Dwellworks Blog

How to Achieve Cultural Competence in the Workplace

Written by Alyssa Nieset | Jun 20, 2019 6:00:10 PM

Is your business interested in expanding into global markets? Make sure you consider the significance of cultural training and understanding amongst your teams. Cultural competence in the workplace is a key skill that allows teams to work together effectively — no matter where they are in the world.

Thanks to technology, people are more connected than ever before, and global growth is rising because of it. Teams that are trained to understand and respect the nuances of different cultures can actually help their organizations move into worldwide markets by making it easier to establish strong teams and relationships in other countries.

In fact, workplaces that are able to embrace cultural diversity drive higher morale, different perspectives, worldwide influence, and community relations. Cultural differences can’t be ignored. It’s easy to see why cultural competency in the workplace is more important than ever before — but in order for it to take effect, your organization needs to stand behind it.

Cultural Competence in the Workplace Starts at the Top

Providing cultural support is one thing, but changing behaviors is another. Within your organization, it’s a human resources team’s responsibility to manage and maintain proper cultural training. If it’s not managed well, or not implemented at all, global projects and relationships can pay the price.

So, what does an effective cultural competence plan look like? And how do you get teams up to speed quickly? Thanks to technology, speed is the easy part. Ongoing intercultural training, learning, and coaching makes the information stick.

Yet finding fantastic intercultural support can be tough if you don’t know what your organization needs. Dean Foster, Senior Executive Advisor to Dwellworks and the founder of the intercultural industry, recently shared his thoughts on what the top ten factors are for a successful intercultural support program. Check out his most recent post to find out exactly what you need to look for.

Dwellworks Intercultural and our legacy brand have provided intercultural awareness and training to employers and employees for over 30 years. Our solutions evolve with our audience needs, learning styles, and the ever-important nexus of relocation, business travel, global teams, and intercultural agility. You can learn more about our intercultural offerings here.