Let’s embrace our cultural differences!

Nikhil Chaturvedi is from India and Diane Ishema comes from Rwanda. They have both seen quite a bit of the world, and they really enjoy getting to know people from different backgrounds and learning from other cultures – both at work and in their private lives. So it is no surprise that they are both part of the Crossing Belgium board, with Nikhil in the role of chair.

Feeling comfortable and understood

Diane explains what Crossing is all about: “We aim to make ING a safe and welcoming place to work for everybody, irrespective of their cultural background. Crossing’s goal is to make people from any culture feel comfortable and understood.” “That’s true,” says Nikhil. “And we believe this starts with being aware of the differences between cultures, getting to know and respect the customs, and being conscious of possible sensitivities.” Diane adds: “Acknowledging and embracing each other’s differences helps to improve communication tremendously and to become more productive and collaborative, both as a team and as a company.”

Work in progress

Both are conscious that achieving Crossing’s goals needs focus and effort. Nikhil: "We are definitely moving in the right direction, but there’s still a lot to do. Unfortunately, for example, neither of our two headquarter buildings have a prayer room for our Muslim colleagues. We consider ourselves to be the eyes and ears of our colleagues. Similarly, we remind them that it is Ramadan, or that Diwali is coming up. That's why we as a network also organise events to celebrate these important occasions.” 

Never a dull moment

Although there is still work to be done, they both agree that many things have already changed for the better. Diane: “Teams are becoming more and more internationally oriented, so it’s simply vital that we embrace each other’s differences and use them to our advantage.” Nikhil adds: “Diverse teams bring lots of ideas; I’ve seen this everywhere I’ve worked. Combining different cultural backgrounds in a single team generates interesting perspectives and creative solutions; I really see it as a performance booster! Besides, it’s so much fun to work with people from different backgrounds. There’s never a dull moment.” Diane agrees: “Working in a diverse team makes you step out of your comfort zone and challenges you to learn and experience new things, and that’s really fascinating.”

Connecting people

Crossing stimulates that fascination by connecting people and building bridges between all cultures. For example, they connect all colleagues in an upcoming event to celebrate the occasion of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on 21 May. Nikhil: “A panel featuring leaders from different cultural backgrounds will speak about their own experiences, and there will also be a costume competition. It will be lots of fun combined with lots of learning. Make sure you don’t miss it!”