How to better understand yourself and the other part?
Great leaders must have a good understanding of their teams and people the lead. They must be able to truly comprehend the composition in the team, specific types of character within the team and personal behaviour. If the team consists of members from different cultures, the complexity of comprehension and understanding increases even more.
Low Context & High Context cultures
Some cultures are what is called Low Context cultures and others High Context cultures. Low Context cultures generally rely a lot on rules, specifics, getting to the point, time precision and creating results fast and efficient. Feedback is here direct, outspoken and specific. Within High Context cultures however, context plays higher importance, relations are important and communication can cycle and wave before it gets to the point. Feedback in here less direct, it’s important not to step over invisible lines of courtesy and etiquette and relations often matter more than specifics of the project when getting things done. Examples of Low Context cultures are Northern European countries, Australia, Great Britain and USA where as examples of High Context cultures can be found in Africa, Asia, Middle East and South America.
Individualistic & Collectivistic cultures
On top of this comes another complexity – whether being individualistic collectivistic cultures. Individualistic cultures cherish competition on individual and team level – being no. 1. In these cultures the competition and being celebrated and recognised as a winner plays an important role, and team members are urged to both play in the team and try and win as individuals. Contracts are WON or LOST. Employee of the month is being displayed on company websites etc. In Collectivistic cultures however, the collective team is what matters, individuals are neither celebrated nor put aside, and the collectiveness of the team must be kept intact. Examples of individualistic cultures are USA, Great Britain and Australia. Examples of collectivistic cultures are Scandinavian countries, Asian countries and South American countries.
Understand the nuances of the team composition the personal behaviour as well as take in to account the intercultural differences