The effect of globalization and digitization is that our work is more complex and global. The speed of change is faster than ever. To stay ahead of competition, teams must communicate and collaborate more effectively, efficiently and inclusively across the globe. That is why Global Business Academy has created 8 competencies to increase global team performance. Vital, now that we continue to work remotely with team members who are thousands of miles and cultures apart. The fourth competency we discuss in this series is: Self Management.

“Why is the boss not the boss?”

In order to understand self-management from an international perspective, it is important to first understand your own work culture. The Danish top the list of the flattest work hierarchy globally. The Dutch are not far behind. If you don’t greet the receptionist in the Netherlands, you are arrogant. Chinese people regularly ask me “why is the boss not the boss here?” They don’t understand. Even the king wears a simple tie when the mayor wears a mayoral chain. “Which one is the king?” whispers the Indian invitee standing nearby.

Freedom

Employees who work in flat hierarchy country are used to independence. When a boss gives them too little freedom and doesn’t respond positively to their input, they feel demotivated. The boss says: “If you don’t understand, tell me. If you don’t know, tell me. If you can’t do it, tell me. If there are any problems, tell me. If you have any ideas, tell me. I am your servant leader, tell me what you need ”.

The four components of Self Management

As soon as flat hierarchy cultures start working with hierarchical cultures – who are used to the boss telling them what to do – you have a challenge. Quickly, complaints arise. “Why doesn’t my colleague just come to me and ask me questions?” In the meantime, the colleague feels completely lost. But vice versa, there are challenges too. “Why is my boss micro-managing me all the time?”  “Why won’t my boss listen to my input?”. And the boss feels like their employee is questioning their authority.

Self management, and the thoughts, expectations and actions that come with it, are culturally influenced. We identified four components for self-management that create the greatest growth opportunities for global team performance:

1. Strengths, aspirations and powers: what are these? How do they strengthen the team and the organization?
2. Knowledge: how do you search for it? And how do you share it?
3. Working independently: what are your expectations and actions that define working independently? What is it for the other team members. How do you encourage it in your team members? How do you bring it together and create a team culture that works for all?
4. Ownership and accountability: how do you give and take it?

Passion and purpose

The most beautiful of the four is the first – Aspirations and Powers – because then you are really working with someone’s passion, aspiration and strength. And if you’re lucky, even purpose. This isn’t rocket science, but how often do you do this with your team members? Can you answer it? Can they answer this? Do you guide them. This is not a cultural thing either: it affects every employee. The only difference with your international team members is that some may be less likely to share it with you. Or very quickly, in the case of an Eastern European team member who, in his third week of employment said his ambition was to take over his boss’ job.

Nice idea, but does it work?

By sharing knowledge, we quickly say: “just call Andy, he knows everything about xyz”. But some cultures are more restrained. They do not dare to call Andy at all. Your solution is well thought out, but there is one thing wrong: cultural differences. Calling Jan just like that is like climbing Mount Everest. Sharing knowledge and encouraging teams to search for knowledge must be cultivated in steps.

Ownership, accountability, working independently: if you are used to following the assignments of your boss, these are big steps. Once you know the other person’s frame of reference and where you want them to go, you have an effective development path. And in this way you always take a step further in an effective collaboration.

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The effect of globalization and digitization is that our work is more complex and global. The speed of change is faster than ever. To stay ahead of competition, companies must communicate and collaborate more effectively, efficiently and inclusively across the globe. That is why Global Business Academy has created 8 competencies to increase global team performance. Vital, now that we continue to work remotely and team members are thousands of miles and cultures apart. The third competency we discuss in this series is: Effective Communication.

Go left, left again and walk for 10 minutes

Anyone who has ever asked for directions in Asia knows that after half an hour’s walk that temple is still not in sight. In fact, you should not have gone left and continue for 30 minutes, but right, left, 100 meters straight ahead, through a maze of streets and then walk for another hour. After following incorrect directions a few times, you quickly learn that you have to ask at least 4 times. If there is a common denominator, then you are literally on the right track.

