January 2019
ISSUE 131
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Cross Cultural Project Team

About 8 months ago we began discussions with an IT project manager who was overseeing a project with people from 4 different countries and spanning 2 very different organisations. This was a large digital transformation project with high stakes for both sides. We suggested at that point that it would be useful to bring the teams together in order to create alignment, establish project guidelines and discuss how cultural differences could impact the project. The key stakeholder was lukewarm to the suggestion as he felt that having been involved in numerous management of projects, he already had the requisite experience and therefore it wasn’t a high priority.



Fast forward and 8 months on;

the project is already behind schedule, there are cost overruns, there is tremendous resistance from the client group, a lack of trust is evident with people withholding information and lastly a sense of ‘one team’ is absent from the project team.



From a cultural ‘lens’, there are some key factors that are hindering the success of the project. One of these is the organisational cultures. In this situation, one is a private enterprise and the other is government run. They both have distinct ways of operating, expectations and norms around providing feedback, conflict management, trust building, ways of working, diversity, values and purpose. The fundamental conversations on these topics when starting the project were not established. Another factor is that there are people from four different countries involved and there has been no appreciation of how cultural background influences our world views and behaviours. Finally, the project team members are individuals who bring their own biases to the project.



Some suggestions on how to minimise project derailment based on our work with numerous project teams around the world would be;



1) If possible bring everyone together for a face to face workshop before commencing the project. This helps to build relationships, break down barriers and creates personal connections.

2) Discuss the topic of cultural differences and similarities and the impact culture can have on communication, team work and conflict.

3) Establish guidelines on how the project team will operate in terms of responsiveness to emails and communication, providing feedback, managing conflict and decision making.

4) Schedule regular check-ins especially in the early days of the project as this enables you to assess progress, make adjustments and re-calibrate.

5) At the completion of the project, have a debrief to appraise the lessons learnt and how they can be applied to the successful delivery of future projects.

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Podcast Recommendation:

Please enjoy this podcast where I discuss some key points on collaborating successfully in the workplace.
Click here to listen






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Book Recommendation:

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The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle

In his most recent publication,The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle examines some of the most effective organisations and the dynamics of groups large and small to understand how effective teams work and how we can improve relationships in situations where we need to cooperate with others. Coyle Identifies 3 key areas – Building Safety, Sharing Vulnerability and Establishing Purpose which underscore his approach to developing a winning team culture. Coyle shares helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and offers advice about reforming a toxic culture. Combining science, insights from world-class leaders, and practical ideas for action, The Culture Code offers a guide for creating an environment where innovation flourishes, problems get solved, and expectations are exceeded.




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