The ability to communicate cross-culturally is essential in collaborating and establishing good relationships in our divers contexts. Understanding social and cultural values as well as group dynamics is crucial for effective teamwork.
Here are the top 5 resources suggested by CBC to help your mentees to grow in their skills as they work in a multicultural environment
1. Teamwork Cross-Culturally:
Christ-centered Solutions for Leading Multinational Teams
A comprehensive and easy-to-read book by Sherwood Lingenfelter and Julie Green (Kindle edition). The authors help the reader to think through communication and leadership issues when working with multicultural teams. It includes chapter contributions from several people who share their experiences. Each chapter also includes a set of questions to help readers reflect about what they have read.
Tip: Familiarise yourself with the book. Work through relevant chapter(s) with your mentees that would be most helpful to them during different stages of their ongoing development.
2. Microtraining on demand offered by SIL
Sunny Hong offers on demand bespoke training for teams and groups:
- Cultural Intelligence and Effective Communication (description) – 2hrs
- Multicultural Teamwork and Leadership (description) – 2hrs
- Understanding People from Honor-Shame Cultures (description) – 2hrs
- Worldview and Cross-Cultural Ministry (description) – flexible, minimum 1 hour
- Cross-Cultural conflict and resolution (description) – 2hrs
- Cross-Cultural Mentoring (description) – 2hrs
Tip: Contact Sunny to see how you and your mentees could profit from these workshops.
3. Inter-Cultural Aspects of Cross-Cultural Planning online course
A self-study online course with 3 modules that look at various cross-cultural parameters and how they impact planning in a multicultural team environment.
Tip: Sign up together with your mentees so that you can share your learning and consolidate it by talking about how you can each apply it in your contexts.
4. Intercultural Intelligence coaching
Learn about your own personal cultural wiring and a range of how other people may be different to you. Improve communication, strengthen teams, and increase cultural agility to be more adept at interacting with others in every area of life. The ICI Development Framework uses two sociometric instruments: The Three Colors of Worldview (3C) and the Cultural Mapping Inventory (CMI). These are complemented by individual, group or team facilitation to help participants explore their own cultural preferences and intercultural environment.
Tip: Contact Rachel Kull if you are interested to benefit from this opportunity.
5. Cross-Cultural Connections:
Stepping Out and Fitting In Around the World
A comprehensive and easy-to-read book by Duane Elmer (Kindle edition). Duane helps the reader to think through several commonly-encountered cross-cultural issues and how to communicate and work more effectively in a multicultural environment. It includes real-life scenarios and practical exercises.
Tip: Work through this book together with your mentees and discuss together any questions or comments that arise.
NB: depending on your mentees’ previous experience, there may be some activities they can skip. Familiarise yourself with the book so that you know how best to use it with each mentee.
Further resources that might interest you
- The Culture Map by Erin Meyer (Kindle Edition)
- Leading Multicultural Teams by Evelyn and Richart Hibbert (Kindle edition)
- Biblical Multicultural Teams by Sheryl Takagi Silzer (Kindle edition)
- Relevant modules at Dallas International University in the US at undergraduate and graduate level, Moorlands College in the UK and SIL Australia
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