THE INSTITUTE OF LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT Spotlight on Working Across Cultures In todays interconnected and globalized world, it is now commonplace for people with dissimilar world views, faiths and races, to live side by side. It is a matter of great urgency, therefore, that we find ways to cooperate with one another in a spirit of mutual acceptance and respect Dalai Lama Culture Is defined as 'A set of values, practices, traditions or beliefs a group shares, whether due to age, race or ethnicity, religion or gender'. In today's ever-changing workplaces, the mix of cultures is growing, and whether we Look at the differences between us, or focus on looking at the commonality, the future is clear. The collaborative leader needs to recognise the similarities, and embrace the differences that a varied workforce can offer an organisation to help it to move forward to face the future with greater confidence and competence Communication Effective communication is critical to an organisation, and getting it right in a multi-cultural society and workforce Is a must. Review of how communication across this wide expanse is done must be considered by the collaborative leader. Language and ways of communicating must be high in the agenda to ensure effective and timely communication. Being aware of customer needs Customers are the lifeblood of an organisation, and being aware of differing customer needs - whether the customer is internal or external - enables leaders to provide the right product and services that the market requires. As more organisations now operate outside their immediate locality, and often overseas, an understanding of relevant points becomes critical. Body Language Body language or Non Verbal Communication (NVC) Is another key factor in cultural difference. As countries have different ways of conveying or sharing their message, for instance, In Scandinavia, the communication style is often direct, open and "to the point". In Britain and Ireland business communications can be difficult to read since the British and the Irish do not like to offend their business partners and sources of disagreements are not always obvious to detect, it very important to know what your body language should be doing when interacting with people whether it's your business partner or an interviewer. 7%% Impact of As we can see from Prof. Albert Mehrabian's study Into the understanding of communication in the 1960s, the spoken word $5%% different parts of Itself has minimal Impact on its audience, with tone, pitch pace, communication 38% and NVCs have a great deal more. Words This shows us that even if we do not get the words right in Tone our communication, we can adjust our tone, and NVCs (Body Language) to provide the appropriate message, although some NVC nationalities have different mannerisms for emotions which may confuse the receiver of a message:According to Richard Lewis in "When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures', "Arms, which are used little by Nordics during conversation, are on indispensable element in one's communicative weaponry in Italy, Spain, and South America" Mike Nudelman, 'Business Insider', Identifies different gestures that can be misinterpreted: Body Part | The West Rest of World Nodding up and down generally means Other groups - e.g. Bulgarians and Greeks - have a different Head approval or 'Yes' meaning - nodding up and down generally is a negative response Good eye contact in the West is generally Finns and Japanese are embarrassed by another's stare, and Eyes an indication that the person is listening and only seek eye contact at the start of the conversation. West focusing on what is being said Indian people may view a direct stare as being disrespectful and tend to look away when listening. Blowing one's nose in public in common pace in the west In Japan blowing one's nose in public would be frowned on Nose Tapping one's nose in the UK signifies that Tapping one's nose in Italy may mean 'Watch out!" something is 'confidential" Lips People in the West often kiss when they In Many Asian counties this would be considered too intimate a say hello or say good bye gesture to be displayed in public People gesticulate freely, and use their Some northern Europeans find arm gestures too insincere Arms arms to illustrate their emotions in many and over dramatized, whilst in Japan, gesturing with broad arm western countries, such as Italy and the US movements is considered impolite The wave of a hand such as when greeting or leaving someone in the UK or USA The wave of a hand may signify 'No' in some cultures, such as signifies hello or goodbye parts of Latin America Hands Pointing with your index finger in many In Malaysia pointing with the index finger is taboo, but the countries simply identifies where thumb can be used something can be found Sitting cross legged, with your leg resting Legs on the knee of the other leg is considered In Asia and the Middle East this is a sig of disrespect, and can OK in many countries as a relaxed seated cause offence position Based on Mike Nudelman/Business Insider As we can see, communication between cultures must be judged appropriately, and developing staff within organisations to understanding the growing multi-cultural environment is an effective way of avoiding miscommunication. As people start to gain more insight into the cultural differences between others, they may start to value a different insight that may be brought to the business. Creativity can be enhanced by realizing, for example, that people In the UK are generally Logical thinkers, whilst Maltese people are often Lateral or Creative thinkers. This opens up a wealth of potential new opportunities for considering different viewpoints, and will add value to the business. Making the most of our cultural differences, rather than being suspicious of them will only happen through a widened perception of what every person in the organisation can offer to others, and this will enhance the opportunities for all concerned. References Mayhew R. (2018). Examples of Cultural Differences in the Workplace http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-cultural-differ- ences-workplace-11494.html Mehrabian, A. (1981). Silent messages: Implicit communication of emotions and attitudes Belmont Passport to trade (2014). Cultural differences in business - are you aware of them? http://businessculture.org/business-culture/ cultural-differences-in-business/ Elkins. K. and Nudelman. M. (2017) The Shocking differences in basic body language around the world http://uk. businessinsider. com/body-language-around-the-world-2015-37r-USSIR-T accessed 1.12018 Learning Cluster 44.2 . Published by The Institute of Leadership & Management 2018 @ The Institute of Leadership & Management The Institute of Leadership & Management, Pacific House, Relay Point, Tamworth B77 SPA . www.InstituteLM.com - +44 (0) 1543 266886THE INSTITUTE OF Adaptability: LEADERSHIP Distributed Leadership & MANAGEMENT One of The Institute's worksheets series, to help you improve your leadership skills and capability, making you a better leader This worksheet, based on the Spotlight 'Distributed Leadership,' will help you focus on the features of distributed leadership and the relevance and application of distributed leadership for your team. You should take approximately two hours to complete this worksheet and read the accompanying Spotlight 1. Use one sentence to explain the difference between the 'practice of leadership' and the 'designated role of leadership': 2. Use the table below to select TRUE or FALSE for each statement and explain the reasons for your choice: True or False Why? The essence of distributive leadership is that leadership Is a group quality, a set of functions to be carried out by the group, not just one person Distributed leadership encourages Initiative by allowing those closest to the task to make the decisions that will affect their success The purpose of distributed leadership is to enable the formal leader to delegate tasks more effectively to the team There Is no need for a shared purpose or understanding of the organisation's values and goals with distributive leadership Learning together and then acting on new understandings Implies that leadership potential is not restricted to one person 3. In the boxes below, write what you think are the two most important advantages that distributed leadership can bring to an organisation: 2Worksheet Adaptability: Distributed Leadership 4. What do you consider are probably the two main reasons why organisations do not operate distributed leadership? 5. Provide two positives and two negatives of introducing, or operating, distributed leadership in your team. Ensure you provide explanations, and not just bullet-points. 6. Write a tweet in the space below to explain how distributed leadership differs from delegation: 7. How would you start a conversation to convince an autocratic leader of the benefits of distributed leadership? All references are cited in The Institute of Leadership & Management (2018) 'Spotlight on Distributed Leadership' Achievement - Adaptability - Distributed Leadership Published by The Institute of Leadership & Management 2018 @ The Institute of Leadership & Management The Institute of Leadership & Management, Pacific House, Relay Point, Tamworth B77 SPA . www.InstituteLM.com . +44 (0) 1543 266886