In our multicultural society, and particularly if your company has global partners, you might find yourself on a team with Americans and Anglo-Canadians who like to recap everything and have the outcomes written down, Japanese people who read between the lines and look for visual and cultural cues, British folks who like to use dead-pan irony, and French workers who like to give negative feedback directly. Here are some tips to help you navigate working in a multicultural team and reducing misunderstandings.

As workplaces slowly begin to reopen and as we return to the office or begin a hybrid model of online and in-office workplace, it is important to be prepared for conflict, tension, and the effects of the pandemic spilling over into the workplace. These issues can be around disagreements about COVID precautions, the organizational and job-role changes that have happened (including some workers being hybrid and some not), and the massive change in daily routines that many workers will experience. These issues will predictably result in some degree of tension and disagreements in any workplace.

While many companies ingrain the value of apologizing to customers and clients, research has shown that rarely do companies invest time to train their employees on how to effectively apologize to their colleagues. Most of us spend the largest amount of time per day at work. We create relationships with our colleagues and like any other relationship, there is potential for fostering appreciation and potential for offense, tension, and feelings of hurt.