The modern world is increasingly diverse, leading to a spark in innovation and a climate of growth, inclusivity, and agility that has transformed how we work.
For many businesses, cultural barriers can make it difficult to see the best options for dealing with different cultures in the workplace. Addressing those obstacles is the key to continued success.
Australian employers are increasingly adopting Indigenous cultural competency training to help staff be more mindful of cultural differences and broaden their perspectives, along with learning more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture as a way to further enhance performance in a competitive business environment.
Adapting To Cultural Differences In Business
When we talk about cultural adaptation, it’s essential to understand that it impacts every aspect of business and reaches beyond day-to-day interaction between team members.
Cultural differences don’t solely exist between individuals in the workforce. They also reflect the diversity of your customers, partners, suppliers, and investors.
Let’s look at five different elements to incorporate into your cultural adaptation strategy:
1. Language
Language is of great relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is a core part of their heritage, as it is for every society and community.
Using one language only, without options to view policy documents, product information, or company communications in another dialect, including Aboriginal English, immediately excludes immense proportions of individuals from being able to engage with it.
It makes a considerable difference to brand perception and the customer experience when a business makes an informed effort to produce materials in local languages, correctly translated by somebody with the relevant cultural background.
2. Marketing
Local knowledge and cultural insights should form the basis of all marketing communications.
Unique products will only sell if your marketing techniques meet local expectations, so cultural sensitivity to tone, wording, expressions, and humour is crucial.
The ability to grasp the nuance of local culture isn’t something to be taken lightly, further enhancing the need for a diverse workforce to represent a range of cultural identities.
3. Organisation
In organisational environments, it is best to guarantee all staff members have a seat at the table, allowing for their diverse voices. Organisational settings that consider diverse viewpoints can make a profound difference in the employee experience.
One of the fundamental differences in culturally adapted organisations is that they create structures to support the needs of their teams, promoting diversity, inclusivity, and creativity as benchmarks to success.
A traditional hierarchical organisation may not attract the best-skilled talent in the local workforce and deter strong candidates from bringing their aptitudes to your business.
4. Products or services
Cultural differences should inform each element of product presentation, including packaging, appearance, instructions, colours, and design.
An exceptional service presented in a non-culturally inclusive way may fail to impact the market, as will products designed solely for one narrow section of the local community.
5. Operations
The global trade framework has grown exponentially over the past few years, and many businesses are looking to upskill their managers to enhance cultural awareness and adapt accordingly.
Examples of simple operational changes include:
- Recognising culturally significant dates.
- Offering flexibility around prayer breaks and cultural leave.
- Changing screening and recruitment processes for new candidates.
- Making diversity training a requirement for all management.
- Proactively enforcing anti-discriminatory workplace policies.
- Celebrating all religions and cultures.
Floating holidays are one option, which means employees can use assigned time off at their discretion, allowing each individual to recognise and celebrate essential calendar dates without assuming that predetermined holidays will meet the needs of all staff.
Why Cross-Cultural Experience Is Important
Cultural awareness training has outstanding benefits and is the first step in the broader process of creating an adaptive working environment.
Real-life experience, interactions, and knowledge sharing build on this training to enable individuals to confront presuppositions and recognise the true meaning of culture.
The more cross-cultural experience an employee has, the more they can operate thoughtfully in an interconnected world. Some of the benefits of cultural competence and cross-cultural experience include:
- Appreciating the diversity in language and communication styles. While learning a new language isn’t obligatory, an increased understanding helps individuals listen better and improve their communication skills.
- Enhancing cultural awareness, meeting new people, forming bonds, and driving towards a positive organisation dynamic with a strong, socially active team.
- Working better as a group, showcasing an understanding of cultural differences, and being open to fresh perspectives.
- Identifying and working on cognitive bias. It is often difficult to recognise these biases without any cross-cultural experiences.
- Broadening horizons and developing a global mindset, making staff better equipped to respond to a range of customer needs.
- Improving self-confidence to collaborate and engage with diverse individuals.
Cross-cultural experiences can range considerably, but all will foster adaptability and open-mindedness.
The result of profoundly understanding multiculturalism in the workforce is a staff better equipped to deal with problem-solving challenges. With an inclusive mindset and proactive attitude, your crew will work together closely to identify the most effective solutions for an ever-changing world.
