Develop inter- and multinational teams

Just a few years ago, people primarily spoke of an intercultural or multicultural team when people from different cultures worked in a department of a company. Today, however, team members often live and work all over the world. In addition, fixed (work) teams have often been replaced by loose collaborations and temporary project groups. According to the statements of the Cross-cultural trainer Ulrike Fröhlich from Weil am Rhein, Germany has also changed the requirements in the area of team development. Whereas in the past, development measures were primarily required for fixed teams at one location, today the participants often work in different countries. So instead of cross-cultural training designed to make their German-speaking employees fit for business with Japan, for example, companies are planning (online) training "in which Japanese, Koreans and Americans participate in addition to Germans, Swiss and Austrians," reports the owner of the consulting firm Understanding Japan. Increasingly, "cooperation partners such as customers, suppliers or external service providers" are also taking part in the training courses.

Multinational teams: unfamiliar work for many

Cross-border, largely digital collaboration also causes problems. Some team members feel overwhelmed by this type of cooperation, in which people rarely, if ever, meet in person, reports Sabine Machwürth, co-owner of the consulting firm Machwürth Team International (MTI), Visselhövede (here is an older article from this company). And rightly so, "because when people from different cultures, who also live in different countries, work together, the need for coordination increases. It also increases the likelihood of misunderstandings."

This sometimes creates the impression that multicultural teams are per se more inefficient. According to Canadian organizational psychologist Nancy J. Adler, this is not the case. Her studies have shown: Culturally mixed teams have the potential to perform better than those in which all participants have the same cultural background; moreover, the different perspectives and approaches often result in better solutions.

Potential of teams often not exploited

However, this potential is often not called upon. For this to happen, patience is initially required, explains Sabine Machwürth, because: "It takes some time for a newly formed team to cooperate well." An initial phase of euphoria is usually followed by a phase of disillusionment - the so-called storming phase. Without external help, inter- and multinational teams often find it difficult to get out of this phase and into the third team development phase, known as norming.

The friction in the storming phase results from different ideas of how work should be done. For example, questions such as

• "In what order should tasks be completed?",
• "Who informs whom and when?",
• "How are decisions made and communicated?" and
• "How do we handle mistakes or problems?"

is answered very differently in the various cultures. If a team is unclear about this, there is often a great deal of uncertainty and mutual disappointment. According to Ulrike Fröhlich, this is particularly true for teams "in which people from cultures that tend to shy away from conflict, such as Japan, are expected to cooperate with people who tend to enjoy conflict, such as Germany.

Increase team spirit and performance

Below are some tips from Ulrike Fröhlich and Sabine Machwürth on what team leaders and members should consider and do to ensure that inter- or multinational teams ultimately reach the Performing phase, where they deliver top performance.

1. Be curious and get to know each other personally. Talk to your cooperation partners about private topics as well. Finding common ground helps build trust, and trust is the basis for good cooperation.
2. Talk about the differences in the way of working. It is important to explore and appreciate the other person's way of working. For example, as a team leader, conduct short workshops on "Getting to know and appreciate other ways of working."
3. Note: There is no one, correct way of working. People who work successfully internationally usually not only accept that tasks can be solved differently, they also integrate elements of this into their working style. This makes them more cooperative and behaviorally flexible.
4. Be open to new approaches and problem solving. See the encounter with what is new to you as an opportunity to leave the beaten track.
5. Explore how to communicate well in a group setting. Communication in particular is sometimes very different in different cultures. Germans, for example, are known for addressing sensitive issues directly, while East Asians, for example, tend to approach them in a roundabout way. For this reason, everyone in the team should know what needs to be observed in the respective other culture, for example, when delegating tasks, giving feedback, and classifying information.

Author: Freelance journalist Ronja Siemens, Freiburg i. Br., specializes in professional and career topics.