Building bridges across cultures

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: with unifying through intangible attributes such as values and a common code of conduct. Companies need to be cross-culturally sensitive to be able to navigate its complex nature and build an understanding of businesses functioning in a global market. They need to strategically find, motivate and deploy a diverse group of qualified people across geographies.

Challenges include building a value-creating mindset, recruiting and managing a global and diverse workforce.

Talented and powerful

The new economy calls for a shift in mindset that would entail being more ‘outward focused’—extensively using cross-functional, heterogeneous and global teams to produce creative solutions to business problems.

It’s vital to develop a global mindset through being inclusive and embracing diversity. “Diversity is all the ways in which we differ”—it encompasses differences in gender, age, physical abilities, qualities, racio-ethnicity, sexual orientation as well as differences in attitudes and perspectives, location and background. The rise of the emerging markets and demographic shifts make diversity and inclusiveness critical to organisational success in an interconnected world. One has to draw on the strengths of everyone and capitalise on their differences. At Ernst & Young, we have a ‘global diversity and inclusiveness leader’ to help ensure that we leverage the skills of our diverse workforce and that we reflect the markets in which our clients operate.

Organisations need to encourage diversity and commit to bringing out the best in individuals by giving them freedom to be themselves. By embracing the differences in your workforce, you are able to provide richer insights to your clients and wider communities, as well as help your people achieve their potential.

Evolving the right culture

Values can provide the foundation that can guide the way your people interact with each other and with clients, and brings them together as one global team. You can also promote a shared appreciation of a common set of values through awards programmes.

It’s also important to promote common work practices, learning & development systems and brand identity. Setting up a global code of conduct creates a clear set of standards for business conduct, provides an ethical and behavioral framework for decisions and reflects the commitments contained in the firm’s values. Learning and development programmes help sensitise employees on cross cultural behaviours, business etiquettes and communications. People rarely expect a career for life, but it’s important to ensure that work opportunities are so rich and varied that it’s possible to try new options without having to change organisations.