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In this episode, I explore a question that comes up repeatedly in my work with global, cross-cultural teams and leaders- who should adapt?
It is a deceptively simple question, but one that sits at the heart of how teams collaborate, communicate and ultimately perform. When this is unclear, it creates friction, slows progress and can even stop teams from doing their best work.
Some assume that the new person should adapt, or that everyone should adapt equally, or that people should simply be authentically themselves. In reality, none of these approaches fully work.
The shift is not about deciding who adapts, it is about asking a better question: How do we work smarter together?
This requires moving from assumptions to intentions. It means making the invisible visible, being explicit about how you want to work, communicate and collaborate as a team to create momentum.
In this latest episode, I share a practical framework based on cultural intelligence to help you do exactly that, from understanding why it matters, to diagnosing differences, to creating clear ways of working and putting them into action.
Because the most effective teams do not leave this to chance, they design it intentionally.
What you will learn in this episode:
- Why the question of who should adapt often leads to frustration and misalignment
- The three common assumptions about adaptation, and why they do not work
- Why shifting to focusing on how you work smarter together creates better outcomes
- How to use cultural intelligence to understand differences in behaviour and communication
- How to create clear, explicit ways of working as a team
- Why small, intentional actions are key to building effective collaboration
- How to create a new way of working
When have you felt expected to adapt in a new environment, and how did that feel?
Where might assumptions about adaptation be creating friction in your team today?
Have you explicitly discussed how your team works together, or are you relying on assumptions?
If this is a challenge you are navigating right now, do not leave it to chance. Start the conversation with your team and define how you want to work together. Test it, refine it, and make it part of how you operate.
If you would like support in applying this through a cultural intelligence lens, I would love to explore this with you and your team- message me on LinkedIn or book a clarity call via the link below.
Find out more:
Episode Overview:
Who Should Adapt? A Smarter Way to Lead Across Cultures
‘Who should adapt?’
It is a question I hear frequently in my work with global teams and leaders. And it is rarely asked from a fully neutral perspective. It often sits behind moments of frustration, misalignment and, at times, tension within multicultural teams.
You might recognise it- a new colleague joins your team from a different country. A team needs to collaborate to achieve its goals across functions and geographies. Expectations feel unclear and communication feels harder than it should be.
And the question sits under the surface. Who needs to adapt? Whose norms are you operating by?
Why This Question Creates More Problems Than It Solves
At first glance, it seems like a logical question. But in practice, it often leads us down unhelpful paths.
There are three common assumptions I see.
The first is that the new person, or the persons in the minority, should adapt to the majority. On the surface, this feels practical. In reality, it can create resentment, disengagement and divisions. People feel they cannot bring their full value or perspective, and over time, that impacts both performance and trust.
The second assumption is that everyone should adapt equally. This sounds fair, but it often leads to confusion. If everyone is changing, what are they changing towards? Without clarity, this can create inconsistency and frustration.
The third assumption is that no one should adapt at all, that everyone should simply be themselves and behave authentically. While authenticity matters, without understanding and alignment, this can lead to silos. People gravitate towards those who are similar, and struggle to work effectively with those who are different to themselves.
So if none of these approaches work, what does?
A Better Question to Ask
The shift is simple, but powerful. Move from asking ‘who should adapt’ to asking ‘how do we work smarter together’.
This changes the focus from individuals to the collective. It moves the conversation from blame or expectation to design and intention because high-performing teams do not leave this to chance.
They make their ways of working and communication explicit. They define how they want to work, communicate and collaborate to get to their best results.
What Working Smarter Actually Looks Like
Working smarter together is not about theory. It is about practical decisions.
How do you want to run meetings?
How do you give feedback to each other?
What does respect look like in this team?
How direct should you be in your communication?
How do you handle disagreement or even conflict?
These may sound like straightforward questions, but if they are not discussed, they quickly become sources of friction.
What sits behind the question ‘who should adapt’ is often a deeper issue- people do not feel understood, or they feel their way of working is not recognised or valued.
Clarity as a team starts to remove that friction.
A Practical Framework to Apply
To support this, I recommend the Cultural Intelligence framework, which gives a clear and structured way to approach this challenge.
CQ Drive: why does this matter?
As a team, be explicit about why working smarter together is important to you. What is at stake if you do not get this right? Whether it is performance, growth or collaboration, this clarity creates motivation.CQ Knowledge: understand the differences
Diagnose what is actually happening beneath the surface. Where are the differences in communication, behaviour and expectations between individuals or groups? Recognise these as cultural differences, not labelling them ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Without this awareness, it is easy to misinterpret actions and intentions.CQ Strategy: create a plan
Agree how you want to work together. This could include getting clear on ways of working through an agreement or charter, outlining how you communicate, make decisions and collaborate, plus how you want to be and act with each other when things go wrong.CQ Action: test and refine
Put your plan into practice and make sure you review it regularly. What is working, what is not, and what needs to change again? This is not a one-off exercise, but an ongoing process.
The ‘Third Way’ of Working
One of the most powerful outcomes of this approach is what I call the ‘third way’. Instead of one group adapting to another, or everyone trying to adjust in isolation, you co-create a better way of working together.
A way that reflects the strengths, preferences and realities of the whole team, and this is where the power of true collaboration happens.
As you think about your own context, consider:
Where has the question ‘who should adapt’ shown up for you?
What assumptions might you or your team be making about each other?
Have you explicitly discussed how you work together, or are you relying on unspoken norms?
What is one small step you could take to create more clarity on your ways of working in your team?
Next Steps
If this is a live challenge for you or your team, start by shifting the conversation. Bring the question to your next team meeting – how do we work smarter together?
Create space to explore it, be explicit about what’s working and what you could trial, and test what works.
And if you would like my support in applying this through a cultural intelligence lens, I would love to explore this with you. You can reach out to me on LinkedIn or book a clarity call to discuss your team situation in more detail:
- Book a time to meet Victoria and discuss how she can support you and your team.
- Message Victoria on LinkedIn to learn more about Cultural Intelligence.
