Ethnic diversity is synonymous with the word ‘diverse’, in which Indonesia is a country that has a variety of different ethnicities and cultures. Ethnic diversity are differences that are owned by a nation somewhere. There is no denying that companies in Indonesia must have employees of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, so this is unique to the Indonesian workforce.

Work meetings also become a very important forum in every company. In this work meeting, all bright ideas, suggestions, opinions, feedback, arguments and a new innovation are created .

So, What If the Work Meeting Held consists of Various Employees from Different Tribes and Nations? 

Every leader would want to have a work meeting that runs effectively and smoothly , but leaders must also rack their brains to be able to hold a conducive work meeting, even though the meeting participants come from different backgrounds.

Now in this article, we will discuss how to make work meetings more inclusive and run smoothly, without bland or rigid. Based on the Ide Ted website, there are 4 main things we can do in a work meeting so we can get a comfortable and familiar work meeting. Even though the meeting participants came from very different tribes and nationalities. Let us consider the following explanation.

Step 1: Try Asking the Forum, “Who’s Speaking at the Meeting?”

In a work meeting that consists of participants with different backgrounds, everyone will want to be someone who stands out or is known by their leaders. This condition makes everyone want to talk a lot in work meetings. Unfortunately, if everyone wants to talk, work meetings will not run effectively . So, the work meeting that we hold needs to be led by someone who will be responsible for the smooth running of the work meeting.

Therefore, company leaders play a very important role in this matter. Company leaders need to divide responsibilities equally, which later everyone will feel different positions and roles also at the next work meeting.

Before the work meeting starts, try asking the main question “who will speak at the meeting?” That is, the chosen person will help the company leader to become the meeting leader on a temporary basis.

After finding out who the meeting leader is, we can ask other small questions like, “Who will count the timer?” and Who will write the minutes? ” Try to have a different person in charge at each work meeting held.

Step 2: Company Leaders need to pay attention to “Who sits next to whom?”

Although the majority of meeting participants might want to stand out from the rest, there are certainly some participants who don’t dare to ‘show their fangs’. In other words, they are shy employees and are not too confident in the aspirations they will convey at work meetings.

Maybe they come from an area that teaches that giving an argument against other people’s opinions is not good, or speaking in public is not allowed in a loud tone. It could be, right? Moreover, we come from different tribes and cultures. We cannot generalize that all people who work in Jakarta have the same characteristics, ideas and courage. Instead differences exist to make the work environment more beautiful.

To make this situation better, the company leader must play his part in this. At the first work meeting, consider who is diligent in writing important information in the meeting? Who likes to give bright aspirations to a problem? Anyone who likes to check the time on his watch when work meetings take place?

All employees have a very important role! For example, employees who like to write in meetings are suitable to be appointed as minutes, employees who like to give their aspirations or opinions at work meetings are suitable to be think tanks.

Now, if at the beginning of the meeting we have found such abilities, it is better to place a passive employee sitting position to sit next to an active employee. This effort can encourage shy and lacking self-confidence employees to learn to be like those who are active in work meetings.

Step 3: Try to Note “Who Is Always Listened?”

Don’t forget to pay attention to which employees are always listened to by other meeting participants. Employees who are always listened to by others are very influential people. They can have a good or bad influence in the work environment. Therefore, company leaders must be able to invite them into a good work culture .

Then, what is the relationship with the diversity of ethnic groups in work meetings? Yep! usually influential people from a tribe will be a role model for other employees who come from the same tribe. So, company leaders must bring their employees to a good work ethic in order to set a good example for other peers.

Step 4: Determine Who Has the Right to Get Credit? 

There is no denying that granting credit is a very complicated problem, because this will result in a small dispute among the employees. Therefore, as a company leader we need to give the right credit to the right people. The goal is that the competition between them occurs in a healthy manner, even though employees come from different backgrounds.