Your global team is divided on problem-solving methods. How can you bridge the gap and find common ground?

In my leadership experience, when everyone brings an idea to the table, most of the time, we can weave a component of everyone's process into a viable and pragmatic solution. The next step is usually group thinking because it helps troubleshoot potential flaws or bugs in the implementation.

Embrace Diversity: Value Different Perspectives: Recognize and value the diverse problem-solving approaches brought by team members from different cultural and professional backgrounds. Educate on Diversity: Organize workshops or sessions to educate team members on the benefits of diverse problem-solving methods, showcasing how different approaches can complement each other. Encourage Sharing: Create a platform where team members can share their unique problem-solving strategies and successes, fostering respect and appreciation for diverse methods.

Open communication is the cornerstone of effective teamwork, especially in a multicultural team. By setting your own example by communicating openly, you will realize that others will follow your example and begin to express their thoughts openly. And this applies not only to the content of the work but also to the feelings during it. Set your example.

Communicate Openly: Facilitate Open Discussions: Encourage open discussions where team members can express their thoughts and concerns about different problem-solving methods without judgment. Clarify Misunderstandings: Use these discussions to clarify misunderstandings and provide insights into the effectiveness of different approaches. Active Listening: Promote active listening within the team, ensuring that all voices are heard and considered, which can lead to a deeper understanding among team members.

Set Common Goals: Align on Objectives: Ensure that all team members are aligned on the common goals and objectives of the project, regardless of their individual problem-solving methods. Goal-Oriented Solutions: Guide the team to focus on how different methods can contribute to achieving these shared goals. Outcome-Based Discussions: Keep discussions focused on outcomes rather than methods, which can help in identifying which approaches are most effective for the task at hand.

Leverage Strengths: Identify Individual Strengths: Recognize and utilize the individual strengths of team members, assigning tasks that maximize their problem-solving abilities. Strength-Based Teams: Form sub-teams where members' strengths complement each other, enhancing the overall problem-solving capacity of the group. Celebrate Successes: Highlight and celebrate when diverse approaches lead to successful outcomes, reinforcing the value of leveraging individual strengths.

Create Inclusive Solutions: Hybrid Approaches: Encourage the team to develop hybrid solutions that incorporate elements from various problem-solving methods. Inclusive Decision-Making: Involve all team members in the decision-making process, ensuring that each member's input is considered in the final solution. Prototype and Test: Use prototyping or testing phases where different solutions can be experimented with and evaluated based on performance.

Continuous Improvement: Feedback Loops: Establish continuous feedback loops to assess the effectiveness of combined problem-solving approaches. Iterative Process: Promote an iterative approach to problem-solving, where methods are continually refined and improved based on project outcomes and team feedback. Learning Culture: Foster a culture of learning and adaptation, encouraging team members to learn from each approach and its results.

Here’s what else to consider: Cultural Competence Training: Provide ongoing cultural competence training to enhance understanding and cooperation across diverse team members. Conflict Resolution Strategies: Implement effective conflict resolution strategies to manage disagreements about methods constructively. Leadership Support: Ensure that leadership actively supports and champions the integration of diverse problem-solving methods within the team.