In your experience as a Project Manager, managing diverse teams, with different cultures, nationalities, languages, ages, disabilities, beliefs, etc. What is the weirdest issue you faced with a team member? Saving Changes...
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Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz Behind most “weird issues” often lie unrecognized human needs or misaligned systems.
One of the most unusual situations I’ve encountered involved a team member who consistently refused to attend meetings on Wednesdays.
At first, it seemed like eccentricity or passive resistance.
But by listening with more empathy, we discovered that the person was caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s on that specific day — and didn’t want to disclose it for fear of seeming “less professional.”
What looked like “strange behavior” was, in fact, a silent plea for dignity.
That experience reinforced something I’ve carried with me ever since: when we deal with differences — cultural, generational, cognitive, or otherwise — what appears “weird” is often a mirror of what we have yet to understand.
The challenge is not to eliminate difference, but to cultivate psychological safety, real listening, and systems that embrace diversity as a value — not as an obstacle.
In many cases, what seems weird to us might actually be the starting point of deep learning — if we have the courage to ask the right question before rushing to offer the quick fix.
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1 reply by Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
Jun 24, 2025 11:18 AM
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
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Thanks, Luis, for sharing this story about your collaborator and his mother. This makes us think about the underlying circumstances that we often ignore, but are highly important.
Saving Changes...
Marc KaneAssociate Director | Digital Core - Oracle| AccentureLos Angeles, CA, United States
One of the strangest team issues I encountered involved a disagreement over the color of post-it notes used during a virtual retrospective. At first, it seemed like a trivial UX complaint. It turned out that certain colors held specific cultural meanings for one of our offshore teams, including associations with bad luck or mourning. What started as a “design preference” escalated into a broader discussion about cultural sensitivity, inclusion, and how we unconsciously center certain norms.
It was a wake-up call. Since then, I’ve incorporated cultural preference check-ins during team kickoff meetings; not just for holidays and working hours, but also for how we collaborate visually and verbally. That experience reminded me that even small tools or behaviors can have unintentional impact when managing diverse, global teams.
I’ve learned to never assume something is “weird” until you understand the context behind it.
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1 reply by Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
Jun 24, 2025 11:21 AM
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
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Marc, this issue you had with the color of Post-it notes gives us a reflection about the importance of culture and inclusion, even in the smallest details like that. Thanks for sharing!
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz Behind most “weird issues” often lie unrecognized human needs or misaligned systems.
One of the most unusual situations I’ve encountered involved a team member who consistently refused to attend meetings on Wednesdays.
At first, it seemed like eccentricity or passive resistance.
But by listening with more empathy, we discovered that the person was caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s on that specific day — and didn’t want to disclose it for fear of seeming “less professional.”
What looked like “strange behavior” was, in fact, a silent plea for dignity.
That experience reinforced something I’ve carried with me ever since: when we deal with differences — cultural, generational, cognitive, or otherwise — what appears “weird” is often a mirror of what we have yet to understand.
The challenge is not to eliminate difference, but to cultivate psychological safety, real listening, and systems that embrace diversity as a value — not as an obstacle.
In many cases, what seems weird to us might actually be the starting point of deep learning — if we have the courage to ask the right question before rushing to offer the quick fix.
Thanks, Luis, for sharing this story about your collaborator and his mother. This makes us think about the underlying circumstances that we often ignore, but are highly important. Saving Changes...
One of the strangest team issues I encountered involved a disagreement over the color of post-it notes used during a virtual retrospective. At first, it seemed like a trivial UX complaint. It turned out that certain colors held specific cultural meanings for one of our offshore teams, including associations with bad luck or mourning. What started as a “design preference” escalated into a broader discussion about cultural sensitivity, inclusion, and how we unconsciously center certain norms.
It was a wake-up call. Since then, I’ve incorporated cultural preference check-ins during team kickoff meetings; not just for holidays and working hours, but also for how we collaborate visually and verbally. That experience reminded me that even small tools or behaviors can have unintentional impact when managing diverse, global teams.
I’ve learned to never assume something is “weird” until you understand the context behind it.
Marc, this issue you had with the color of Post-it notes gives us a reflection about the importance of culture and inclusion, even in the smallest details like that. Thanks for sharing! Saving Changes...
PMO Leader | Speaker & Mentor | Content Leader – PMOGA Latin America
Hub| Catholic University of UruguayMontevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
In my experience leading diverse teams, one of the strangest - yet revealing - challenges was when a team member refused to participate in weekly meetings because they coincided with his spiritual practice of silence. At first, I interpreted this as a lack of commitment, but as I dialogued with him, I realized that his practice was an essential part of his mental well-being and emotional balance. Instead of imposing a traditional solution, I proposed to record the meetings and send him a summary with action points. Most surprisingly, by respecting his space, he became one of the most engaged and proactive members of the team. I learned that leading diverse teams is not only about integrating cultures, ages or languages, but also about being flexible to different ways of inhabiting the world. That moment reminded me that true inclusion begins with listening and that, many times, "strange problems" are opportunities to grow as a leader and as a human being.
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1 reply by Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
Sep 04, 2025 11:03 AM
Verónica Elizabeth Pozo Ruiz
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Thanks, Fabian, for sharing this story. Religion and spiritual culture are also important to take into account when managing stakeholders in a project.
I had a development project where a team member used to complain if you would salute him or approach his desk to say something. He used a phrase like: "you cut the flow".
Back then I had no experience with software engineers and this seemed strange, I learnt that when they are programing they need to be really concentrated to get their job done.
Nowadays, I walk by the desks and only talk to the people who turn to look at me, I no longer take it personal if they keep writing or looking at the screen. I stopped saluting out loud, only pass by to encourage an interaction and do it when it´s possible. After some time one engineer recognized my behavior and mentioned how important it was that I "respected their job".
Paying attention to the activities that the team do, can help us a lot to understand how to approach them and to have better interactions, and as a result, better performance.
There is always a reason why behind a weird issue. Saving Changes...
Program Manager, PPM&PMO Specialist.| Coppel, Mexico.Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
One of my team members was frequently arriving late. When I confronted her, I realized that her role as a mother made punctuality challenging. We made some adjustments to her schedule, and she was very grateful and committed to improving.
Regards! Francisco. Saving Changes...
In my experience leading diverse teams, one of the strangest - yet revealing - challenges was when a team member refused to participate in weekly meetings because they coincided with his spiritual practice of silence. At first, I interpreted this as a lack of commitment, but as I dialogued with him, I realized that his practice was an essential part of his mental well-being and emotional balance. Instead of imposing a traditional solution, I proposed to record the meetings and send him a summary with action points. Most surprisingly, by respecting his space, he became one of the most engaged and proactive members of the team. I learned that leading diverse teams is not only about integrating cultures, ages or languages, but also about being flexible to different ways of inhabiting the world. That moment reminded me that true inclusion begins with listening and that, many times, "strange problems" are opportunities to grow as a leader and as a human being.
Thanks, Fabian, for sharing this story. Religion and spiritual culture are also important to take into account when managing stakeholders in a project. Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
I saw many weird behaviors:
A guy one day came to work in rubber boots and would not take them off ever. In the end he had to be dismissed.
A young professional could not control his emotions and approached the personal assistant of a client executive with romantic offers. Luckily I could recognize the issue early and convince him to stop this behavior. He could be fired otherwise.
Female team members in Moscow left work early every day. The German management suspected them of being lazy and not committed to the project. But we asked and found that most of them were single mothers who had to get to the kindergarten in time, explaining this behavior and making it 'acceptable'. Saving Changes...
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