Team collaboration. Cross-cultural design, part 2/3

Even if you have the best skills related to design, working with users, or conducting workshops, if you're unable to effectively get along with your team, you may encounter resistance, and that's definitely something you want to avoid. Below, I've gathered challenges related to collaboration in international teams in the context of teamwork.

Communicating

From low-context (direct and open) to high-context (indirect, subtle, and veiled).

In low-context cultures, the message is clear and direct, while in high-context cultures, meaning often depends on the context, tone, or relationship between interlocutors. Poles are in the middle of this scale, so both extremely low-context and high-context behaviors can seem difficult for us to understand. That is:

Low Context (e.g., USA, Netherlands, Germany) They say what they think. Clearly, literally, without beating around the bush. The content of the statement matters, not guesswork. If you hear "great idea," it probably means... "great idea."

High Context (e.g., Japan, China, India, Brazil) Meaning floats in an ocean of understatements, tone of voice, body language, and the status of the interlocutor. The message is often veiled – you kind of know what's inside, but no one will say it directly. "Yes" can mean "I heard you," "I will consider it," or even "absolutely not, but I won't tell you that directly." You probably know this example.

A an example from my background. Polish people are in the middle – for us, an American can be too direct, and a person from India too vague. In turn, for an American, a Brit can be a master of understatement.

Cultural dimensions are relative. To an English person, we might seem high-context. However, to someone from Ukraine or Russia, we will likely appear rather direct.

It's worth mentioning that two high-context cultures (e.g., Brazil and Japan) won't necessarily automatically understand each other. Their "contexts" can be completely different.

Strategy for effective collaboration: In multicultural teams, it's safest to adopt a low-context communication style. This means formulating thoughts clearly, avoiding understatements, and ensuring everyone understands the message in the same way. Of course, it's worth openly discussing this principle within the team, explaining why this particular approach is being taken.

Leading

From egalitarian (partner-like and cooperation-oriented) to hierarchical (authoritative and position-focused). In egalitarian cultures (e.g., Scandinavia, Netherlands), the leader is part of the team, the power distance is small, and decisions are often made jointly. In hierarchical cultures (e.g., China, Russia, India, partly Poland), the leader has clear authority, the distance is greater, and decisions are often accepted without discussion. If you don't carefully consider cultural conditions, you might have a problem similar to mine: participatory design is underway, and the boss "delegates" an assistant to do the drawing, without getting directly involved himself – yes, I was working with a hierarchical culture then.

Strategies:

• In hierarchical cultures, it's advisable to communicate with people at a similar level. Skipping levels may require your superior's approval. Therefore, if you need to contact your boss's boss or a subordinate of your subordinate, first get permission from the person at the intermediate level.

• In egalitarian cultures – contact the person with the necessary knowledge directly.

• If in doubt about the culture – follow the recommendations for hierarchical cultures: They are generally safer, and it's unlikely you'll accidentally get into trouble.

• Note on emails: In hierarchical cultures, superiors are often added in copy (DW/CC). In egalitarian ones, this might be perceived as a lack of trust.

Deciding:

From consensual (made jointly by the group) to top-down (imposed by leaders). Consensual decision-making (e.g., Germany, Japan) involves the engagement and agreement of most team members, while a top-down approach (e.g., USA, China) means the decision is imposed by one person or a small group of leaders. Poles are closer to top-down decision-making – in this, we are closer to, for example, the American approach.

Strategy: It's worth introducing a distinction between flexible and final decisions. When making a decision, I suggest clearly stating its status. This will help avoid misunderstandings when one side thinks the topic is closed, and the other is still discussing it.

Trusting:

From task-based (built through competence and results) to relationship-based (based on personal bonds and relationships). In task-based cultures (e.g., USA, Germany, UK), trust stems from competence, reliability, and meeting deadlines. Business is business. In relationship-based cultures (e.g., China, Brazil, India, Ukraine), trust is built through personal bonds, loyalty, and spending time together outside of work. Business is personal. To a Pole, an American who is immediately "friendly" might seem superficial. To an American, a Pole who is initially distant might seem unwilling to cooperate. Poland is somewhere in the middle, more relational than the USA, but less so than, for example, China.

Strategy: Adjust your style. If you are from a task-based culture working with people from a relational culture, invest time in small talk and building relationships (e.g., a shared lunch, asking about the weekend). If you are from a relational culture collaborating with a more task-based culture, remember to focus on specifics, deadlines, and results.

In summary:

The key is a conscious approach. In an international environment, low context and clarity are your best friends. It's better to check three times that everyone understands the same thing. It's better to assume the existence of hierarchy – especially if you don't know the context. Remember to pay attention to the decision-making style and consider whether you are operating in a relational or task-based culture.

In the next, final part, I will look at how cultural differences affect presenting results, giving feedback, conducting workshops, planning time, and dealing with disagreement. I will also summarize key strategies for operating in an international environment.