Creating effective international teams is a challenging task, even for experienced organisations. Despite extensive research and numerous training programmes, no single method guarantees success. This complexity becomes more evident when companies expand into international markets and face what is sometimes referred to as the ”boardroom barrier.”
The boardroom barrier arises when management strategies that work well in one country prove ineffective in another. Many companies respond to this challenge by establishing regional silos. While this may provide temporary relief, it doesn’t address the deeper operational issues. As businesses grow, they recognise the importance of forming cross-border teams. These teams bring diverse expertise, sharpen global strategies, and boost profitability. They also alleviate the administrative burden on the management group. However, many organisations hesitate to build cross-cultural teams, viewing the process as overly complex, messy, or risky.
Key Components of Successful International Teams
Two key elements are essential for successful international teams: empowerment and trust. A lack of trust often leads to friction, low motivation, and poor collaboration. Building trust differs across cultures. For example, Finnish work culture builds trust by completing tasks and meeting deadlines, whereas other cultures focus on forming relationships first to succeed in completing tasks. Understanding and accommodating these differences is crucial. Without trust, resolving conflicts and maintaining team cohesion becomes significantly more difficult, if not impossible.
Prioritising People Over Processes
In collaborating with companies to improve their international operations, we emphasise the importance of focusing on people as much as on projects and tasks. A common challenge is the ”ethnocentric culture” of the headquarters. This refers to the tendency of the main office to assume that all regional teams should adopt its ways of working to the methods of the primary country. Such expectations are often unrealistic and can lead to inefficiencies and tension. By promoting cultural awareness among leaders and recognising different values and practices, we empower managers to effectively lead multicultural teams.
The Building Blocks of International Teams
Establishing Psychological Safety
Each team member brings their own emotions, goals, and concerns. Fear, in particular, can hinder team-building. The first step is to create a psychologically safe environment during initial meetings. This involves ensuring that everyone feels at ease and comfortable introducing themselves and sharing their viewpoints. When team members feel secure, trust can grow, and they are more likely to express their ideas without the fear of being judged. Creating a safe space allows everyone to immediately shift towards building trust.
Aligning Aspirations Beyond Goals
While objectives, schedules, and deliverables are important, discussing team members’ hopes and aspirations of team members adds deeper meaning to their work. This nurtures a sense of ownership and responsibility for the success of the group and the project. Identifying and expressing aspirations also becomes a driving force behind the team’s motivation and commitment. Leaders frequently find themselves amazed by the strategic thinking of their teams. As these newly formed groups come together, they foster important collective skills in strategic thinking and deepen their commitment to achieving the company’s goals.
Clarifying the ”What”
Asking teams to define ”what” needs to be done might seem straightforward, but it often uncovers valuable insights. This step leads to critical thinking and helps teams understand their objectives on a deeper level. As they analyse the complexities of their tasks, teams become more self-reliant and capable of solving problems independently. This marks the beginning of socially sustainable teams that utilise individual strengths for the benefit of the group. This is when the empowerment and self-resilience of the team truly take hold.
Defining the ”How”
Another critical step is agreeing on ”how” the team will work together. Each team member carries unconscious cultural assumptions regarding how tasks should be done. These assumptions, known as ”cultural loading,” vary significantly between cultures. For example, effective decision-making processes or task management strategies in one culture might not translate well to another. By discussing and agreeing on how the team will collaborate, misunderstandings can be reduced, and efficiency can be improved. Teams that invest time in defining their processes are more likely to achieve their goals.
Pathways to Success
By focusing on empowerment, trust, and cultural awareness, organisations can overcome the challenges of building international teams. Establishing strong foundations—from fostering psychological safety to aligning aspirations and defining working practices—enables teams to perform confidently across borders. These efforts unlock the potential of international teams, driving innovation, collaboration, and long-term success on a global scale.