Diversity in

Teams
Team Building for Diverse Work
Groups
Chapters 3 & 4
 Chapter 3. Model High
Performance Diverse Team
4 Key factors for diverse teams
to succeed:
1. Build diversity awareness
2. Understand diversity issues within
the team
3. Develop skills that make a
difference
4. Reinforce the team norms
 1. Build Diversity Awareness
You need to understand yourself before you
work in a team
The recognition of what is important to you,
as an individual
Your own values, perceptions, expectations
Each team member is obligated to
Understand the role of assumptions
Recognize that patterns of human behavior differ
Consider each individuals strengths
Account for differences in communication styles
 2. Understand Diversity
Issues Within the Team
Critical to all teams, team members
must be knowledegable about
Type and mission of the team
Roles and responsibilities of each team
member
Individual strengths of other team
members
Open lines of communication
Unique to diverse teams is the
understanding of
Values, perceptions and expectations
 3. Develop Critical
Interpersonal Skills
The following 4 critical skills are:
1. Develop strategic communication
Listen and respond (active listening!)
2. Treat each person as an individual
3. Test accuracy of assumptions
Incorrect assumptions can lead members
to misunderstand, misinterpret, and
become frustrated!
4. Resolve conflicts
Both positive and negative conflict
 4. Reinforce the Team
Norms
Norms become even more crucial in
diverse teams
Some norms that a few members
may embrace may be uncomfortable
for others to accept
It is important for team members to
notice reactions to team norms by
other group members
 Worksheet: pp. 28-29
Discuss with your group, the possible
things you can do within each of the
4 key areas as a team to help
increase the performance of your
team
Refer back to the text to see the
definitions and actions required of
each stage
 Chapter 4: Going through
the Key Areas

We will now go through each of these

4 key areas over the next week or
two

Read Chester Cylinder background

on pp. 26-27
 Building Diversity
Awareness
Individuals must understand their own values &
beliefs before trying to understand others
values & beliefs
It is equally important that team members
realize that they have many similarities as well
as many differences
Consider the following:
Patterns of behavior by other members
Patterns of behavior by those who react to those
members
Distinct strengths that the team members contribute
Differences in communication styles
2 distinct elements: self-assessment & team
analysis
 Self Assessment
It is important for each team
member to explore his/her own
values, perceptions & expectations
4 steps:
1. Examine your 1st responses to someone who
is different
2. Review your specific assumptions about
him/her
3. Check the reality behind your assumptions
4. Find commonalities/build trust
Read CC case (pp. 32-34)
 Cross Cultural
Misinterpretation
Interpretation occurs when an individual gives
meaning to observations and their relationships
Our consistent patterns of interpretation help us to
act appropriately
Red = stop, green = go no relearning needed
Categories of perceived images become ineffective
when we place people and things in the wrong
group.
Cross-cultural miscategorization occurs when
people use their home country categories to make
sense out of foreign situations.
Stereotyping involves a form of categorization that
organizes our experience and guides our behavior
toward certain groups
 Assignment
Read The Challenges of Cultural Adaptation
Questions:
Have you ever been in a situation where you had
to learn the basics?
Have you ever had to change your outlooks and
behaviors to match the group within which you
were interacting?
How did you feel?
People from other countries are often
puzzled and intrigued by the intricacies and
enigmas of American culture
 Lack of Cultural Self-
Awareness
India "Americans seem to be in a perpetual hurry. Just watch
the way they walk down the street. They never allow
themselves the leisure to enjoy life; there are too many things
to do."
Turkey "Once we were out in a rural area in the middle of
nowhere and saw an American come to a stop sign. Though he
could see in both directions for miles and no traffic was
coming, he still stopped!"
Colombia "The tendency in the United States to think that life
is only work hits you in the face. Work seems to be the one
type of motivation."
Indonesia "In the United States everything has to be talked
about and analyzed. Even the littlest thing has to be 'Why,
Why, Why?'. I get a headache from such persistent questions."
Iran "The first time my [American] professor told me, 'I
don't know the answer, I will have to look it up,' I was shocked.
I asked myself, 'Why is he teaching me?' In my country a
professor would give the wrong answer rather than admit
ignorance."
 Team Analysis
Each team should review & evaluate
its ongoing dynamics
Fill out the Team Diversity
Assessment form on p. 35 as a team
What score did your team get?
Read Chester Cylinder, p. 37

By next Tuesday: read Building

Multicultural Teams, and develop a
team mission that includes diversity
Model of Communication