The advent of diverse team

A Belgian works for a Japanese automobile major in the US and reports to an Indian. Sounds interesting? Well, welcome to the world of multi-cultural teams in companies. What was thought of as unthinkable during the cold war days and protectionist regimes is now a reality. People from varied cultures work in a team and help the company achieve its goals. Of course, the idea sounds good as variety brings in divergent thought processes and new ideas. But, managing diverse teams are a challenge as the company needs to channel these ideas to tangible results. A simple thumbs-up gesture throws up different meanings for people from various cultures. It is a marvelous achievement of behemoths like- IBM, GE, Procter and Gamble, Google, Apple, Royal Shell, etc for successfully managing the cultural nuances and produce startling innovations.