Having lived outside of London for several years I worked at some offices where the majority of staff were white, middle class English people. When I moved to London I worked in a place where every person on my six seat desk area was from a different country and a different religion. I found this experience enriching and interesting since the people had such wide and varied experience and this tended to filter through to the work. Solutions were varied and innovative since the knowledge base was extensive. Some managers find it challenging to manage a multi-cultural office since the extreme differences in religion and culture can be daunting as well as causing a range of issues. What steps can you take to successfully manage a multi-cultural office?

It has been the case in past years that people who do not have experience of different religions gain their knowledge from the media. I recently discussed religion with some friends who do not have any contact with Muslim people. They seemed to feel confident in their knowledge about the religion and culture however which I found confusing. When I questioned them further they admitted that their information came solely from the media. Their knowledge was often incorrect and strangely biased in a negative way. When I worked in the multi-cultural office there were several Muslim and Hindu people who were very happy for me to ask them questions about their religions and it was often a very different story to that portrayed by a frankly irresponsible media.

As a manager, if a member of staff is doing something you do not understand then you should not feel afraid to ask. Most people are happy to talk about the reasons behind a practice. Ask questions sensitively and with genuine curiosity without any hint of patronisation or condescension and people will be happy to explain. This in itself is a positive step in managing staff from different cultures since they will be aware that you are interested in them. Talking to staff about their cultural differences especially when those differences are apparent within the working environment can increase teamwork. As the manager you will understand your staff and therefore be able to manage them more effectively. The staff will be confident that you are not forcing them to adopt your own practices, but are willing to be flexible and considerate provided this does not interfere with the performance of the staff. This will also help if you need to conduct business in another country since you will have a greater understanding of the culture and benefit from the experiences and advice of your staff members.

A manager must encourage and embrace a multi-cultural office and be sensitive to their staff. Do not hire an orthodox Jewish person and then treat the office to a round of bacon sandwiches as a welcome present! It is your job as a manager to treat all staff with fairness and respect and value what each individual can bring to the table. If you accidentally make a genuine mistake in this way which causes offence the calmly and sincerely apologise and find out exactly what caused the offence and assure the member of staff that the situation will not be repeated. Any situation which may be deemed as intentionally racist must be dealt with swiftly and fairly. All staff should be made fully aware of the anti-racism policies of the company and the consequences of breaking these rules.

When hiring staff it is important that a manager is blind to colour, culture and religion. Nobody should be hired or not hired based upon any of these things. The first step is to ensure that you hire the right people for the job based on their relevant qualifications and experience. It is quite likely that in a global environment you will be working with if not managing teams from several different countries. When this is the case a company must take account of local working practices and be flexible in its approach. Take the time to find out about your staff including their culture in order to understand how they work best.

Staff who are part of a particular religion will often choose to share the celebration with those around them at work. For example, my Hindu colleagues would bring Diwali cakes in to share at the festival time. This was a good opportunity for people to ask him questions if they wanted to and share in the fun without having to feel pressured. Having religion brought into the office in this way does not usually cause a problem since it is enjoyable for everyone and nobody is asked to do anything they do not feel comfortable with. It can also be a way of encouraging teamwork. Sometimes differences in working practices as well as a lack of understanding and knowledge can lead to a lack of teamwork.

A previous client of mine was a multi-national investment bank. The offices were spread across several countries such as the UK and Japan which both had extremely different cultures and business practices. The managers dealt with these issues effectively by giving all new staff an induction course on the differences. This information on how people worked meant communication levels were improved and staff could work effectively together in an environment of consideration. The company also offered all staff the opportunity to take language courses. The UK staff all had access to Japanese language lessons if they chose which included professional course material as well as support from the Japanese staff who put time aside to help with conversational Japanese. This helped form good working relationships.

In managing multi-cultural offices, the most important thing any manager can do is recognise and accept that there are going to be differences. The next thing is to find out what these differences are and how they are likely to affect the working practices and social relationships. Once this has been established, steps can be taken to manage all staff with consideration and sincerity and encourage excellent working relationships and increased performance. Always assume that staff are curious and interested in each other and want to work together. It is the job of the manager to encourage and provide and platform for these good relationships to form, seeing the cultural differences as a bridge to relationships rather than a barrier.