Working and living across countries/cultures may present great opportunities but at the same time, they hold numerous challenges. Ability to manage across cultures is a competence that is becoming really important as the world gets flatter and more companies decide to go global. Adapting and succeeding in a very different culture are not easy. Some people choose to be oblivious of this topic and that impacts personal and professional growth. Though there're numerous studies and research articles on this topic, I would like to share some of my key learnings, personal experiences and observations. This list is neither comprehensive nor listed in the order of importance.
1. Respect
Being sensitive to and noticing some of the key threads in norms and behaviors in the new environment within and outside office is an important starting point. This helps to understand how things work and what's respected in the new setting. Many of the norms would be very different and may seem strange initially. The global professional needs to be respectful of the differences and try to understand the background with reasoning. Respecting individuals and cultural norms is a critical factor in adapting to any new culture.
Communication is key to avoiding misunderstandings. Many times during initial stages of interactions, it's useful to explain the reason behind doing or asking for something that impacts others. This avoids confusion and helps to build trust especially in the initial stages of relationship building.
2. Flexibility/Openness
This is vital for success in a different cultural setting. There is a possibility that one may feel insulted or not respected in some instances. Chances are that everyone may not be aware of the nuances about other cultures and interaction styles. Stephen Covey's teaching, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood" is a very useful advice to keep in mind while interacting with people from a different culture. In other cases, someone may just not be respectful or culturally intelligent. This could lead to frustrations. Being flexible and open helps to build a working relationship and trust. In my opinion, the burden of responsibility falls on the global professional to tackle an unpleasant situation with emotional maturity and intelligence. It's very useful to have a positive 'forgiving' and 'forgetful' (unpleasant events) attitude - easier said than done.
3. Coping with the unknown,fear of failure and patience
There're a lot of unknowns in a new environment. I'm not sure if anyone is perfectly comfortable facing unknowns. Finding information through formal and informal channels is very helpful to put one at ease. One has to also find appropriate ways to cope with stress related to uncertainties and the new environment. There may be different approaches for different people. Hobbies and avenues for entertainment provide useful options. People generally do take a certain period of time to adjust and feel comfortable in a new environment.
Even if one has good competencies, there will be mistakes along the way. On the other hand, fear of failure can inhibit people from trying out or getting exposed to new things. The normal tendency may be to stay within one's comfort zones. There will be misunderstandings. Having lots of patience to understand, learn from mistakes, adjust and work one's way through multiple and varied scenarios is important.
One of the leading experts in this field Fons Trompenaars advises, "We need a certain amount of humility and a sense of humor to discover cultures other than our own; a readiness to enter a room in the dark and stumble over unfamiliar furniture until the pain in our shins reminds us of where things are." Management guru Tom Peters writes, "If you come to another's turf with empathy, sensitivity and open ears - what the Zen masters call 'beginner's mind' - you're halfway home".
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
How We Manage Through Tough Times, As Individuals & Leaders
This is my first blog post since March. I've been thinking a lot during the past few months about leadership during tough times and our own individual behaviors. Many of these thoughts come from my observations, experiences and are relevant to what's happening in the world today.
It is during tough times that we get tested personally on multiple fronts:
* Our core values.
* Our emotional intelligence.
* How we care about, treat and support our key stakeholders - both in personal and professional lives.
* How well we prepare for the future (will be ready to run at high speed when things get better?) - both mentally and physically.
* Most importantly, our perseverance and ability to rebound from tough situations.
As we know, life consists of ups and downs. We'll live in a fool's world, if we believe things will continue to be good or bad. Additionally, there will always be some things that worry us. Kahlil Gibran's quote is so good to remember, especially during tough times - "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens".
What really matters is that we don't lose focus during the tough times, fight adversity with "stubborn perseverance", refuse to give up and work towards possible solutions.
From a leadership perspective, some of the most important behavioral things that a leader can do during very difficult times is not just be realistic but more importantly followup the realism with encouraging the organisation and being optimistic about future potential. Optimism is contagious when it comes from a trusted individual. Being a 'cheer'leader and building focus, energy level and high hopes for the future are equally important elements. Most times, the followers feed on the energy of their leaders. This is of course not easy to do as leaders themselves will be going through a tough phase. Leaders should always remember that every single move, especially during tough times is keenly observed by the rest of the organisation. What they do, talk about, and how they behave have a big impact on the organisation.
