Globalization caused major changes in different areas of people’s life including business. People from all over the world interact and collaborate, working on projects in cross-cultural teams. Diversity is one of the key components of companies’ success, but in many cases, cultural issues become obstacles to achieving organizational goals. Employees and especially leaders have to understand the peculiarities of intercultural communication and be aware of various strategies to handle it effectively. The present course has equipped me with numerous skills and deep knowledge on the matter, making me more competent and confident as to culture-related issues.
During this course, we studied useful materials and had insightful discussions with peers, which helped me gain knowledge and skills in various culture-associated areas. I also studied additional resources while working on assignments and preparing for discussions, which was also a valuable experience. Clearly, I had had certain preliminary skills and understanding of the matter before starting the course. I had encountered people who came from different cultural backgrounds and largely interacted with them effectively. Nevertheless, I enriched my knowledge substantially, especially when it comes to leading cross-cultural teams. I knew that people pertaining to different cultural contexts had dissimilar attitudes towards leadership. However, now, I have a deep understanding of major peculiarities and ways to address them in the real-life setting. I can shape my communication style based on the need and cultural norms of particular employees. Conflict management was another important topic I paid specific attention to during the semester.
People’s attitudes towards authority, autonomy, teamwork, individualism, and other important aspects should be taken into consideration when working with people of different cultural domains. As far as the most useful things I learned during this semester are concerned, I can note that verbal and non-verbal communication patterns, peculiarities, and strategies became quite helpful and surprising areas to explore. I have become a more successful communicator as I learned about conventions and norms that exist in different cultures. Being respectful and knowledgeable is pivotal for effective communication. I have acknowledged that the representatives of other cultures are more willing to interact when they feel that their partners can achieve common ground with them.
As for surprising data, such information was associated with some universal things the vast majority of people have in common. For instance, although western people are more individualistic compared to Asians, these two cohorts may be outcome-focused, making their priorities revolve around the desired results. The role such aspects as gender and age play in cross-cultural communication became a significant surprise for me. The consideration of some stereotypes made me a more successful intercultural leader as well, although I found many things quite unexpected.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that cross-cultural interaction and communication can be seen as a challenge and a great opportunity. People from different cultural backgrounds contribute to addressing issues and developing innovative strategies to accomplish goals. However, it is important to take into account cultural differences to make intercultural teams effective. It is also necessary to pay attention to such aspects as gender, age, socioeconomic status, which also have a considerable impact on the collaboration of different groups and individuals. Although it is quite sad to say goodbye, I believe we are about to start a new page that can bring us all to new achievements. I believe that we all will continue learning new lessons about different cultures, but the knowledge base we developed during this semester would guide our further progress. I would wish my classmates to be sensible and sensitive leaders of effective cross-cultural teams striving for success and meeting each team member’s needs.