Saying no is rude

Saying no is rude in many countries, you don’t say that. That is already the first barrier in communication with more outspoken cultures. I lived in Hong Kong for 12 years and am fairly used to indirect communication. Two years ago I was in Hong Kong and had lunch with my former colleague. She was recently married and excitedly invited me for dinner that night, to meet her new husband. After I said “yes”, she told me that she usually visits her mother on Mondays. An alarm bell went off in my head, but she was the one who suggested dinner. So what to do? Since I wasn’t planning anything for that evening anyway, I didn’t double check. I did not want to embarrass her and loose face. I gave it a 70/30. 70% that it did not happen, 30% that it did. Of course the dinner never took place. This is exactly what happens in collaborations.

Develop an antenna

Strong communication within the team is essential. To get there, there are a number of competencies you need: how to get people to share their opinion, how to get feedback, how to deal with problems et cetera. Essential in all is the ability to pick up signals that things are not quite right, just like the Monday visits to her mother was a signal. When cultures are quite direct, their antenna is not well developed to pick up indirect communication. When teamwork goes smoothly, it doesn’t seem like you need those skills. But the crux is when you embark on difficulties. Countless times I hear my clients complain that they only know about the problems at the end, not as and when they happen. Fortunately, that antenna is fairly easy to develop. It can save you a lot of time, money and frustration to get ahead of them.

It doesn’t mean they don’t like you

For more indirect communicators, it’s important to realise that direct communication is not meant personally. When people say ‘no’, it doesn’t mean they don’t like you. When they are direct, it doesn’t mean they are offensive to you. It’s just how they are, they communicate like this with everyone. If you find them very direct, it’s highly likely that they find you highly indirect and may not pick up the messages you are trying to convey.

We are half of the cultural difference

Every single person on this planet finds him or herself normal. That makes others abnormal. In a global world, it is important to realize that we are all half of the cultural difference. I often hear people say ‘we are head office’ or ‘we are the client’ followed by ‘and they just have to adapt’. But just like you can’t become Japanese, French or Brazilian, even if you lived there half a lifetime, global employees can’t 100% adapt to the head office culture.

Expectations and assumptions

When you find some aspects difficult when you work with certain cultures, it’s highly likely they struggle with you as well. Not only may there be mutual challenges, your expectations are largely determined by your own culture. We make assumptions and expectations based on our own values and ways of work. If you value transparency and the other person is not transparent, you will be quick to judge. As soon as you start judging, you stop asking questions and communication stops. That’s why self-reflection is such an important part – and my favorite part –  of our program. Only when we start to see ourselves from the perspective of the other, we start to look at the same situation differently. It strengthens the power of inclusion and the benefits it brings to your business.

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The effect of globalization and digitization is that our work is more complex and global. The speed of change is faster than ever. To stay ahead of competition, companies must communicate and collaborate more effectively, efficiently and inclusively across the globe. That is why Global Business Academy has created 8 competencies to increase global team performance. Vital, now that we continue to work remotely and team members are thousands of miles and cultures apart. The second competency we discuss in this series is: Remote Team Building.

Psychological safety

When my client Dow Chemical called me if I know anyone who provides training on psychological safety, I thought about it. I’d never heard about psychological safety but I knew someone who coaches teams so I gave a name. Then I ran into this phenomenon again, and again. I read a book about it. “Darn”, I thought, “I’ve been doing this for years, only I call it Trust”. And the author of this wonderful book has only highlighted psychological safety from an American perspective. How you create psychological safety in America is different than in Europe, Asia or Latin America.

“You’re a wimp if you don’t open your mouth”

I spent 16 years living in various continents. It’s funny how you see your own culture through foreign eyes when you return. In Dutch meetings, everyone has an opinion – whether you know something about it or not. You’re seen as a bit of a wimp if you don’t open your mouth. In addition, there’s little competitiveness here, so the Dutch have no fear to say something stupid. Because we dare to say anything, in a very direct way, we don’t understand that other cultures have difficulty with this. Yet at the same time the Dutch are very approachable and don’t behave as a boss. So we have our pros and cons in creating psychological safety outside the Dutch borders, just like any other culture, each in their own ways. Lowering the cons and upping the pros is the key to boosting psychological safety.