In the long run, leaders leave a legacy and are more remembered for how they got things done, not just what. I strongly believe that in today's world, without the first, the second is not sustainable.
It is during tough times that we get tested personally on multiple fronts:
* Our core values.
* Our emotional intelligence.
* How we care about, treat and support our key stakeholders - both in personal and professional lives.
* How well we prepare for the future (will be ready to run at high speed when things get better?) - both mentally and physically.
* Most importantly, our perseverance and ability to rebound from tough situations.
As we know, life consists of ups and downs. We'll live in a fool's world, if we believe things will continue to be good or bad. Additionally, there will always be some things that worry us. Kahlil Gibran's quote is so good to remember, especially during tough times - "Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens".
What really matters is that we don't lose focus during the tough times, fight adversity with "stubborn perseverance", refuse to give up and work towards possible solutions.
From a leadership perspective, some of the most important behavioral things that a leader can do during very difficult times is not just be realistic but more importantly followup the realism with encouraging the organisation and being optimistic about future potential. Optimism is contagious when it comes from a trusted individual. Being a 'cheer'leader and building focus, energy level and high hopes for the future are equally important elements. Most times, the followers feed on the energy of their leaders. This is of course not easy to do as leaders themselves will be going through a tough phase. Leaders should always remember that every single move, especially during tough times is keenly observed by the rest of the organisation. What they do, talk about, and how they behave have a big impact on the organisation.
In the long run, leaders leave a legacy and are more remembered for how they got things done, not just what. I strongly believe that in today's world, without the first, the second is not sustainable.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Authentic Leadership
Just finished reading the book, 'Authentic Leadership' by Bill George, former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic.
Here're some great inputs from the book:
* Authentic leaders are guided by qualities of the heart, by passion and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind. Others follow them because they know where they stand.
* The one essential quality a leader must have is to be your own person, authentic in every regard. Being your own person is most challenging when it feels like everyone is pressuring you to take one course and you are standing alone.
* It is important that you develop a leadership style that works well for you and is consistent with your character and your personality. Over time you will have to hone your style to be effective in leading different types of people and to work in different types of environments.
* Being true to the person you were created to be means accepting your faults as well as using your strengths.
Authentic leaders demonstrate five qualities:
1. Understanding their purpose: Passion
2. Practicing solid values: Behavior
3. Leading with heart: Compassion
4. Establish connected relationships: Connectedness
5. Demonstrating self-discipline: Consistency
Acquiring the five dimensions is not a sequential process; rather, leaders are developing them continuously throughout their lives.
* At some time in your journey you, too, may find yourself in a crucible that tests you to your limits. In this crucible you learn who you really are and what you want to become. Having survived, you will know that indeed you can take on any challenge and come out of it a better person for the experience.
* Leading an authentic life requires openness to all that life has to offer and a willingness to go with the flow of life.
* There are simply no shortcuts to creating long-term shareholder value. Sustainable growth cannot be achieved by a series of short-term actions. Real value can only be created by the hard work of dedicated, motivated employees that develop innovative products and services, establish intimate customer relationships, and build organizations over an extended period of time.
* The key is having people around you who complement your weaknesses and make up for your lack of experience.
* To overcome the many barriers to market leadership, it takes leadership committed with passion for its mission, with a singular focus and commitment to succeed.
* Innovations result from employees with a passion to make a difference in the lives of their customers. By appealing to the hearts of employees, leaders can aspire them to creative results.
* Companies that put their customers first and empower their employees to serve them will inevitably provide greater growth in shareholder value than those corporations that focus primarily on getting their stock price up.
* As a leader, you have the task of engaging the hearts of those you serve and aligning their interests with the interests of the organisation.
Making a difference in the lives of others can bring unlimited joy. Leading a life of significant service can bring unlimited fulfillment. Sharing yourself with others authentically can bring unlimited love.
Here're some great inputs from the book:
* Authentic leaders are guided by qualities of the heart, by passion and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind. Others follow them because they know where they stand.
