If you have ever worked in an international team (or moved abroad as an expat with your job), you probably experienced that some dynamics feel harder to navigate at first. Meetings might work differently; decisions aren’t taken the same way; even discussions might surprise you. Or there might be that one colleague who approaches things from a seemingly unusual angle.

If you have led a team, you probably also realised that this can only get more complex if you add an intercultural layer, work remotely across locations or don’t communicate in your native language.

In this article, Csenge Fazekas, intercultural trainer, facilitator, and the founder of Cultural Origami takes us on a comprehensive dive into what it takes to help your multicultural team function effectively in the following guest post for Therapy in Barcelona.  Here Csenge sheds some light on how we can make teamwork smoother for all of us and what makes an intercultural team click better (will also give some tips in the end, so it’s worth sticking around). Fasten your seatbelts and let’s get started!

Understanding is not a given.

Even when everyone in your team speaks the same language, it doesn’t automatically guarantee an understanding. Yes, there is a universal meaning to words we learn, but as we go through life and experience things (or learn additional languages), we can attach additional meanings to them.

Suppose we are non-native speakers (or have lived/worked internationally for some time). In that case, we can also easily fall into a “false friend” trap and use words differently without even realising it – which can even multiply in an environment where all communication happens in a second language.

Before I get into the components of a thriving team, let me explain two concepts that tend to cause some confusion when it comes to working with others in a multicultural setting.

Communication goes beyond what we say.

By this I don’t only mean the body, language, tone of voice and all the other elements to consider – they nuance our communication for sure. What I mean is that it is important to be aware that because of the differences we have in our underlying values and ways of communication, the words we use might have a different meaning, even if we seemingly say the same thing.

To give you a personal example: a good friend of mine, after a heated conversation over a topic we didn’t agree on, told me she thought I was rare. From an English-speaking perspective, you’d think this was a compliment, right? Rare means one of a kind, so in this context, a possible interpretation I could have had of this sentence was that she sees my perspective as unique and with that she acknowledges it.

But the sentence didn’t fully fit into the flow of our conversation, so I asked her what exactly she meant and it turned out that she translated the Spanish word “raro” literally into our conversation (she is a native Spanish speaker), and her sentence meant that she thought I was weird (which was not an insult, it’s friendly banter in her culture). We had a good laugh about it, agreed to disagree and moved on.

Lucky for us, this wasn’t a work interaction – can you imagine the confusion such a comment can cause in a work setting? Your colleagues might make a good anecdote of it, but I am sure you wouldn’t want to accidentally call a high-level client weird on a first meeting (I really wouldn’t).

Now that we briefly touched on how words aren’t always what they seem, let me move on to my second point. 

Every interaction we have is intercultural. 

Even if we come from the same household, our interactions still count as intercultural. If you don’t believe me, think about your siblings: Have you ever fought with them because something they had done made no sense (or seemed plain stupid) to you? My point exactly.

Jokes aside, even with your siblings you don’t share the same experience. You probably went to different classes or schools, had different hobbies and friends, ended up at different workplaces, etc. – so your views got shaped differently over the years. (If you don’t have siblings, think of a person who has been in your close circle for many years.)

Why do we have these differences? Culture in essence is group habit. Each group we ever form a part of has its own ecosystem: it has norms, rules and certain traditions we learn and adhere to while we belong to them (think of family rituals or a team shout in a sports team, etc). Throughout our lives, we belong to many groups and these experiences add layers to our personalities and personal experiences, which then shape the way we see the world.

Imagine this mix in an international work context. We don’t usually get to pick your colleagues or stakeholders and they are strangers (potentially even from another country), so there is a high chance that we won’t see things the same way when we start working together.

Now, I am not saying you won’t discover similarities or get along despite your differences, I am only pointing out that intercultural dialogues are inevitable in our lives.

Having said this, it is key to get on the same page when we work in a team. And if you are a leader, it is even more important to be aware of what cultural differences can cause – not only because of the potential friction but because it also works in your favour if you learn how to navigate and embrace these differences.

How our differences benefit us

You’d think that working with like-minded people is better when it comes to teamwork. While in certain areas where you need specific knowledge or way of thinking this might be helpful indeed, in a “classic” organisational team setting the more diversity there is, the more innovative the team gets.

And when I say diversity, I mean cognitive diversity here. Passports are one thing, but different nationalities at your table won’t automatically grant you also diversity in thinking. This is why many seemingly diverse teams don’t perform well; there is no cognitive diversity underneath the visible differences, so there is a very narrow spectrum of thinking they can cover and it hinders their growth.

But then if we get a cognitively diverse team together they will constantly argue, no? Valid concern – indeed, diversity in thinking is an amazing treasure for innovation and team growth, but unless we create the right environment and learn how to bring those differences together and work with them without team members constantly fighting each other, little good will it do.

I started this article by mentioning factors that make or break a team. Embracing our differences is the first ingredient in the mix. When it comes to teamwork, we need to create a safe space as well for our differences to thrive.

Enter psychological safety.

