The Global Phoenix - Issue 2 April - June 2017 | Page 11

Communication Methods and Frequency
Global leaders and employees need to understand
that different cultures communicate differently. Team
members should consider when to use emails ver-
sus when to engage in a live dialogue. People in
some cultures prefer dialogue (in person or on the
telephone); others prefer email communication, so
that they have time to digest the words and reflect
on a carefully-worded response. For example, people
in the French workplace often prefer discussion and
debate, while the Dutch workplace is often seen as
more to-the-point. Of course, these are broad gener-
alizations, and the actual experience can vary greatly.
Therefore, it is important to observe and to avoid ste-
reotyping. For example, after the merger of the French
and Dutch national airlines, Air France executives were
surprised by the frank observations made in public by
their counterparts from KLM.
Additionally, having a high frequency of communica-
tion and touch points often becomes significant. A
global leader shared that, “I have weekly touch points
with direct reports on my team and also monthly
one-on-one calls with employees deeper in the or-
ganization. Sometimes it’s important to ‘over com-
municate’ to reinforce a feeling of belonging to an
organization.” Clearly, there is not a single method or
style that this multifaceted leader employs. He ex-
plains his reasoning, saying, “These communications
become the baseline for having a clear understanding
of the team’s objectives.”
BUILDING CAPACITY FOR CROSS
CULTURAL COMPETENCE
Organizations need a roadmap or strategy to build
capacity for cross-cultural competence within their
leadership development curriculum and talent man-
agement initiatives. In order to build capacity, effective
organizations need to build the right mindset, skill set,
and tool set. The goal is to move people along on the
continuum from “knowing” to “doing” to “being.” A
recommended approach is to consider the following
three stages of development:
Stage 1:
Create a foundational level of cultural awareness
by providing a common, consistent and shared
language (e.g., cultural dimensions) around
understanding cross-cultural differences. This
goal could be achieved using knowledge-based
virtual sessions to scale across the organization
for building individual effectiveness. The target
groups would likely be first-time global leaders,
employees and HR Business Partners (HRBPs).
Stage 2:
Provide a more in-depth understanding of
cross-cultural differences by building self-aware-
ness. This transitional stage allows global lead-
ers and team members to further build their
skills through assessments, individual develop-
ment planning, and new leader and new team
assimilations. The target groups would likely be
experienced leaders with global responsibilities,
global teams and high potentials who are likely
to take on global roles.
Stage 3:
Develop a more in-depth use of models, tools,
and frameworks embedded in talent manage-
ment initiatives designed to build cross-cultural
competence through leadership coaching.
There is an expectation that participants should
pay it forward by supporting colleagues new
to the cross-cultural experience through men-
toring, networking, coaching, role plays, and
business case studies. This step has an added
benefit of driving scale and consistency across
the organizational approach. The target groups
would likely be senior global leaders including
expatriates with extensive global responsibili-
ties. For example, general managers with multi-
country responsibility.
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