| If your company hires a large number of immigrants, | | | | thorough problem definition, the next step in the |
| refugees, or other foreign workers, you have probably | | | | process. |
| tried providing them with English as a Second | | | | Step 2 |
| Language (ESL) training. Or perhaps you have | | | | In order to develop a thorough and accurate problem |
| provided training in Spanish or intercultural | | | | definition, you will need to investigate a wide range of |
| communication to your managers. Unfortunately, you | | | | workplace dynamics which underlie your workplace |
| have probably discovered that the training, despite its | | | | issues (language dynamics, culture dynamics, personal |
| high cost, had limited impact and resulted in negligible, if | | | | dynamics, job dynamics, organizational dynamics). |
| any, improvement in your workplace. That is because | | | | These dynamics develop in unique ways in each |
| these "obvious" training solutions - language and culture | | | | workplace based on how the organizational culture |
| training - did not address the actual, underlying issues | | | | intertwines with the languages and cultures of its |
| of your workplace. They were only "band aid" | | | | individual employees. Often this intertwining results in |
| solutions - quick, ineffective fixes to complex problems. | | | | the emergence of a whole new culture for the whole |
| In order to develop effective management strategies | | | | organization, which is idiosyncratic and depends on |
| for your multicultural workplace, you must begin with | | | | many factors, such as type of business the |
| two important steps: | | | | organization is involved in; workforce demographics; |
| Step 1 | | | | customer base; type, frequency and duration of |
| First, identify your specific workplace issues, going | | | | employee/customer interactions; employee job duties |
| beyond the obvious and simplistic "They don't speak | | | | and responsibilities; and organizational policies and |
| English." For example, identify the specific problems | | | | procedures, to name just a few. Because these |
| that result from the fact that the workforce doesn't | | | | factors come together and function in different ways |
| speak English. Perhaps your customers are | | | | in different organizations, there is no "one size fits all" |
| complaining and you would like to stop their complaints. | | | | solution for the multicultural workplace. That is why |
| Or perhaps co-workers are complaining and | | | | good problem definition is vital to formulating effective, |
| teamwork is suffering. Perhaps managers are unable | | | | focused strategies for improving multicultural |
| to communicate their instructions effectively, so | | | | workplace dynamics. |
| production is suffering or, worse, you are experiencing | | | | So stop throwing your company's money away on |
| high management turnover. Although not speaking the | | | | ineffective or only marginally effective training solutions, |
| same language is certainly part of the problem in all of | | | | and instead invest first in some good problem definition |
| these situations, it is never the whole problem. In order | | | | that will lead to focused, effective and targeted |
| to dig down and discover the root issues of your | | | | solutions. |
| multicultural workplace, you will need to conduct a | | | | |