The Power of Diverse Teams
“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.”
– Stephen Covey
Multicultural teams are a catalyst for innovation and creativity. They bring a wide range of insights, making products and services more adaptable to international markets. Research shows diverse teams can outperform homogeneous ones — but only if team members have the space to recognize each other’s strengths and align on how to collaborate. Without this foundation, miscommunication, distrust, and stress can undermine performance.
Diversity: Easy to Love, Harder to Manage
“We all like diversity as long as everyone acts like us.”
– Howard Phillips
Cultural styles deeply influence teamwork.
At a training seminar in the U.S., I saw firsthand how cultural mindsets can clash: while my Swiss colleague and I drilled into every detail of a group assignment, our American teammates were ready to sketch a plan and adjust as they went. This difference, handled well, can be a huge asset — or otherwise a stumbling block.
A comparison of these two approaches :
- Swiss approach: value precision, detailed analysis, and decisions that are final.
- North American approach: favor pragmatism, quick action, and flexible planning.
When Collaboration Breaks Down
“Regrettably, culturally diverse teams rarely achieve their full potential.”
– Nancy Adler
Without cohesion, even the best mix of talents falls flat.
In a workshop with a multicultural group, a simple team-building exercise — building the tallest freestanding tower with 1 pack of sugar cubes — exposed underlying fractures: one group split themselves and the amount of suger cubes into two as they couldn’t agree on a design. They ended up with two beautiful, creative towers… but both were by far the smallest of all.
Lesson: without a shared vision, even the best skills don’t add up.
Global and Virtual Teams: Even More Complex
“The challenge of working across borders is not distance — it’s the lack of shared context.”
– Erin Meyer
Working remotely across cultures adds another layer of complexity: distance erodes trust, and loyalty often shifts to local teams. Success hinges on human connection — taking time to know each other personally, share expectations, and make assumptions visible.
In one global team workshop, five countries compared their core values. All agreed on “Respect” — but each defined it differently: respect for group unity, hierarchy, elders, politeness, or the law. It was a powerful moment of realization: values may sound the same, but their meaning can differ profoundly.
→ Key Takeaway: Diverse teams offer extraordinary potential — but unlocking it requires intentional conversations about how culture shapes behaviors, decisions, and expectations. Done right, diversity becomes a competitive advantage, not a liability.
Providing customized, highly interactive, dynamic and learner-centered training programs and workshops.
Keynote speaker – known for delivering engaging and passionate speaches
–> Sample sessions
- Teaming With Cultures – Bridging Differences, Building Success
- Diversity in Action – From Awareness to Action
- Differences deliver Results
- Mini Differences – Maxi Disturbances – Working in Seemingly Similar Cultures
* Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
* Howard J. Phillips, U.S. political figure
* Nancy J. Adler, International Dimensions of Organization Behavior
* Erin Meyer, The Culture Map