Psychological safety might sound like a mystical concept, but it isn’t. If you haven’t heard this term yet, in essence, it’s an atmosphere where team members feel valued and listened to and are encouraged to speak up openly (whether it’s sharing ideas or constructive criticism) without having to fear any judgment or repercussions for doing so (if you are curious to learn more about the concept, check out Amy Edmondson’s work).

I know, this sounds easier said than done. And I won’t lie, building psychological takes time and effort, because building trust is something we need to put consistent effort into for it to work and thrive. Consider any successful friendship or relationship—it didn’t happen overnight, right? And think of the benefits you constantly get from feeding and building that trust. That’s exactly how psychological safety works too.

The good news is that, first, just like any skill, this is something we can go and build step by step and secondly, this is a fantastic area where the whole team can work together to build this shared collaborative safe space. In fact, I recommend involving your team or your colleagues in this, because this is something that benefits you all.

Before we get to my tips, there is one more factor I want to mention that is needed to have a good mix in our team dynamics. By now we established that we need different ways of thinking and ideas to thrive and a safe space where these differences can coexist and collaborate in a creative and constructive way. 

The third ingredient we need for our mix to have the best taste is motivation. 

We can have all the perspectives in the world, in an environment of encouragement and trust, but without motivation few things will actually grow in there. Motivation is what fuels the team and the dynamics.

Similarly to the other two topics, motivation has more layers to it too, making it a more nuanced area to navigate than just handing out extra bananas in the office or signing everyone up to a guided meditation.

According to Daniel Pink (the author of Drive), there are two types of motivation: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic comes from the outside world (these are the material rewards or external recognition we receive) and intrinsic comes from within ourselves. In the history of work, for a long time, extrinsic motivation was the only way to go, but after some time this started to shift, as personal goals and fulfilment at work started to gain terrain.

Without getting really too deep into this (I recommend the book, brilliant read!), the point here is to focus more on building and strengthening intrinsic motivation, as external factors (and their effects) fade away fast and employees who feel dead inside won’t benefit anyone. They won’t feel good, leaders won’t feel good, we all lose.

Once again I know this might sound easier said than done, but as I said, we can take it step by step and build these factors into our teams and work, one brick at a time. If you are unsure how to get started, pick one area to focus on first and keep reading, because I have a few tips for you.

Practical tips to make your team thrive

If you are a leader of an intercultural team, here are a few steps you can try to strengthen the team dynamics.

1. Ask questions. It sounds really basic and obvious, but believe me, it isn’t. So many leaders say, ‘My door is always open,’ but that alone rarely encourages people to walk through and share their thoughts. Be proactive and seek out your team’s opinions and feedback regularly, be it on team meetings or one-on-ones.
2. Re-think your team meetings. First, ask yourself this: what is the purpose of team meetings? Once you have an idea of that, also ask yourself what you can do to make the most of them. While I don’t recommend making them too long, there are things you can add that can spice up your meetings and make them more than just a space to exchange information. Think about doing gratitude rounds or sharing learning moments – these small additions can be a great way to open dialogues.
3. Get to know your team members. This feeds into all three components we spoke about before. Knowing your people means you see their way of working, strengths, interests and ambitions, so you can leverage diversity in the team and at the same time motivate everyone with a task division that fits all of you best. Combine this with ongoing team dialogues that build trust and you are already on a powerful journey with your team!

Practical tips to thrive in an intercultural team

If you are not a leader (yet), but still keen to spark some action in your team around the three areas we covered in this article, I have some ideas for you too.

1. Get to know your colleagues. Not just personally: talk about ambitions, motivation and working preferences in general. It will make finding synergies and work together easier if you understand and rely on each other better.
2. Bring the topic of psychological safety to the table. If this isn’t a topic you heard talking about in your workplace and there is a way for you to do it, bring it up! It doesn’t need to be anything big, you can start by sharing an article about it or suggest a small conversation in a team meeting. Awareness is created through small steps.
3. Get to know yourself better and spark your own motivation. Spending time on discovering your own preferences and what truly motivates you is the best investment you can make. If you can do this within your current workplace, even better (and you can team up with other colleagues on the journey); but regardless of how you do it, this is powerful knowledge for your future growth, not only professionally but personally as well.

When in doubt, you can also start by reading and educating yourself on these topics (knowledge is power). And you don’t have to do it alone – a trainer or a coach can also help you work through these topics and skills. Learn more about the comprehensive team programme and other workshops I offer for intercultural teams here. I also support individuals to navigate intercultural interactions better – click here to find out how.

About the Author

Csenge Fazekas is an intercultural trainer, facilitator, and the founder of Cultural Origami. Based in Spain, with over 14 years of global experience, she helps teams and individuals not just communicate, but truly understand each other across cultures. Certified in Global DISC™ and Growth Zone, Csenge unlocks cultural fluency, psychological safety, and motivation to improve team collaboration in an authentic, data-driven way. Fluent in four languages, she brings a playful touch to learning through improv and experiential methods, offering vibrant workshops, courses, and 1-on-1 support.