The Value of Culturally Flexible Managers

A strong company culture driven by a common vision, shared values, and practiced behaviors can bolster an organization’s stability and momentum. It’s an important attribute to have if you’re in this for the long haul. We also know cultural diversity drives innovation and positive change, so how do we reconcile these two contradictory ideas?

The answer is management. Managers with high levels of cultural flexibility are able to effectively manage culturally diverse teams, ensuring the psychological safety of each individual and the group as a whole. Further, culturally flexible managers can translate team ideas and products to the larger organization. Acting as liaison, these managers maximize the recognition of positive innovation, facilitate change, and mitigate cultural friction.

Cultural flexibility is a rare and valuable attribute. To secure the advantages of this trait, organizations must take some active steps:

1. Identify Cultural Flexibility

You may already have people in your organization who are culturally flexible. While there are many ways to develop this characteristic, consider who needs to be culturally flexible to thrive. For example, women, immigrants, BIPOC, people in the LGBTQ+ community—these are people who have adapted to the dominant culture their whole lives. There is a unique power in code-switching, and it can work to your organization’s advantage.

2. Listen to Your Liaison

If you hired a translator to help you navigate a foreign country, you wouldn’t dismiss their warnings about upcoming “Wrong Way” signs. Similarly, if your culturally flexible managers are sending up red flags, listen. Strong company cultures are important, but not if they are toxic to innovative teams. Collaborate with your liaisons and see where company culture is serving your business and where it may be a hinderance.

3. Develop Cultural Flexibility at All Levels

Cultural flexibility can be developed and honed, but leaders needs to see the value in cultivating this strength. Ideally, you should have a culturally flexible leader at the head of the organization, each department, and each team.

To learn more about how Peerstone Consulting can help your organization develop culturally flexible leaders, visit our services page or contact us at info@peerstoneconsulting.com.