Barriers to Cultural Diversity

The modern workplace is a melting pot of different cultures, races, genders, age groups, and belief systems. These differences, and workplace diversity as a whole, can provide noteworthy advantages to a team. Different viewpoints spark creativity and advanced problem solving, and offer ways to learn new skills and become more productive overall. It helps the reputation of your company, too!

All of this said, there are undeniably some hurdles and barriers to overcome when it comes to integration and establishing a cohesive workplace when diversity is involved — particularly if it’s a new thing for your team.

Clear Communication Between Team Members

Communication is key to any and every team. Either by language or understanding gaps, it can be made difficult in a newly diversified team. Different generations use different colloquialisms, other ethnicities may experience language issues, or sometimes a diverse team just has trouble connecting.

So how do you address this? The same way you address any lack of team communication or cohesion, actually. Routine team brainstorming and feedback meetings can provide tons of insight into the minds of the team, and can ease barriers by making communication more common. Practice makes perfect. Additionally, coaching your team and keeping an open door policy can help you to identify any key breakdowns in communication.

A Lack of Learning or Exposure

The differences in age groups and ethnicities in particular can be a very difficult thing to overcome when it comes to your team. Stereotyping and prejudice are one of the most common barriers, and one of the more difficult to overcome. The vast majority of the time, however, the tension is almost entirely due to a simple lack of exposure.

The easiest method of dealing with this can be simple as well. Promote learning about each other as much as possible. Perhaps set aside days where team members share more about themselves, and take the time to discuss their differences — and, perhaps even more importantly, their similarities with the rest of the group.

Assimilation Over Diversity

An established workplace environment or team often develops a very specific workplace culture. When the balance of these “old ways” is interrupted through diversification there can often be considerable resistance. This frequently leads to the minority groups having to conform rather than be themselves. If this happens, not only does it completely remove the benefits of diversifying in the first place, but is also quite unhealthy!

Thankfully assimilation often goes to the wayside rather quickly if you work to engender healthy communication and exposure. But it is something to keep a close watch on. If some of your team is working to quash new team members or to minimize their individuality, it’s your task to figure out why this is happening, and what you can do to fix it.

No Divide Between Personal Feelings and the Workplace

Sometimes the gap simply feels too wide for some. An incompatibility in belief systems, spirituality, or political leanings are most often the cause. In these cases it is important to attempt to ease these barriers through acceptance and exposure when possible.

However if tensions remain and cannot be overcome, it is wise to establish very firm boundaries regarding workplace team interaction and personal lives. Expression is important and should be celebrated, but pushing our beliefs onto others has no place in a healthy work environment.

A culturally diverse workplace can be absolutely phenomenal to work in. The free exchange of ideas and viewpoints make work more engaging and can drastically improve productivity. But you have to deal with the barriers now, or you’ll be wrestling with them forever!