Cultural Diversity/Challenges

Diversity in group collaborations is essential to reaching an optimal outcome. Diversity of expertise, age, opinion, and background. Different cultural tendencies trigger different reactions to information, different insights and different perspectives. Often different cultures also approach the collaboration process much differently.

These different approaches, and even minor intricacies such as etiquette must be considered when designing a multicultural collaboration. Having people outside of their comfort zone is fine, and even beneficial, but of course you wouldn't want for anyone to be offended. A more design focus concern is to be mindful of positive cultural tendencies that could be capitalized on, and possible anti-collaborative tendencies that may emerge.

I will be working with an organization of Asian origins over the next few days, and their top brass are ex-pats of the parenting organization's home nation. The result is a culture that may seem imperial to westerners. I won't make a case for either culture, but will state that a leader that does not regularly open his ideas up to challenge or feedback is anti-collaborative. While it may bring many efficiencies, it also creates a condition where others are hesitant to offer insights on any matter that may be within that leader's scope of interest/responsibilities.

Having established that this culture exists within the organization, there will be a balancing act as moderator to never overstep my bounds and challenge this position, while still creating room for other voices to be heard.

Any stories of tip-toeing around cultural challenges among my dormant commentors?