* The one essential quality a leader must have is to be your own person, authentic in every regard. Being your own person is most challenging when it feels like everyone is pressuring you to take one course and you are standing alone.
* It is important that you develop a leadership style that works well for you and is consistent with your character and your personality. Over time you will have to hone your style to be effective in leading different types of people and to work in different types of environments.
* Being true to the person you were created to be means accepting your faults as well as using your strengths.
Authentic leaders demonstrate five qualities:
1. Understanding their purpose: Passion
2. Practicing solid values: Behavior
3. Leading with heart: Compassion
4. Establish connected relationships: Connectedness
5. Demonstrating self-discipline: Consistency
Acquiring the five dimensions is not a sequential process; rather, leaders are developing them continuously throughout their lives.
* At some time in your journey you, too, may find yourself in a crucible that tests you to your limits. In this crucible you learn who you really are and what you want to become. Having survived, you will know that indeed you can take on any challenge and come out of it a better person for the experience.
* Leading an authentic life requires openness to all that life has to offer and a willingness to go with the flow of life.
* There are simply no shortcuts to creating long-term shareholder value. Sustainable growth cannot be achieved by a series of short-term actions. Real value can only be created by the hard work of dedicated, motivated employees that develop innovative products and services, establish intimate customer relationships, and build organizations over an extended period of time.
* The key is having people around you who complement your weaknesses and make up for your lack of experience.
* To overcome the many barriers to market leadership, it takes leadership committed with passion for its mission, with a singular focus and commitment to succeed.
* Innovations result from employees with a passion to make a difference in the lives of their customers. By appealing to the hearts of employees, leaders can aspire them to creative results.
* Companies that put their customers first and empower their employees to serve them will inevitably provide greater growth in shareholder value than those corporations that focus primarily on getting their stock price up.
* As a leader, you have the task of engaging the hearts of those you serve and aligning their interests with the interests of the organisation.
Making a difference in the lives of others can bring unlimited joy. Leading a life of significant service can bring unlimited fulfillment. Sharing yourself with others authentically can bring unlimited love.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
"The Talent Lie" - Three features of the corporate structure
The following notes are from an article by Ed Lawler in the "Strategy+Business" Summer 2008 issue - he discusses how organisations can walk their executives' talk when it comes to the management of their talent. Many of these points have been discussed in the past by leading HR thought leaders like Dave Ulrich.
* The market value of most companies depend in large part on intangible assets, the most important being human capital.
* Many businesses need workers to perform complex work at a high level.
* Outstanding talent is scarce, and it can be a critical source of competitive advantage.
* When executives say people are important but the organization's practices and structures do not reflect this view, the unspoken message seems to be contradictory.
Three features of any corporate structure that clearly show whether management truly believes in the importance of human capital:
1. Corporate Board
* The board of directors should have access to both the expertise and information needed to understand talent issues at all levels of the organization.
* A board should have atleast one member who has a sophisticated understanding of the research related to human resource management, organizational effectiveness, succession planning, and learning and development.
* Board members should receive regular information about the condition of an organization's talent - and the way it develops and deploys that talent.
* It is particularly important that corporate boards spend time on succession planning for top-level management positions. The board should have up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of what executive talent is available and how well developed it is.
* Good analytic data showing how HR metrics relate to organizational performance should be present.
2. HR Department
* HR should contain some of the top talent in the company, along with the best information technology resources.
* HR should be a valued expert resource when it comes to strategy development, change management, organization design and talent management.
* The function should be staffed with individuals who understand the business - and the intricacies of human capital strategy and management systems.
* Strong HR analytics and a 'decision science' process should be adopted.
3. Information Systems
* To be effective, a human capital information system needs to track the contribution of people to the organization's most critical and strategic objectives. It needs to measure the condition of the organization's competencies and capabilities, especially those that are needed for superior performance.
* The HR department should have IT resources that will enable it to produce the kind of comprehensive, real-time quantitative data that can be used by leaders to make fact-based decisions about talent management.
* HR leaders should not just generate and analyze the data, they should apply it to the most critical decisions.
Source: "The Talent Lie" by Edward E. Lawler III, strategy+business, Issue 51 Summer 2008, Pg 38-42.
