5 Stages to Cross-Cultural Collaboration

The idea of “collaboration,” especially cross-culturally, can seem like an abstract idea at times. We like the sound of it. Many would admit to the need for it. But few seem to grasp the tangible ways we can achieve it.

Unless we spend intentional time pursuing cross-cultural collaboration, we will likely lose momentum, backslide, or never reach the desired outcome. Each of these stages will be a stepping stone for you to shift toward collaboration. To shift toward stronger, healthier relationships. To shift toward trust.

Stage 1: Understand

• Understand Yourself
  Step one in this journey to healthy collaboration is self-reflection. Before we can begin to successfully navigate further stages, we must understand our own worldviews, biases, prejudices, and privileges. We simply cannot enter into further stages while neglecting to be aware of our starting points.
  
  This stage, while just the first step, is actually more of a never-ending process of discovery. We must continually assess to understand the ways we think, why we make certain decisions, and our view of ourselves and others. As humans who grow and change, these things will be ever-changing. Be attentive to this step. It’s challenging for most, but those who prioritize it will be at an advantage in their quest for true and effective collaboration.  
  

• Understand Bias
  Without knowing it, each of us has what is known as “implicit bias.” Before you feel defeated, know that everyone has this! Sometimes without even being aware of it, we hold certain stereotypes or evaluations of various groups of people. This is normal and outside of our intentional control.
  

• 3 Reasons for Implicit Bias   

  • Social cognition: Our brains tend to seek patterns. We then apply these associations to groups of people. 

  • Simplification: Our brains tend to simplify the world. This can lead to bias quickly, when much information is sorted in simple categories.

  • Experiences: Naturally, the way we are raised, the schools we go to, media, and other experiences will strongly inform our bias. 
    

• 4 Ways to Lessen Implicit Bias

  • Complete implicit bias training.

  • Connect with people who are not within the norm of your culture.

  • Actively listen to others, especially those from a different culture.

  • Educate yourself on topics where bias can sneak in.

The flipside of doing the work to assess and understand ourselves is to be informed by other means, sometimes erroneously. The media is a huge example of influence, often proclaiming a strong narrative. We must always bring a level of discernment before we blindly adopt narratives. Do the work. Put in the effort. Truly understand yourself. You’ll be better off for it.

Stage 2: Learn

After doing the work of understanding ourselves, our biases, and perspectives, it’s time to learn about others. The importance of taking intentional time in stage one is that you come to the learning stage with a healthy level of open-mindedness. This unbiased learning is crucial as we engage with those who are culturally different from us. 

• Emic versus Etic Research
  One way to learn about another culture is to immerse oneself in the culture. This is also called emic research. It brings an “insider” perspective as the researcher experiences firsthand the culture and practices of the subject matter. This form of research can be full and rich in understanding and learning about a culture.
  
  Etic research, on the other hand, is more of an outsider-looking-in approach. It could be described as more of a “Google” form of research, where the researchers remain outside of the culture being studied. 
  
  Both of these hold value, but in a hasty attempt to take an easier route, most organizations lean too heavily on the etic research side. It can feel safer and simpler. You need to do life with those you want to understand. You need to involve yourself in their culture to develop a well-rounded and accurate understanding. 

Stage 3: Relate

As you continue to open your perspectives and learn about other cultures, you then move into a stage of relating. Relating is all about trust. Healthy relationships depend on trust. And as in any relationship, trust takes time to build. It is developed through each interaction, each conversation, each choice affecting others. And we can each attest to the fact that in addition to trust being difficult to build, it can also easily be damaged in one small decision. 

Developing the skill of relating to others takes a contextual understanding of historical trauma. And it also takes a healthy dose of empathy. Historical trauma affects cultural groups of people and communities who have experienced victimization, oppression, and other trauma. To skip this understanding is a shortcut that will eliminate trust quickly.

Additionally, as you seek to understand historical trauma, there is an emotional component that must be addressed. Empathy is when you put yourself in another’s shoes to understand their feelings and experiences. While sympathy shows pity or a “feeling sorry” attitude, empathy is a deeper emotional connection. It’s the heartbeat of relating to others. 

Stage 4: Advocate

Advocacy is working for a cause or issue to bring about change for a person or a community. As you move into this stage, you’re moving to a stage compelled by compassion for transforming the challenges and hardships in a particular environment. It’s carrying burdens with others. It’s speaking up for others. It’s administering care in tangible, helpful ways. 

You can see how the previous stage, incorporating empathy, builds so beautifully toward stage four. While empathy is the realm of emotional connection, it ignites compassion, where action takes place.

Let’s be cautious before we assume we’ve mastered the advocacy stage. It differs from charitable work. It’s great to give food to the poor, to donate money or items to communities in need. Keep that up! But as you do, enter into the deeper realm of advocacy, where you not only supply short-term aid, but you dive into changing systems creating the problems in the first place.

Stage 5: Participate

As the stages of this model culminate, you move into participation－and there is a role for everyone! You will be able to  measure the success of this stage as it pertains to collaboration through three key indicators:

• Unity

Don’t automatically assume unity and diversity are interchangeable. Measuring unity takes a level of qualitative data versus quantitative data in a community or team. The qualitative research will include more of the behavioral side, traits in a group, and characteristics understood through focus groups and one-on-one interviews. 

• Producing

Your team or organization is filled with people who each carry gifts, talents, and contributions to move your mission forward. If you notice a lack of production, results, or progress, you can often trace this back to this idea of participation. 

• Growth

Naturally, unity and participation will lead to growth! You can see the fruit of what you’ve been cultivating on your team. You can use results and outcomes to assess and measure the level of successful participation. 

We’ve only scratched the surface of each of these stages! And it’s important to remember, each of these stages is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not a one-and-done, check-it-off-the-list mentality. You must enter into these stages as a new way of thinking and living. It takes effort, but the rewards will begin to take shape as you truly experience the collaboration you’ve been desiring on your team and in your life.