Maureen Onyeziri

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Tension on the team is high

Maria is stuck in a debate between "move fast" and "be cautious." Her colleagues Sarah and Jake are at odds: Jake is worried the company will lose market share if competitors launch a new product feature first; Sarah fears there’ll be consumer backlash if they don’t do proper testing.

There’s only one way forward as far as Maria can see: Call for a vote and let the simple majority win.

That's when Kwame spoke up: "What if we approach this differently?” He noticed he had the room’s attention before continuing. “Where I’m from in Ghana, when the village council faces a decision like this, we use what's called 'palaver'. We don't just vote or let the loudest voice win. Instead, we keep talking until we find a path that incorporates everyone's core concerns."

Maria leaned forward, her mind processing. “So in palaver,” she asked, “how do you handle when someone's completely dug in?"

Kwame nodded, “That's exactly the situation palaver is designed for.” He demonstrated by summarizing the core concerns of each person on the team, then opened the discussion to explore new pathways to reach an agreeable solution. “What if we launch the new feature to just a small, engaged user group first? If Sarah’s team meets with these users and listens carefully to get their feedback, she’ll get the test details she needs.”

Kwame’s cultural insight opened the door for the team to expand their options.

There's joy in working together

Amazing things happen when we leverage the unique qualities that each member brings to the team.

Every one of us brings aspects of ourselves into the work environment – consciously or unconsciously. We can’t just shed who we are when we walk through the door.

This is a good thing! According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report, (2022) organizations perform better by creating environments where employees feel valued and engaged. The best workplaces build spaces where differences in backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives are welcomed, appreciated, and elevated, so that no one is afraid to be themselves at work.

This is how we find joy in working together.

Now, let’s be clear: building spaces where people feel valued does not happen overnight. It takes cultivating curiosity, communication, and a willingness to embrace the journey.

Curiosity

Kwame trusted his team enough to speak up during a tense moment. Maria helped make that possible. She meets with Kwame for lunch periodically to explore the traditions and beliefs he grew up with. She models for the team ‘deep curiosity’ – showing them how to cultivate a genuine desire to understand and learn from other cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Some team members aren’t comfortable moving beyond polite comments to get to more meaningful connections. One CultureALL client explained it this way: “We’re nice people. I see that you're different, but I don’t want to talk about that. I don’t know what questions to ask you. And I don’t want to offend you.”

Practicing deep curiosity moves us beyond surface-level politeness so we can begin asking meaningful questions. The result: authentic connections for productive collaboration.

Learn how Bankers Trust cultivated deep curiosity

Communication

We saw how Kwame’s clear and direct communication was the catalyst for an effective solution that everyone in the room could agree to.

Two factors contributed to his success. First, Kwame understood culturally specific communication styles and picked the right one for this situation. If he’d used a similar, direct approach with a team of people in Ghana where he grew up, his bold assertions would not have been as well received.

Second, Maria provided the right encouragement. She knew to ask follow-up questions, and she signaled a sense of psychological safety for Kwame, letting him know that he can contribute to the team without fear of judgment or rejection.

Communication is a two-way street (or more!) No matter how much experience we have, there’s always a risk we might collide.

What feels natural to one person can feel confusing or even offensive to another. [Click on the words to link to CultureALL videos for illustrated examples]

"Understanding some of those cultural differences and how we speak with one another is so valuable," noted one participant in CultureALL’s Communication Styles workshop. "It completely changed how I interpreted my teammate's feedback style, and I realized that she was far from an underperformer."

People like Kwame and Maria understand that there aren't right or wrong communication styles; but knowing which style is effective in the moment can make all the difference.

Embrace the Journey

Kwame felt comfortable bringing up his cultural insight because the organization had, over time, shown a commitment to this work. His team clearly embraces growth and discovery as an ongoing journey rather than a one-time training.

Many well-intentioned organizations stumble here. They launch programs with enthusiasm, host a few cultural events, maybe bring in a speaker, and then wonder why lasting change doesn't take root. While these are certainly good places to start, long-term commitment and intentional implementation are the keys to success.

A sustained effort to create a team-culture shift might include these types of changes:

• Embed multicultural practices in daily activities, such as restructuring meeting formats to accommodate different communication styles
• Create mentorship or buddy programs for employees to meet regularly and practice bridging cultural differences
• Develop feedback systems that facilitate a variety of cultural norms, especially as they pertain to authority and hierarchy
• Build in regular touchpoints for learning and growth

The goal isn’t perfection, but about creating environments where people feel safe to ask questions, share their experiences, and grow together even when those conversations feel awkward or challenging.

I promise: There will be moments that feel deeply personal; sometimes uncomfortable. There will also be mistakes and a few hurt feelings – but also powerful learning moments along the way. Each employee will start from a different place and move at their own pace. And it will all be worth it.

Learn how Delta Dental is removing barriers to serving clients

Move Forward: Next Steps

Whether your team is two people or two thousand, whether your organization serves a local community or global markets, the principles summarized here remain essential. Deploy them and you will supercharge organizational performance, boost employee attraction and retention, inspire more innovative solutions, and foster stronger connections between your business and its local communities.

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Ready to discover the joy in working together?

CultureALL programs help organizations build a multicultural mindset that transforms workplace relationships and drives business results. Contact us today for your free consultation at 515.273.8569 or Explore@CultureALL.org.