What are effective ways to build relationships with Russian team members?

This is so true. They let you know , who they are and their beliefs . For me, this makes everyone on their feet and bringing their very best to the table. I enjoyed working with a Russian team I met online.

Chegar a uma equipa e impor uma cultura / forma de estar radicalmente diferente n?o te vai trazer bons resultados! N?o vais ser recebido com “festas” principalmente se a cultura da organiza??o for de competi??o e n?o uma cultura colaborativo. Em resumo, serás sempre visto como uma amea?a e provavelmente o dito “fit” nunca irá acontecer. “Receita” conex?o com o estilo e adaptabilidade será um sinónimo de inteligência até ter capacidade e elegibilidade para uma nova equipa ou organiza??o. ?? evite o “boicote”

You should show interest in their background, values, and preferences, and accept their invitations or offer your own. You should also avoid topics that may be sensitive or controversial, such as politics, religion, or history

Building relationships with Russian team members can be enhanced by showing respect for their culture, being attentive listeners, and engaging in open communication. Additionally, taking an interest in their traditions, sharing information about your own culture, and demonstrating reliability in your work can contribute to fostering positive connections.

When working with international colleagues, start by researching cultural norms so as not to offend. It is important to be authentic but also helpful use personality matching to best relate to an individual. Being clear and direct helps to improve communication when working with people who may not be fluent in English and remember not to use slang in order to avoid confusion or miscommunication.

I have worked in Russian Federation. My experience is what different: I have created a customer oriented culture with supporting professional facilities and processes in developing markets in Central & Eastern Europe and the Far East, especially in Russia. Being fluency in Turkish, English and Dutch have contributed to this success. I have the ability to build and lead international teams and to adapt to their cultural sensitivities. Setting goals for the team, developing organizational capabilities, and modelling how the team should work together, promoting a 'world class performance' attitude was not easy, especially in a Post Soviet community.

One must realize that the differences between governments and ideologies do not necessarily translate to individual differences. Projection is a way to dehumanize the individual and only serves to further exacerbate divides at the team level. Lead/collaborate with empathy and one would be amazed at the success you could achieve despite diverse backgrounds.

An important concept to understand is the geographical and ethnical heritage of "russians". Most of the ones currently working come from the vast geography of FSU, and might not be ethnically russian, but simply having Russian language as their primary. However, the commonality between all of the FSU immigrants would be that they work hard and are very detail oriented. You will mostly encounter baby boomers, Gen X and Millenials in the workspace, and they tend to share the same general characteristics of these generations across the globe. Baby boomer, Gen X and early Gen Y FSU immigrants might be more reserved than their American or European counterparts. Key to any successful engagement is understanding and empathy.