America is largely a nation of immigrants, but soon people settle into their new culture and become… well … Americans.
They know the rules, how things get done, what works and what doesn’t. They know what to say and what not to say. Then when the new guys arrive, it is not difficult to forget that they (or their parents, or grandparents) were also once cultural illiterates, struggling to understand America and her seemingly-incomprehensible ways.
Tags: cultural fluency, cultural literacy
Many organizations are staffed by a mix of people from individualist cultures (e.g. USA, Canada, Western European cultures) and collectivist cultures (e.g. Latino, Asian, African cultures).
Building trust and understanding between these diverse groups is not easy, either for the team members concerned, or for managers and learning specialists who facilitate the process.
Everyone has an “I” consciousness and a “we” consciousness. The “I” focuses on self achievement, self responsibility and autonomy. The “we” identity focuses on connection to our reference groups, and our relatedness. This emphasis varies from person to person, and from culture to culture.
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Tags: collective cultures, cultural fluency, diversity, inclusivity, individualist cultures, management, Organizational Development, trust
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