Download Handbook
Building Trust in Diverse Teams:
Concise version
PDF available in these languages:
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View the concise version online in French and Spanish:
Download Resources
Handout 6a:
Email message (local perspective)
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Handout 6b:
Email message (outside perspective)
Available in these languages:
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Handout 6c:
Email analysis sheet
Available in these languages:
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Handout 6d:
Cultural differences in communication style
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Tool 6: Email activity
Learning objectives
This tool makes people aware of and encourages a discussion about different communication styles that may exist within the team, and how to reconcile them
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Overall time required |
1 hour (NB The activity can be split between two meetings if appropriate) |
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Group size |
10 + |
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Relevant Trust Criteria |
Openness, Reciprocity, Goodwill, Inclusion |
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Resources required |
Copies of the ten criteria for trust Copies Email Message (National Perspective) Copies Email Message (International Perspective) Copies of Email Analysis sheet Copies of Cultural Differences in Communication Style Paper-clips or one stapler per group |
Facilitation tips
This tool shows how differences relating to cultural diversity can affect levels of trust when communicating at a distance with a colleague they have not yet met.
You can take a break between steps 12 and 13 of the exercise. When using this tool remember:
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How it works
1. When writing the email, participants are forced to deal with a dilemma. If they are blunt they risk damaging a new and potentially important relationship. If they focus on maintaining good relations they risk their colleague not understanding what they need to do
2. The activity raises awareness of the reasons behind different styles of response to this dilemma. It helps the team communicate better and builds trust by understanding different approaches to communication in difficult situations.
3. Introduce the session objectives and the ten criteria for trust (see pages 10 and 11).
4. Divide the group in smaller groups of 5 to 6 people, distribute Handouts 6a and 6b (The Email Messages) making sure members of the same group get the same message. When possible, give the National Perspective version (Handout 6a) to the national members of the team and the International Perspective version (Handout 6b) to team members from other countries.
5. Ask each person to write an individual response to the email they have been given. (10 minutes)
6. Distribute Handout 6d and ask participants to read it.
7. Assign each group a letter (A, B, C, etc ). Then, ask participants to mark their completed email sheet with their names and an A, B, or C
8. Give the group A emails to group B, group B emails to group C, and group C emails to group A, etc
9. Distribute Handout 6c: Email Analysis to each group and explain its contents to the group.
10. Ask them to do the following:
- Attach an Email Analysis sheet to each email (back to back) with the stapler or paper-clips provided and start filling in the email analysis sheet for each email, passing the email to the person on their left each time they have finished with one.
- They should continue until each group member has read and scored each email.
11. Now ask each person in the group to take one email each and calculate the average scores for the emotional reaction (faces) and for the average low/high- context rating and enter the results in the appropriate spaces in the row marked ‘Results’.
12. Arrange for all emails to be handed back to the original writers together with the attached scoring sheet. Give people a few seconds to look at their scores.
13. Now ask everyone to stand up with their emails and scores in their hand and ask them to form a semi-circle with the very low-context average scores at one end and the very high-context average scores at the other.
14. Ask people at the low-context end if they would share their intention in writing the email in this way and ask them if they would mind if you (the facilitator) read it for everyone to hear. Ask them what emotional reaction they got to their email.
15. Facilitate a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of communicating in this style. Then choose an email from the high context end of the semi-circle. Repeat.
16. Conclude the exercise by saying something like: ‘In this exercise we have explored different communication styles and how some are too direct and others too indirect, and the emotional reactions they may cause in different individuals. It is important to understand these differences and to try to reconcile them.’
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