Today’s business world is one of rapid change, volatile economies, technical revolutions, and increasing globalization. In the 21st century and beyond, according to experts, we need ‘borderless leaders’ who can function effectively in complex global environments and manage global business teams.
Today’s business world is one of rapid change, volatile economies, technical revolutions, and increasing globalization. In the 21st century and beyond, according to experts, we need ‘borderless leaders’ who can function effectively in complex global environments and manage global business teams.
With advances in technology, the internet, social media, andartificial intelligence (AI), we can be working virtually with global teams andclients around the world, without even leaving our home office. In today’sglobal workforce, and particularly here in Singapore and across the culturallydiverse Asia-Pacific region, most of us will probably be dealing on a regularbasis with people from other countries and cultures -- whether that becolleagues, line managers, clients, suppliers, or direct reports.
Maximizing the potential of this global market requires arange of internationalskills, a global perspective and intercultural competence, and a ‘global mindset’ tolead and facilitate effective work and communication. In a recentsurvey of over 2,700 HR executives, 'the ability to work well with a diverseworkforce and customer base' was cited as a key attribute for which there was ashortage of applicants. Around the world, organizations areunder increasing pressure to reduce costs while, simultaneously, increasingtheir success and building up their global leadership talent resources byhiring and developing leaders with a global mindset/skill set. TheSingapore Government, for example, has introduced measures to upskill itsworkforce and to help managers get ‘global ready.'
A whole body of research across a range of disciplines is devotedto this and there are numerous approaches and terms used to describe the set ofskills, competences, attitudes, and behaviors required to function effectivelyacross cultures. For those of us involved in global talent development, ‘functioningeffectively’ is really the minimum level of requirement -- simply avoidingcultural errors. Global success,on the other hand should go beyond ‘preventing calamities.' According to Professor HelenSpencer-Oatey, author of a number of publications on developing global leaders, the goal should be 'theleveraging of cultural diversity to realize its potential in creativity,problem-solving, and so on.'
As an intercultural coach, I have found The International Profiler (TIP) tool to be very helpful in providing a competency framework which covers the global aspects of my clients’ roles and complements other development frameworks which I or their organizations might be using. Some cultural assessment tools focus on the differences between national cultures, based on generalizations which can, if one is not careful, lead to stereotyping. By contrast, The International Profiler focuses on developing competencies which have been identified as relevant and important for working successfully in a global context. The International Competency Framework, on which the International Profiler assessment is based, draws on academic and theoretical research into how people successfully operate in unfamiliar cultural environments as well as on the practical experience of those who have business and operational experience across multiple cultures. The framework is designed to stimulate reflection on skills and qualities required for working effectively across cultural boundaries and how to develop and apply them in specific contexts. It can be used to help identify specific ‘gaps’ such as those people might experience in transferring technical or managerial skills to an unfamiliar cross-cultural context. It thus provides a platform for self-awareness with a clear developmental objective and a framework for personal change. Through the feedback process, the coach can focus on the particular cultural and business context that the individual is, or will be operating in and help them to analyse and adapt their behaviou to make them as effective as possible whatever their cultural or business context.
TheInternational Competency Framework details 22 dimensions within 10 keyareas of competence. One of these areas, for example, is ‘Synergy.'
In the business, intercultural and human resource managementfields, Adler’s concept of ‘cultural synergy’ is often referred to. Whenemploying cultural synergy, different cultural perspectives are acknowledgedand new alternatives created which combine the approaches and ideas of thecultures involved, creating something which is better than the sum of its parts– thus, ‘synergy.'
It is widely recognized that multicultural teams, when theywork well together, outperform their equivalent monocultural teams. However, with cultural and communicationstyle differences the potential to not work well together is higher thanwith monocultural teams and in such cases, this team could significantlyunderperform, in comparison. The intercultural competence of the managers andteam members is a big differentiator.
The International Profiler under this heading, identifies thespecific competency of ‘creating new alternatives.' Someone with a high score on this dimensionwill typically want to understand issues from different viewpoints, enablinggroup members from different backgrounds to use their different approaches tofind creative solutions (which may be new and different from the proposals ofany of the individual approaches) to the issues they have to deal with.
If you would like to learn how to build this competency and learn more about The International Profiler (and perhaps add it to your toolkit), accreditation workshops are being held in Singapore for the first time – check out the details at this link.
Blog Author – Joyce Jenkins, ManagingPartner, JBC Consultancy – Singapore