Managing Cross Cultural Remote Teams | Ricardo Fernandez | TEDxIESEBarcelona

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker shares his experience managing a diverse, remote team and the challenges of cultural differences in a global workplace. He highlights the benefits of remote work, such as flexibility and employee satisfaction, but also addresses the potential for misunderstandings and loneliness. The speaker emphasizes the importance of physical presence to build empathy and strong teams, suggesting a blend of remote work and occasional in-person meetings as the key to a successful multicultural team dynamic.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The speaker manages a globally distributed team of 30 people from 10 different nationalities, highlighting the challenges and benefits of multicultural remote work.
• 🏡 Remote work has become a norm, with the speaker's morning routine now involving immediate family interaction and work that starts within seconds.
• 🕒 Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings, such as the South African concept of 'just now', which can mean a significantly different timeframe than intended.
• 📈 Millennials prioritize flexibility in the workplace over traditional benefits like cash bonuses, private healthcare, and additional vacation days.
• 📚 The speaker addresses communication challenges by providing the team with 'The Culture Map' by Erin Meyer, which improved self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences.
• 🗣️ Direct communication is crucial; remote work can exacerbate misunderstandings due to the lack of non-verbal cues and immediate feedback.
• 🏙️ Remote work can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, necessitating the need for co-working spaces or other community-oriented work environments.
• 🤝 Physical presence is essential for building empathy and strong team relationships, suggesting that occasional in-person meetings are beneficial for remote teams.
• 🌟 Despite the challenges, the speaker sees remote work as the future, offering flexibility and the potential for a better work-life balance.
• 🔄 The speaker's personal journey, moving across different countries and cultures, has equipped them with practical experience in managing multicultural teams.

Q & A

What is the speaker's typical morning routine now?

The speaker wakes up between 7 to 8:30 AM, plays with their kids, and then quickly transitions to work in their study where they manage a remote team.

How many people does the speaker manage and from how many different nationalities?

The speaker manages a team of 30 people from 10 different nationalities.

What challenges does the speaker face in managing a remote multicultural team?

The speaker faces challenges such as cultural interpretations of everyday workplace occurrences, remote communication limitations, and the lack of physical presence to create empathy within the team.

What is the significance of the speaker's personal journey in their ability to manage a multicultural team?

The speaker's personal journey as a 'nomad', having lived in various countries, has provided them with a wealth of experiences that help in managing everyday problems arising from a multicultural team.

What does the graph in the speaker's presentation reveal about Millennials' workplace preferences?

The graph shows that Millennials prioritize flexible working hours, remote work options, and training over cash bonuses, private healthcare, and additional vacation or maternity/paternity benefits.

Why did the speaker purchase 30 copies of 'The Culture Map' by Erin Meyer?

The speaker bought the books to address communication problems within the team, aiming to increase self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences.

What was the outcome of the team reading 'The Culture Map'?

Reading 'The Culture Map' helped the team to openly discuss and understand their cultural differences, which was a key factor in improving communication and team success.

How does the speaker feel about remote work contributing to loneliness?

The speaker has experienced loneliness while working remotely, highlighting the need for physical presence to create a truly connected team.

What is the speaker's view on the necessity of physical presence in a remote work setting?

The speaker believes that while remote work is the future, physical presence is still necessary a few times a year to build empathy and create an amazing team.

What is the speaker's final thought on the benefits of being away from co-workers?

The speaker suggests that sometimes being away from co-workers can be beneficial, as it allows for flexibility and the ability to work from various locations, including home.