Working Across Cultures
Canada’s multicultural population brings a depth of knowledge and talent to the workforce – and it can also bring misunderstandings and conflict because every culture has its own ideas and expectations about the way the world works. As a result, two people from different backgrounds may have very different philosophies about what’s right or normal and neither one is superior or inferior to the other. Their ideas are just different. These include:
Body Language. Body language says a lot, but it can be interpreted differently around the world. For example, most North Americans typically signal “no” by shaking their heads, but people from some other countries raise their chins. Similarly, people from some cultures don’t feel comfortable shaking hands which can also be misinterpreted by a North American.
Personal Space. Canadians, Americans and the British typically prefer to stand about five feet apart when conversing. However, people from different cultural backgrounds may have different “comfort zones”. For example, Germans and Japanese like more distance while people from the Middle East and Latin countries generally like to get closer. Knowing these nuances in personal space can help communications tremendously.
Religion. In many cultures, religion dominates life in a way that’s often difficult for other cultures to understand. For example, some Muslim employees may want to pray five times a day in accordance with their values and beliefs. There may also be religious holidays on which adherents are forbidden to work or need to follow certain customs. These differences need to be respected, where possible, and not ignored.
Personal Appearance. To remain true to their beliefs, some workers may want to wear a head covering or other attire in the workplace. It can be difficult in businesses in which workers wear uniforms, however most times a solution can be found.
Roles and Status. In some cultures, a social hierarchy often exists that can create “bumps” in communication in the workplace. For example, in many countries, women are subordinate to men. Working in a Canadian business, women from these countries may feel they should defer to their male counterparts or shouldn’t speak to or make eye contact with their male co-workers. In contrast, males with such cultural backgrounds may not adapt well to working equally with females or having female supervisors. Understanding the interaction between the sexes and the roles assigned in various cultures is the first step to creating a workplace where all employees are considered equal, regardless of gender, race or cultural background.
Bridging the cultural divide
Understanding others’ expectations makes it easier to work in a diverse team. Making an effort to learn about and understand others’ perspectives also helps keep our work stimulating because we can gain new ideas from the people we get to know.
Here are some tips to help:
- Learn as much as you can about the cultures of the people you are working and dealing with.
- Avoid stereotypes or making assumptions about others. An essential part of working in a diverse world is seeing each person as an individual who makes a unique contribution in the workplace. If you find yourself thinking, “you people” or “those people,” you know that you’ve got some work to do in this area.
- Do not condone or repeat inappropriate humour. In today’s workplace, there is no place for humour based on ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual persuasion or any of the other demographic. Governments and businesses now have strict regulations to keep such disparaging and offensive humour out of the workplace and there are severe consequences for employees spreading this kind of humour.
- Recognize the broad ethnic diversity that exists within groups. Don’t assume everyone from a certain country shares the same cultural background or language. In India alone there are 18 major languages and more than 1,600 regional dialects.
Working in a culturally diverse world can have its challenges, but it can also be extremely rewarding. Making an effort to get to know all kinds of people expands your horizons on and off the job.
