Transitions are a two way street - Part 2

In the first part of this article, we discussed how the transitioning individual can contribute to a successful transition. Aside from the individual there are several parties involved in a transition. Companies offer services such as temporary housing, relocation and other support with getting setup in life. The receiving team is also part of the transition and often not consciously prepared for the transitioning individual.

For a transition to be successful fast, it is useful to prepare the receiving team for the new team member. The leader of the team has a key role in preparing the team for a member from a different culture. The leader can help the success of the transition by showing curiosity about the new culture and also being influenced by new learning. The following tips can assist with smoothening and speeding up the transition.

 

Tips for the welcoming group and the group lead

1.       Invite team members to learn basics about the other culture:
Encourage your team members to learn about the culture your newcomer comes from. Suggest that they read up about the culture[i]. Educate and learn with them a few key aspects of the other culture. Invite them to reach out to the new member through inquiring into their culture while respecting the other’s cultural process of integration. Find the culture curious team members and lead with these to increase the overall curiosity of your team members about other cultures.

2.       Respect the other’s language:
When new team members speak another language, invite all team members to be patient and respectful. I remember being on a conference call and not understanding a word. When I asked for the meaning, all English speakers on the call laughed. This experience did not increase my trust into my colleagues but made me more cautious.

3.       Help all team members meet each other and learn from each other: 
Explore the different attitudes for basic dimensions with the whole team. You can use the team composition tool[ii] to help all team members become conscious of their own and others attitudes. Invite a discussion about how to deal with differences that show up. Combine this with consideration of the group development phases[iii] for the whole group. For example, start with dimensions that team members find easy to talk about. Then move to more personal aspects over time.

4.       Lead by example:
Inform yourself about the country the newcomer is from and plan extra time to get to know the person. Over time check in with the person while providing background information on how things work in your organization. Invite the new team member to ask questions if they do not understand something. Make your way of thinking and reasoning explicit. Setup a mentor for the new team member, ideally somebody who has transferred from another country.

5.       Extend the learning about cultural differences to other dimensions of difference:
How about using the learning about integrating a person from another culture into your team to explore other differences that exist in your team? Behaviors such as learning about the situation of the other, being curious, inquiring, sharing your views, sharing your reactions and feelings about what you are learning. Transferring learning to other aspects of the diversity wheel[iv] (such as age, religion, marital status and others) prepares your team for similar situations and increases its capacity for leveraging differences for success. If your team works with other cultures around the world the learning will increase their capacity to do so effectively.
 

Preparing both sides for the change and the new situation will lead to more effective integration. It also offers learning to all sides: the newcomer, the existing team and the team lead. Together this will lead to understanding. Healthy and effective work relationships will develop. Consequently they will have a positive impact on business results. At the same time, you are building a basis for a comprehensive capacity of all team members to work with differences and change.