd prefer a Slack channel or "no email Fridays." As with all communication, it's all about knowing your audience.

Last year, I judged applications for the Sustainability & Human Resources categories at The International Business Awards by Stevie Awards. Many submissions were focused on DEI, showcasing excellent strategies for enhancing inclusivity within teams. One standout example was the Canadian energy firm Bruce Power. They developed a toolkit to train employees on using inclusive language. This includes strictly adhering to each employee's designated pronouns and using gender-neutral language in communication. For example, saying "Hey, team" instead of "Hey, guys," "human effort" instead of "manpower," and "partner" instead of "husband/wife."

Use simple and official language so that your team members will be able to understand you. For example you can't be using Nigeria pidgin English in team that includes different cultures (Indian, Pakistani, Francais) you've to make sure you're using a very simple and official English language so everyone will understand you