I am sure that I do not have to elaborate on what I mean when I refer to ‘uncertain times’. Something that seems everywhere – when you get together in social gatherings, water cooler chat at office, turn the radio on, news paper headlines…….economic downturn…..
Do you know that different cultures adapt/ deal with uncertain and ambiguous times strikingly different? Here are some highlights and tips to turn a challenge into an opportunity when working with different cultures during tumultuous times.
‘Uncertainty Avoidance’ is a cultural dimension that relates to the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations – deals with a society’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity.
Cultural groups from Argentina, Latin American, Arab nations, Japan, US generally tend to avoid uncertainty and ambiguous situations. When faced with uncertainty, these cultures generally need and expect more structure, express a sense of nervousness and spurn high levels of emotion, and avoid differences.
Cultural groups from India, East Africa nations, Denmark, Jamaica, Singapore, and Hong Kong generally tend to manage uncertain and ambiguous situations better. When faced with uncertainty, these cultures generally orient themselves towards long term strategy than what is happening on a daily basis, accept change and risk, and express a greater level of tolerance for a variety of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs.
Here are some tips for those of you working with cultures that tend to avoid/ averse to uncertainty:
• Be clear and concise about your expectations and parameters.
• Plan and prepare, communicate often and early, provide detailed plans and focus on the tactical aspects of a job or project.
Here are some tips for those of you working with cultures that tend to embrace/ manage uncertainty better:
• Do not impose rules or structure unnecessarily.
• Minimize your emotional response by being calm and contemplating situations before speaking.
• Express curiosity when you discover differences.
Share your thoughts and personal insights working across cultural boundaries.
Tags: Cross Culture, Cultural Communication, Cultural Competence, Economic Meltdown, Global Culture, Global Mindset, International Employee Relations, Uncertain Times
Cultural Competence Think Tank 
February 23, 2009 at 7:39 pm |
You make some great points but I think this is just the tip of the issue of uncertainty. With these tough economic times, how people handle what is happening in your office will be as different as what they chose to wear. I truly believe the last points you made about setting clear expectations and listening will take folks far. Being curious and taking the time to understand the concerns of your diverse staff or customers will go a long way.
I look forward to reading more!
February 24, 2009 at 10:14 pm |
I tend to agree with everything said above, and I would add the following: while you do not want to unnecessarily put fear into your team I think it is important that you be honest and let them know that times are tough for you just like everyone else. Some things that happen are thanks to forces beyond your control, but you are doing everything you can to keep everyone in jobs and keep the business running as normally as possibly, in order to minimize any unpleasant disruptions to the organization. I think on the whole people prefer honesty, also you don’t want to lull them into a false sense of security, as emotions tend to run high anyone when layoffs occur. You don’t want to put yourselves in a situation to unwittingly add fuel to that fire.
March 13, 2009 at 9:43 pm |
This information is both invaluable to employees in corporations who work with distributed, global teams, and also to us Americans who are living and/or working alongside people from other countries and cultures. Our American way of doing things is often a combination of determination and mental toughness (‘we’ll get through this’), yet tempered by the reality around us that calls for compassion and giving help to others. Great thoughts.