Making the Most of Multicultural Teams

Chances are, you work on a multicultural team. You might have coworkers from Europe, from Africa, from Asia. Those diverse perspectives are valuable, helping lead to better, more inclusive products. But they can also lead to hiccups in scheduling, confusion over feedback, and more. In this seminar, Shopify UX lead Farai Madzima explains the benefits of a diverse team. He begins with an illustrative story of South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela, whose encounter with Miles Davis changed his trajectory (and that of jazz music), and then dives into the tools and knowledge we need to translate multicultural differences into success.

Understand what diversity in thought is—and why it’s important

• Get the basics of diversity in thought and ideas
• Learn how understanding cultural differences can improve your work, your interactions, and your career

Learn the cultural metrics that provide insight on your team

• Discover how social scientists have explored the issue of diversity
• See the eight cultural dimensions Madzima uses to provide understanding

Get tools for working with, not against, multicultural differences

• Learn how to interpret the spectrum of cultural dimensions
• See how setting expectations upfront can avoid team dysfunction

This seminar is for anyone who leads or works with a multicultural team, as well as for anyone working in a foreign culture themselves. You’ll walk away with the tools and understanding to be a better team member—and prepped for success in an increasingly multicultural world.