I dare you to find a more diverse workplace than this one.
Are you ready? I am not making this one up.
Try being Kimon Yiasemides, an American working for a construction consultingfirm for a joint venture client which includesKorean, Middle Eastern, and Europeancompanies working on a project in United Arab Emirates. His team based out of the Dubai satellite office is comprised of a Vice PresidentfromEngland, and fellow consultants from Egyptand the Philippines.
Their mission:to provide consulting services to the Joint Venture who is constructing the world’s tallest building. Ever. Yep, over 150 stories, although the final height has not been released to the public. The building is called the Burj Dubai (see photo below).
We thought it would be interesting to talk to him about diversity, as he is truly living it everyday.
ICATT: How does it all come together with so many diverse people working on this project?
Kimon:
A common goal;they all have to have it, or it falls apart, really. I see all the workers wear tee-shirts or stickers on their hard-hats that say, “We helped build the tallest building in the world.” They are all focused on getting the mission accomplished which is bigger than each of them. That helps reduce individual cultural particularities that can lead to cliques and the like.
ICATT: Have you had any misunderstandings based on cultural “assumptions” you make? If so, how did you overcome them?
Kimon:
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that everyone knows English. The reason for this is that most everyone here does, and the language of business conducted there is typically in English. However, when you are at a store or restaurant or dealing with clients from another country, you have to be sensitive about language. English is a relatively easy language to learn; the difficulty comes in the slang usage, phrases we use every day that may mean something different if taken literally. I haven’t had a problem yet, but you have to be careful. (As well as with hand gestures.)
ICATT: What is a good way of breaking through with people regarding the difficulties in language?
Kimon:
Two things; always start with a smile, and try to know something in every language, like “hello” or “how are you”. Even if you don’t understand the answer you can grin and nod, and it breaks the ice. Then, immediately return to English (wink). Oh, and one thing that definitely does not work is speaking louder… slower, maybe, but louder – not so effective (common misconception among tourists).
Team-building exercises are also important; drawing people together for a common cause or project is helpful and finding roles for them to play within that team dynamic. With a clearly assigned role, the individual can more easily find their place as opposed to trying to find their way culturally though a culturally-diverse group.
ICATT: What other ways can you avoid pit-falls when trying to team-build?
Kimon:
You have to first stick to universal truths; no one likes to be bullied, people take some pride in their work (although some cultures have more pride than others), people respond positively to a smile, no one likes being singled out for an error in front of a group. From there you have to know some cultural particularities: like Koreans are very structure-oriented and like things to pass through channels, you should not try to joke with a Muslim person about religion, while some American and British can enjoy an off-color joke that uses alternative language a Muslim may not (cursing is actually illegal here).
ICATT: What, if anything, have you found difficult about living in a Muslim country for the first time?
Kimon:
Where’s the beer! But seriously, Dubai is fairly westernized due to the incredible influx of non-natives (over 80% are non-natives here). But when I am walking around I do find myself having to not jump when a woman covered in black from head to toe walks by. It is just a little surprising to not be able to see someone’s face (Is she looking at me? What is her expression?). In our country’ history, only “bad guys” wear masks (picture old western movies, or bank robbers). So it takes a little getting used to. I hear that Ramadan is going to be a challenge too, as there is not supposed to be food consumed during daylight hours, for weeks! This means you eat lunch in specific restaurants which have curtains drawn. And no shorts are allowed in public, even if it is 110 deg. outside, which it often is.
ICATT: What “people skills” or qualities do you find most helpful in dealing with such a diverse staff?
Kimon:
Patience is very important. As mentioned above, the language barrier means using simple words and phrases, and articulating, and even repeating the same idea with different words if necessary. This can be tiring, but is important. If people feel that they cannot communicate with you they may become frustrated and shut down – not what you want to accomplish.
Also, I think there are times when you have to be able to say; “Ok, I am just going to go with it for now”. If you can accept things that you might not approve, are not your culture, but are not openly offensive to you, you will be better off. Otherwise you can just make the situation worse. Take a deep breath and say to yourself that I don’t do it that way, but I am not them. For example; after prayer hour, just avoid the public bathroom if you don’t want to see a bunch of guys washing their feet in the sink. Rather than grimacing and causing a scene, just don’t go there. (To ensure I am not giving you the wrong impression, the hotel and mall bathrooms always have an attendant or two and are very clean and modern).
Finally, a gracious attitude is always a help. If people see that you are being genuinely appreciative of their efforts, they tend to try and please you. This is true to a certain extent, although not always effective as some countries actually value taking advantage of the consumer (purchase goods at bartering markets at your own risk – hint: Gucci is spelled with two ‘c’s and a Rolex that is sold in a plastic bag is probably of suspicious origin).
ICATT: So how is the food?
Kimon:
Ha, well, being half-Greek I have enjoyed the Lebanese food which is good here. There are many Indians here and the food has followed them, making a wide selection of good restaurants serving an array of curries. And most of the restaurants in the major hotels have good food, as well as providing an opportunity for an otherwise non-existent glass of wine or cocktail. But when you go for regular American food like a sandwich, you typically can’t find something that is up to par (although I have found a Subway and a Quiznos). The sandwich of choice here is called a Shwarma sandwich, which is much like a Gyro in preparation. Meat is on a rotating skewer and sliced off and put into a pita wrap, but it comes with little slices of pickles in it - kind of a tangy Gyro. But the best way to eat so far has been on a wooden dhow boat for a dinner cruise. A ‘must-see’ if you come to Dubai.
ICATT: Thanks for your time. Good luck!