How to Create a Harmonious Global Workforce

Working with clients, stakeholders and employees from all over the world is standard in today’s global business arena, but ensuring this works well for everyone involved and creates a harmonious global workforce can be problematic.

At Creative Word Training, we understand these problems.

We appreciate how difficult it can be to work within multicultural teams, the issues that working in different time zones present and how language barriers can impact communication because we are a translation and training company with offices on different continents and a team of trainers and translators located all around the world.

But, after almost twenty years, we’ve got it down to a fine art and would like to help you to do the same.

The following steps, when implemented across the board (at every level, from new recruits to leadership) will help focus teams, create inclusion, encourage diversity and inspire a harmonious global workforce.

1. Improve Cultural Awareness

Building an effective and successful multicultural team (for those that share the same office space and those that are based in different locations around the world) requires a high level of cultural awareness.

Not only might team members have to navigate different time zones and languages, but they’ll also have to adapt to different work practices and methods.

For example, employees based in London are likely to work 9-5 Monday to Friday, with bank holidays and weekends off, while employees from the UAE tend to work Sunday to Thursday, for around 7 to 9 hours a day, from 8 or 9am.

Each team will need to consider the working hours and days of their overseas colleagues, adapt to differing priorities, and have an awareness of cultural factors which may affect work such as, Christmas or Ramadan.

For multicultural teams that work at the same location, these cultural differences can often be more pronounced.

Factors such as, language, humour, work ethic, experience, and business etiquette all alter depending upon cultural influences so ensuring your team understand and accept these differences is vital.

Cultural awareness training is an effective method for exploring different cultures and gaining understanding, within a positive framework.

Training helps employees become culturally competent by evaluating their own level of cultural intelligence, exploring unconscious bias, improving cultural awareness and offering effective strategies for refining verbal and non-verbal communication styles.

A global team that welcomes cultural diversity and values difference will thrive.

2. Improve Communication

Communication is the essential link between employees which can either make or break a working-relationships.

It is also the vital link between employees and clients.

Poor communication leads to ambiguity, confusion, disappointment and stress, while beneficial communication can improve workplace dynamics, resolve conflict, increase productivity and encourage trust.

The COVID pandemic and lockdown measures have significantly impacted our ability to communicate with people face-to-face and for team members who have only recently been employed, this means they may not have met many of their colleagues in-person.

This lack of ‘real’ contact affects our ability to assess communication linked to body language and influences how we act, and react, to others.

Also, employees from different cultural backgrounds may have found the return to the office has altered relationships and shifted values – not only from other’s perspectives, but also from their own.

Using training to promote communication confidence is an ideal first step to improving relationships, building assurance and promoting a harmonious global workforce.

Communication training helps build workforce:

• Understanding

• Equality

• Inclusion

• Diversity

• Creativity

• Trust

• Openness

• Awareness

• Productivity

• Efficiency

• Collaboration

All of which are great for employees, clients and business!

3. Invest in Leadership Development

We all know that investment in employees (especially those in leadership roles) pays dividends, yet some firms still seem to reduce investment in training each year, rather than increase it.

This crucial factor can make the difference between creating a harmonious global workforce or a discordant one.

Highly developed leadership helps build high-performing teams that can optimize roles, encourage employee engagement and will allow your firm to attract and retain talent.

Without them, you’ll suffer from a high-turnover of disillusioned employees who see the lack of leadership development as their potential future.

For maximum cohesion within a global team, the following leadership development courses are beneficial:

• Building High-Performance Teams

• Developing Team Trust

• How to Act like a Leader

• Improving Group Dynamics

• Leadership Styles and Qualities

• Leading the Multigenerational Firm

• Managing Conflict

• Cultural Intelligence

The courses listed above will give leaders improved confidence and abilities to engage with employees and stakeholders from every walk of life and culture.

To find out more about how the team at Creative Word Training can help you achieve a harmonious global workforce, contact us now.