Inclusion

Another key element for psychological safety is inclusion. Your global team is clearly diverse, but does everyone feel that they are being heard? I remember a conference call when I was still working for Verizon. My Japanese colleague shared his insights. It was long-winded. His English wasn’t great. His accent was heavy. I heard my American colleagues fall asleep. But he said very, very valid things. After he finished, I recapped Koji’s messaged. You almost saw the Americans fall off their chairs. We listen more attentively to people whose English is native. We listen to people with the best speaking skills. But are they also the best? What vital information do you miss? And how about motivation? When your American colleague gets a platform again and again, do you still try to join the conversation? Or do you give up? Can you imagine how your softer spoken Asian colleague feels?

Global Team Building

Psychological safety, inclusion and equal career opportunities are the basis of your team performance, the development of new leaders and talent retention. It’s the basis of openness and transparency in which team members feel safe to share ideas without the fear of being foolish. Dare to report problems. Help and encourage each other. No doubt this is music to your ears. Remote Team Building is the foundation on which we build all other competencies. That is why our preferred methodology is training all team members about each other and bringing them together. So that, together, they work to solve current problems and create a One Team Culture that prevents problems. The energy during those sessions is beautiful. And the bonus? You will automatically get more inclusion. Oh yes, and efficiency.

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The effect of globalization and digitization is that our work is more complex and global. The speed of change is faster than ever. To stay ahead of competition, teams must communicate and collaborate more effectively, efficiently and inclusively across the globe. That is why Global Business Academy has created 8 competencies to increase global team performance. Vital, now that we continue to work remotely and team members are thousands of miles and cultures apart. The first competency we discuss in this series is: Strategy and Planning.

How can I influence headquarters?
A while ago I visited the CHRO of a large western telecoms company in India. He wanted to learn how to influence headquarters more effectively, and at an earlier stage. That’s an interesting question. “Why do you want to learn that?” I asked, “what happened?”

A powerful strategy… right?
“The global CHRO at head office wanted less hierarchy in the organization. So she drastically reduced the number of hierarchical layers” he told me. That sounded familiar to me. Holacracy, self-managing teams, it is a popular phenomenon. “So what’s the problem?” I continued.
“With well over ten thousand employees, India is the second largest division globally. Job titles are crucial in India, because they provide an illusion of growth. Without this, managers have to convince staff that they really on track for a promotion next year or the year after” he complained “and that doesn’t work”. I felt sorry for him. In a country with an average staff turnover of 20 to 25%, this is a hopeless task. If you don’t create a clear career trajectory for your high performers, they’ll create their own with their feet.

Yes, I will follow your strategy … (not)
On the other side, I also hear about the challenges from western professionals. “I am responsible for the branding worldwide,” a workshop participant told me. “I sent guidelines to South Korea and discussed those with them. They assured me they would execute it. When I looked at the website months later, I found out that nothing had been done. When I talked to them, they acted as if they had not understood”. I felt sorry for him too. ‘Saying yes, doing no’ is an easy way in Asia to get rid of requests you don’t want to do.

Reverse knowledge sharing
The most essential element of your strategy is the power of inclusion: getting feedback and ideas from all parts of the world. Some individuals are very good at this. Some company cultures are battling this. Yet many, like this global CHRO, suffer from the Corporate Immunity Syndrome: a tendency to drive out differences and a tendency to demand conformity. Of course it takes two to tango: not only should professionals be open to other opinions. They should also voice them and not take the easy path like the South Korean employee.

The emperor has no clothes! He’s naked!
An underestimated phenomenon is the impact of hierarchy. In the fairy tale “The Naked Emperor” a little boy shouts out what no one dares to say: “The Emperor has no clothes. He is naked! ” That does not exactly help in setting the right strategy. At the headquarters of well-known insurance company, they decided “to do things radically different” with their product strategy. The company has a good turnover, but the market share is dwindling. So the strategy works partially – they’re selling insurance, but they’re lagging. Did the Indian leaders know that? Of course. Did they say anything? Perhaps. Did Head Office hear the indirect feedback? Who’s to say. But the result, in one of their most important markets, speaks clearly.

