A “mega bank’s” global business unit was having a problem. Employees complained about communication challenges and differences in ways of working, which in some cases led to legal & regulatory problems.
We estimated that about 500 million dollars are at stake when these global teams within the bank are unable to collaborate due to cultural mishaps, communication challenges, and in some cases lack of sensitivity and legal awareness.
What can be done besides compliance training and other “textbook” sessions?
Through creative exercises of a joint video production and subsequent internal viewing and discussions at scale, a business unit was able to express and process in the open the cultural gaps and miscommunication that go on in their day-to-day work life, with a good, self-deprecating laugh!
As a result, the teams learned how to appreciate each other’s cultures and diversity - bonded over their own storytelling, and gained concrete insights into the whys and hows of how meetings are run, decisions are made, what is appropriate or inappropriate in their respective countries’ work cultures.