The world is smaller than ever. Professional collaborations span international boundaries, and remote work has led to a surge in hiring employees from multiple countries. This shift can unlock significant improvements in knowledge sharing, but simultaneously, it introduces some unique challenges to participation.

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Why Knowledge Sharing Demands Cultural Inclusivity

While cultures may feel closer than they have been in the past, deep-rooted differences in values and communication styles remain. This diversity is both an opportunity and a challenge for knowledge leaders. On one hand, staff generally communicate less and show less trust when teams’ cultures and languages differ, but on the other, contextual diversity can lead to better decision-making and creativity.

Team members must share their unique perspectives and experiences to foster an effective working environment. Those who feel more included in communication are almost five times as likely to report higher productivity. At the same time, achieving such collaboration is impossible if leaders cannot account for the cultural and linguistic differences.

The solution lies at the root of the problem. Participation in knowledge exchanges will only occur when the environment is conducive to each individual’s unique background and cultural understanding. Consequently, managers must build their collaboration strategies around cultural inclusivity.

How to Foster Cross-Cultural Knowledge Exchanges

Inclusive knowledge-sharing practices are inherently nuanced, so designing them can be challenging. However, it’s possible if leaders consider these five best practices.

Seek to Understand Cultural Differences

The first step in creating a culturally inclusive participation model is understanding the workforce's differences. Every demographic has unique needs and expectations that impact their communication and feelings of acceptance within the workplace. Consequently, businesses must recognize these discrepancies to ensure they can provide what their specific employees require.

Direct conversations are a good way to understand these considerations. At the same time, those from hierarchical cultures may need a less straightforward approach. Many Asian cultures, for example, avoid direct confrontation and discourage challenging supervisors openly, which may hinder such communication. An intermediary or anonymous survey can account for this barrier.

Account for Differing Communication Styles

Once leaders know where their team members are coming from, they must design knowledge exchanges to support these differing communication styles. Translation is the most obvious part of this strategy, and artificial intelligence is a great solution. Some apps support over 30 languages and can translate in near-real time.

Facilitating conversations through multiple platforms will also help. Some cultures may feel more comfortable speaking face-to-face, while others find they can voice their opinions better over email or instant messaging. Hosting meetings both with and without supervisors present can also help. Across all examples, a diversity of communication methods and styles allows for people of all backgrounds to have a chance to use whatever works for them.

Empower Employees Through Tool Access

Leaders can support everyone’s diverse collaborative needs by providing equal tool access. Not having the right communication software is a main barrier to remote productivity, so ensuring all team members can use various collaborative platforms helps everyone work and share the way they need to.

Providing both asynchronous and synchronous messaging tools is a good first step. Similarly, everyone should be able to use videoconferencing software and access the same project management platforms. That way, they can communicate the way they prefer while ensuring all staff can see the same information, which fosters feelings of inclusion.

Lead by Example

Giving everyone the tools and space they need to share their knowledge comfortably is only part of the equation. Managers must also encourage employees to take advantage of these opportunities and, more importantly, speak in a considerate manner and account for all cultures. The key here is to lead by example.

Research shows that they are more inclined to share their perspective when their supervisors offer support and guidance. Team leaders should take the initiative to ask questions, encourage others to offer their insights and reaffirm that they are willing to adapt to whatever they need to feel comfortable. Doing so in front of other workers is also crucial, as it pushes them to reflect the same sensitivity.

Review and Adapt Over Time

Finally, brands must recognize that they may not perfect cross-cultural participation models on the first try. It can take time for people to feel comfortable sharing what works for them and what does not. Similarly, cultural dimensions and their impact on collaboration may shift as the workforce changes. Adaptability and review are essential to remaining effective in all cases.

Managers can stay on top of these trends through surveys and reviewing their approaches at least once annually. Reviews may also be necessary after a round of hiring, as the team’s cultural make up may differ. Following the previous steps whenever change is necessary will ensure diverse workforces can remain collaborative over time.

Effective Participation Requires Cross-Cultural Inclusivity

Organizations today are often more cross-cultural than they were years ago. This is a boon to strategic decision-making, but only when all feel respected and comfortable sharing their perspectives. When leaders can encourage participation from people of all backgrounds, they can foster a more agile, fair and effective working environment.

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