* The market value of most companies depend in large part on intangible assets, the most important being human capital.
* Many businesses need workers to perform complex work at a high level.
* Outstanding talent is scarce, and it can be a critical source of competitive advantage.
* When executives say people are important but the organization's practices and structures do not reflect this view, the unspoken message seems to be contradictory.
Three features of any corporate structure that clearly show whether management truly believes in the importance of human capital:
1. Corporate Board
* The board of directors should have access to both the expertise and information needed to understand talent issues at all levels of the organization.
* A board should have atleast one member who has a sophisticated understanding of the research related to human resource management, organizational effectiveness, succession planning, and learning and development.
* Board members should receive regular information about the condition of an organization's talent - and the way it develops and deploys that talent.
* It is particularly important that corporate boards spend time on succession planning for top-level management positions. The board should have up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of what executive talent is available and how well developed it is.
* Good analytic data showing how HR metrics relate to organizational performance should be present.
2. HR Department
* HR should contain some of the top talent in the company, along with the best information technology resources.
* HR should be a valued expert resource when it comes to strategy development, change management, organization design and talent management.
* The function should be staffed with individuals who understand the business - and the intricacies of human capital strategy and management systems.
* Strong HR analytics and a 'decision science' process should be adopted.
3. Information Systems
* To be effective, a human capital information system needs to track the contribution of people to the organization's most critical and strategic objectives. It needs to measure the condition of the organization's competencies and capabilities, especially those that are needed for superior performance.
* The HR department should have IT resources that will enable it to produce the kind of comprehensive, real-time quantitative data that can be used by leaders to make fact-based decisions about talent management.
* HR leaders should not just generate and analyze the data, they should apply it to the most critical decisions.
Source: "The Talent Lie" by Edward E. Lawler III, strategy+business, Issue 51 Summer 2008, Pg 38-42.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Innovation, Talent Management and Championing - even more relevant during tough times
Continuing from my previous post related to the interesting topic of Innovation - I found an interesting article on 'The Economist' titled 'Champion' - it discusses the critical role of champions in supporting and defending new ideas and talent.
Selected notes from the article:
1. The new idea either finds a champion or dies… No ordinary involvement with a new idea provides the energy required to cope with the indifference and resistance that major technological change provokes… Champions of new inventions display persistence and courage of heroic quality.
2. Championing is often applied to people as well: bright, young, talented people within an organisation are deemed to need a champion, someone higher up the corporate ladder who will support them and fight their corner. Many chief executives have risen to the top largely because they have been nurtured through their careers by people in high places.
I believe these become highly relevant during tough times. How does your company approach this and what sort of environment exists?
Main Source: http://www.economist.com/business/management/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12677035
Selected notes from the article:
1. The new idea either finds a champion or dies… No ordinary involvement with a new idea provides the energy required to cope with the indifference and resistance that major technological change provokes… Champions of new inventions display persistence and courage of heroic quality.
2. Championing is often applied to people as well: bright, young, talented people within an organisation are deemed to need a champion, someone higher up the corporate ladder who will support them and fight their corner. Many chief executives have risen to the top largely because they have been nurtured through their careers by people in high places.
I believe these become highly relevant during tough times. How does your company approach this and what sort of environment exists?
Main Source: http://www.economist.com/business/management/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12677035
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thoughts on 'Innovation' from IDEO CEO, Tim Brown (source: McKinsey Quarterly)
Some really interesting thoughts related to 'Innovation' from the IDEO CEO, Tim Brown (Source: McKinsey Quarterly, November 2008).
1. All we do is try to have new ideas...
2. ...focus completely and utterly on experimentation, on exploring ideas for the sake of exploring them, and on bringing unlikely people together to work.
3. ...if we spend too much time focusing on doing our projects on time and on budget - running our kind of business well - then the ideas we generate aren't as good.
4. Innovation is not a continuous activity; it's a project-based activity.
5. It's often the role of senior leadership to defend new ideas until they're actually out in the marketplace and able to stand up for themselves.
6. The biggest barrier (to innovation) is needing to know the answer before you get started.
7. It's better to have a bigger ecosystem for innovation than a smaller one. You're going to get more ideas and increase the likelihood of better ideas.
