Building Trusting Working Relationships
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The team enjoying the hospitality at the Gurdwara
To reinforce and build on the working relationships, the Management Team in Development and Specialist Services from the Development Directorate, decided that they would like to have a clearer understanding of different cultures & religions. Their BEST action was to visit different places of worship and cultural centres.
The first visit, arranged by Suki Bhamra was to the Sikh Temple (Gurdwara), Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewek Jatha, Soho Road, Handsworth, where he is a devotee. The visit included an introduction to Sikhism, cultural history, religious beliefs, a guided tour of the Gurdwara and the main prayer hall to absorb the ambience and a vegetarian meal prepared in the Gurdwara from the free kitchen.
The Management Team outside the Gurdwara
This trip is the first of many, aimed at helping to break down the barriers and create better working relationships, a more relaxed atmosphere and encourage open communication within the team through improved knowledge and understanding of different religions, beliefs & culture. Visits like these also highlight the services that will be beneficial to individual customers from differing backgrounds and encourage new innovative, high quality building and environmental solutions.
Through this activity the team were living the Council’s core values of Excellence & Trust, by learning about and participating in a different culture in order to be able to show respect to individuals within the team by acknowledging and accepting that whilst cultural differences that exist shared experiences help to promote understanding. This has also inspired the team to think of new and innovative ways to provide a better service to their customers and learn from the experience of external partners in order to achieve the successful outcomes they are aiming for.
