Working Fast -Missing Culture?

Culture -When you hear that word what comes to mind? Probably food, clothes or even language (writing sytems etc). These are the visible signs of culture.

But… many of the cultural challenges we experience lie beneath the surface—the invisible factors that shape how we collaborate and get things done (or not). These include differences in how we explain a situation or structure an idea – for example whether we start with background information or get straight to the point. They also include varying attitudes toward hierarchy, different ways of giving feedback and finally what builds or even breaks trust. All of these are deeply rooted in culture. 

When we add speed into that mix, things gets even more challenging. In today’s fast-paced work environments, we often switch between cultures in a matter of minutes—say, a Zoom call with HQ followed by an in-person meeting locally.  It’s no wonder it’s hard to keep up- and conflict sometimes arises.

So what’s the solution? Cultural Agility—the ability to effectively navigate across diverse cultural contexts.

In my next post, I’ll share a simple framework that’s helped many leaders and teams turn cultural complexity into a competitive edge. Watch this space.