Lets bring in the ambassador
I remember another conversation, in which a western ambassador in India told me that he had been asked to participate in a meeting between the Indian CEO, C-level and the Board. During the meeting – much to his surprise – he saw himself constantly confirming that what the Indian CEO claimed was true. The head office was clearly in a state of distrust and could no longer distinguish valid reasons and excuses. In those situations, local leaders usually get fired, but was that person really the problem?

Learning from trial and error… why would you?
All of this can be avoided when global teams understand each other. When there is psychological safety to open up. It makes me so happy when we can take away unnecessary frustration and help teams to create a One Team culture in which they map out their strategy together, everyone participates, takes action, create a planning with buy-in and action. Learning from trial and error… why would you?

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This month’s article is different than usual. Instead of interviews and analysis, I am sharing a true story, because it perfectly illustrates the cultural differences that Western and Asian teams need to overcome.

The story takes place in Amsterdam, at the VU university.

Three law students, two Dutch and one Indian, work together on an assignment. The assignment is to prove that the professor’s hypothesis is incorrect.  During the project, the Indian student does not give any input. The Dutch students are irritated – they are doing all the work. Once it is complete, they ask the Indian student to do the final proofreading, literature reference list, et cetera. A simple job that shouldn’t take much time.

But nothing is forthcoming. The two Dutch students keep on asking where the final report is and all the Indian student responds with is, ‘Don’t worry, I’m working on it, it will be ready’. And finally, one hour before the deadline, she submits it.

What do you think she has done……?

She has completely re-written the entire report. Her Dutch peers go ballistic. They think their Indian co-student is completely stupid and perhaps a little insane.

Is she indeed stupid? Very doubtful, she’s clearly intelligent otherwise she would not be a law student. Is she insane? I should hope not! So, why did she do this?

The problem, as you may have guessed, is the nature of the assignment. In her eyes, the professor is the ‘oracle’ of Amsterdam. He is an authority. You don’t tell him that he is incorrect. The reason why she never contributed to the assignment, is because it went directly against her values.

What’s interesting too, is how she handled it. Instead of telling her fellow students that she felt extremely uncomfortable about the assignment, she did not say anything. Nor did she contribute. Rather than going against her peers, she came up with a different solution: re-write the report and submit it so late that her fellow students could not submit the original report.

A combination of complete conflict avoidance and ‘saying yes, doing no’.

I see the same on the work floor, not only in India but across the Asian region. Usually, on the ‘professor level’ – also known as senior management– people are super intelligent, outspoken, decisive and a pleasure to work with. Their Western peers are super happy and don’t see a lot of cultural differences. The differences are felt much harder on the ‘student level’ – also known as the operational level. When you work on projects, problems and delays are unavoidable. But when feedback is lacking and you find out about problems at the last minute, professional trust gets a hammering and the project does too.

I see this happen especially when there is a ‘new’ element. A new team in India or a new team in the West. A new project. A new type of work assignment. Knowledge transfer. The word ‘new’ always raises a red flag in my mind, and it usually goes wrong at the start. 
For IT, this is both extremely relevant. IT is at the forefront of both front-end innovation and back-end (RPA) improvements. Almost everything is new!

To illustrate how ‘new’ can impact your project, we shared a real life example during an SSON webinar last month. Joost van Daelen, Director GBS Project Management from Akzo Nobel, explained how a new RPA implementation – a seemingly simple first bot – took 13 months to develop, instead of 6 weeks.

The cause was different expectations on how the project would be handled, miscommunication, and a too junior project lead on the vendor side. At the root of this miscommunication and mis-expectation lie cultural differences, just as the students experienced.

Digital transformation is really about human transformation. Human transformation in a global environment. For this reason, cross-cultural communication within a local context has been declared as the #3 skillset* of the future.

The good news is that I see a hunger on an operational level to learn. They really want to understand and learn. How are India and rest of Asia different? How can I understand, recognise and anticipate that things are going wrong? And once I think it’s going wrong: how can I fix it? This positive attitude will help IT to truly be at the forefront of transformation.

Note:

* #3 ranking is derived from 2 different lists citing cross-cultural collaboration:

Organisation: Institute for the Future. Report: Future workskills 2020 

Organisation: Singularity Hub. Report: 7 Critical Skills for the Jobs of the Future


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