8. ...a competitive issue for nations in the future will be the ability of the general populace to generate and develop ideas.
9. Foundations and corporations are playing roles that they weren't playing before in public services...there's an opportunity both to improve the life experience of many, many people and to create quite a lot of economic benefit...
1. All we do is try to have new ideas...
2. ...focus completely and utterly on experimentation, on exploring ideas for the sake of exploring them, and on bringing unlikely people together to work.
3. ...if we spend too much time focusing on doing our projects on time and on budget - running our kind of business well - then the ideas we generate aren't as good.
4. Innovation is not a continuous activity; it's a project-based activity.
5. It's often the role of senior leadership to defend new ideas until they're actually out in the marketplace and able to stand up for themselves.
6. The biggest barrier (to innovation) is needing to know the answer before you get started.
7. It's better to have a bigger ecosystem for innovation than a smaller one. You're going to get more ideas and increase the likelihood of better ideas.
8. ...a competitive issue for nations in the future will be the ability of the general populace to generate and develop ideas.
9. Foundations and corporations are playing roles that they weren't playing before in public services...there's an opportunity both to improve the life experience of many, many people and to create quite a lot of economic benefit...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Talent Management During Tough Times
We are encountering challenging markets and business environments globally. One would not have normally expected the impact to be this big when all this started with the housing market collapse in the US.
When business environments get tough, focus on costs become the highest priority for everyone. It is really important to ensure though that the messages regarding value for talent do not get diluted.
I wanted to share my three key points for managers, leaders and HR to keep in mind while tackling difficult external environment scenarios. Many of these come from multiple sources that I've read and have thought about.
1. High clarity and increased frequency in communication
This falls on the top of my list because the level of uncertainty among employees is very high generally during tough times. Lack of high quality communication esp. with the talent population that's critical for an organisation's success could result in the loss of key talent. This in effect weakens an organisation's capability to execute when it's badly needed and there's no time to lose. Being realistic and frank about the challenges but at the same time, engaging the talent by laying out and drawing the picture of a promising future beyond the tough times will help to build commitment and trust.
2. Understanding talent priorities
Any organisation will need to clearly prioritise where to focus on with limited resources. The key here is not to forget that at the end of the day it is the right talent that helps organisations grow. Even though short term survival rightfully gets high priority, it's also important not to take away key talent investments for the future. Availability of a high quality talent pipeline could result in finding alternative success options for the business and provide a major advantage over competitors when the markets start to rebound.
3. Clearly being aware of the key talent population and increasing the touch points.
Understanding who does and will have the highest impact on the organisation's future (in terms of competencies and strategy execution) is critical. It is equally important to increase the touch points and therefore ensure that the organisation does not lose the right talent for reasons that could be avoided.
When business environments get tough, focus on costs become the highest priority for everyone. It is really important to ensure though that the messages regarding value for talent do not get diluted.
I wanted to share my three key points for managers, leaders and HR to keep in mind while tackling difficult external environment scenarios. Many of these come from multiple sources that I've read and have thought about.
1. High clarity and increased frequency in communication
This falls on the top of my list because the level of uncertainty among employees is very high generally during tough times. Lack of high quality communication esp. with the talent population that's critical for an organisation's success could result in the loss of key talent. This in effect weakens an organisation's capability to execute when it's badly needed and there's no time to lose. Being realistic and frank about the challenges but at the same time, engaging the talent by laying out and drawing the picture of a promising future beyond the tough times will help to build commitment and trust.
2. Understanding talent priorities
Any organisation will need to clearly prioritise where to focus on with limited resources. The key here is not to forget that at the end of the day it is the right talent that helps organisations grow. Even though short term survival rightfully gets high priority, it's also important not to take away key talent investments for the future. Availability of a high quality talent pipeline could result in finding alternative success options for the business and provide a major advantage over competitors when the markets start to rebound.
3. Clearly being aware of the key talent population and increasing the touch points.
Understanding who does and will have the highest impact on the organisation's future (in terms of competencies and strategy execution) is critical. It is equally important to increase the touch points and therefore ensure that the organisation does not lose the right talent for reasons that could be avoided.
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