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Leading diverse groups is a necessary skill to succeed in today's global business world. As organizations become more
globally connected, leaders and managers need to understand cultural differences, practice sensitivity to others, and
maintain integrity across cultural boundaries. We work in groups and on teams all the time, but the terms do not share
the same meaning. All teams are groups, but not all groups are teams. Some critical differences are
Teams usually exhibit a greater level of cooperation and cohesiveness than standard groups.
Team members usually have different skill sets that complement each other. Group members may be less diverse in
experience and skills than teams.
Team members usually subordinate personal needs to the team's needs.
Teams usually have a stronger shared identity than standard groups.
Team members are usually interdependent upon one another for different tasks, while group members are usually
working individually on similar tasks.
Team members usually use a cooperative approach and hold themselves accountable for the success or failure of the
team.
Many organizations use teams to accomplish corporate initiatives and to complete various projects. This is because the
team can leverage the strengths of each team member for a more effective end result.
If a team of diverse individuals is successfully managed, you will maximize the productive work the team can
accomplish.
Al, a manager at a plastics manufacturing company in New York City, needs to inform his team, located in New York
and India, of a change in the way orders will be processed. In order to communicate with both teams at the beginning of
their respective work days, Al decides to send the information in an email rather than set up an online meeting when
one part of his team would either be asked to stay late or the other come in early, to accommodate the time differences
in the locations.

As he is writing his email, Al checks to make sure the new process is clearly and simply described. He avoids any slang
or jargon that might not be understood in both locations and keeps his tone crisp and professional.
Al also pays attention to how his message may be understood by both groups. When he first started working with the
team in India, he sometimes was surprised at how his communications were interpreted. He found that sometimes he
offended team members unknowingly. But since then, Al has taken the time to learn about the culture of his offshore
employees. He feels confident that his email is effective and conveys the correct message.

Communication Barriers
Communication barriers are any behaviors, actions, or events that prevent effective communication from occurring.
Communication barriers are one of four types: physical, technical, cultural, or psychological. Two of these types—
physical and technical barriers—are fairly obvious, but the other two types—cultural and psychological barriers—can
be very subtle and difficult to detect.
Mark has a team that is located in two countries, and he has experienced a number of barriers to communication in his
weekly team meetings. Occasionally, the phone quality is very poor and the team members have a very difficult time
hearing the conversation. Frequently, the overseas team doesn't understand the references to American TV shows Mark
uses to illustrate his points. They are reluctant to ask for clarification because they don't want to appear incompetent. As
a result, sometimes Mark's instructions are misunderstood and work must be redone, driving up the costs of projects.
Overcoming communication barriers will ensure that your teams work effectively and efficiently, no matter where they
are located.
David is leading a team that is both cross-cultural and virtual. Yesterday, when talking to his Hong Kong contact, Ming
Le, David had many difficulties getting a good connection. Finally, after several unsuccessful attempts to connect, they
finally did connect using the speakerphones. Just when Ming was reading an important section to David on the
speakerphone, the sound of a drill outside David's window made the phone line take on a static buzzing sound that
overpowered the conversation. It was the construction work outside of David's window, which he could not control.
Since he and Ming Le were only available briefly at the same time, David needed a quick alternative plan. He excused
himself and arranged to return Ming's call from another office.
It was a difficult call for David for other reasons. His son was performing in a school play that evening, and he was
anxious to complete the call and get home. Rather than rushing through the call, David prepared a list of items that
needed to be accomplished and systematically checked each one off as it was completed. This helped him to stay on
task and focused, and actually moved the call along very quickly.

Although he was moving briskly through his list, David was sensitive to not rushing. He has picked up from some of
his other calls that Ming Le was offended if he went too quickly and didn't take time for the niceties. David spent some
time discussing this with his mentor, who had extensive experience working with the Hong Kong team.
During the call, David and Ming Le wanted to review some project schedules. These schedules are normally stored at a
network location accessible to all members of the team. However, at the hour of the call (which was after the US work
day), the network administrator had taken down the server where the files reside for routine maintenance. David had
anticipated this and made sure a current copy of the file was on his desktop. He emailed the file to Ming Le before the
meeting.
Overcoming issues among team members
Personal styles are the manner in which individuals respond to stimuli. Responses are determined by past experiences,
skill level, personality, culture, and other influences on decision making. Group members may have diverse styles that
create a depth in perspective, but these differences may also complicate communication. The way peoples' styles
interact will determine how the group functions as one unit.
Marty is known for his casual, laid back style. Marty is the third child in a large family and he learned early in life that
it really didn't benefit him to get too upset when things didn't go as planned. His life hasn't been too stressful, in
general, and Marty always finds that things turn out OK. Due to his early training, Marty never gets too upset at work.
He and his team talk through issues as they arise and come up with solutions. He finds that he works best with people
like himself and tries to avoid people that are “too serious” about their work or their lives.
Roles are the anticipated performance of group members. These are determined by the structure of the team. Roles of
team members are defined by differing levels of responsibility and liability, as well as how much influence individuals
have in the decision-making process. Roles generally differ among group members but may overlap depending on the
needs of the team. It is the responsibility of the team leader to designate the appropriate roles in response to the
strengths and weaknesses of the team members.
Jack, Bill, and Bob work together on the same team, and they all share different but complementary roles. Jack is the
team leader, and his ability to see the big picture and foresee obstacles ahead serves the team well. Bill and Bob are
individual contributors, but they take different roles on the team. Bill always proposes new ideas, improvements to
existing processes, and innovations to products. He is the trail blazer. On the other hand, Bob reminds the team: “We
don't do it like that because we tried it once and it didn't work.” He is the historian, and has kept the team from making
the same mistakes twice.
A reporting structure is the organizational framework that provides workers with a method for communicating with
their coworkers and managers. It designates responsibility and to whom workers are accountable.
People bring their own strengths, weaknesses, and points of view to the team. This is going to inevitably mean a
difference of opinions from time to time. Helping your team to overcome issues as they arise will help everyone
contribute the maximum, and keep the team working effectively and happily.
The advertising team is comprised of people with very different backgrounds, skills, and levels of experience. When
the new client wants a marketing scheme that reaches completely outside the box, Max calls the entire team together to
brainstorm. Cheryl, an artist, wants to take the project in a more abstract direction that involves a wild new color
scheme. Paul, an animator, thinks that they should stick to previously established concepts to stay within budget. Max
keeps the ideas flowing, allowing everyone to get a say. Even when someone gets a little hot, Max maintains a
respectful atmosphere and never loses his own composure.
After ideas have been brainstormed, Max leads the team through an evaluation of the ideas. Using the client's
requirements, the team reviews each idea, accepting some for further consideration and rejecting others. Max is careful
to keep the group focused as they work.

Jenna, known for her own personal sense of cost and value, suggested that the campaign build off of the existing one.
“We can reuse some of the footage we shot for the last campaign,” she suggests. “That will save a lot on the budget.”
Paul is enthusiastic. Max agrees, but when he does, he points out the client's requirement that the new campaign be cost
sensitive.
Cheryl is very disappointed that the team doesn't seem to be interested in her fresh, new ideas. “I thought the client
wanted us to think outside the box. I don't see how we can do that by using the same old material over again. It will be
stale, to say nothing of being boring.”

Max helps the team find a middle ground where Cheryl's ideas can be implemented using the existing footage. As the
team starts working on the project, they begin to find lots of room for compromise.

Aligning your strategy for business results