Strengthening cross-cultural collaboration

Problem/Situation: A new nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. was pulling together a management team from several countries, whose members needed to collaborate closely across time zones and cultures. The CEO was planning a three-day retreat, where she allocated a half-day to activities to strengthen members’ ability to collaborate and communicate more effectively.

Solution: We designed three interlocking experiential earning activities to engage everyone right from the start. First, participants created and shared autobiographical posters that depicted important aspects of their lives and cultures. Next, they participated in a fast-paced simulation exercise to show how cultural differences affect trust and collaboration, especially when communications are constrained. Finally, we discussed results of DiSC profiles, both as a large group and a small team, where people explored how team members might use their newfound knowledge in real-life scenarios.

The result: Participants candidly discussed differences and sensitive issues that had a significant impact on their ability to collaborate well. As a result, team members cultivated greater trust and rapport and learned new techniques for bridging differences.

"Before meeting with new folks around the world, I look through your materials to brush up my skills and build my confidence to lead a successful meeting. I continue to be very successful in leading virtual teams and attribute much of that ability to my time spent learning from you, and from the continued input through Communiqués." – Rich Johnston, Project Manager, F50 Manufacturing Conglomerate