How to be Indispensable to International Teams | Part 2 Cross Cultural Management

When working with international teams there are going to be multiple levels of issues and concerns to navigate consciously and subconsciously.  When discussing this topic (and it is one of my favorites) I love to reference my favorite text on the subject, Understanding Cross Cultural Management by By Browaeys and Price. (Everything below is based on their work).

According to Michael Browne, “[g]lobalization means that modern teams and companies are increasingly staffed by qualified people from around the world. In order to create a harmonic working environment while maximizing team efficiency, it is necessary to understand how different cultures approach things such as meeting deadlines, direct or indirect communication or project mentality”.

Individuals who master the ability to operate and navigate international teams with success and results are people high in demand.  You can too by studying the following aspects of cross-cultural diversity.

How to be Indispensable to International Teams | Part 4 Decision Making

There are many different types of decision-making styles and processes for one to choose from.  To have the ability to make proper decisions one needs to understanding their own natural tendencies and the processes involved in the choices made while having the knowledge of other decision-making tools better which may be better suited to the situation at hand.

The rational decision maker follows these procedural steps:

1. Identify the problem
2. Generate multiple possible solutions for the problem
3. Select the solution deemed most likely to solve the problem
4. Implement the solution and evaluate its effectiveness

Cross-Cultural Diversity and Personal Branding

Cultural Values stem from research on the typical values and norms of different cultures. Learning about these different cultural values will help you understand whether an individual’s behavior reflects his/her cultural background or if it is more likely an expression of the individual’s personality. This helps you avoid stereotyping and prevents the dangerous assumption that everyone from a culture is the same.

These cultural values are relevant to different national cultures (e.g. Germany vs. Japan). But they also apply to a variety of other cultural contexts such as different ethnic groups, regions within the same country, or different organizations, political parties or generations.

Individualism – Collectivism

Individualism: Emphasis on individual goals and individual rights
Collectivism: Emphasis on group goals and personal relationships

Power Distance

Low Power Distance: Emphasis on equality; shared decision-making
High Power Distance: Emphasis on differences in status; superiors make decisions

The Leadership Compass | What’s Your Direction?

Knowing if you’re a leader should come easy to you.  You are first to offer the assist and to come to someones aide, but more than that, you demonstrate the qualities of someone who knows the value of who you’re working with and strive to help them reach their potential.

Nelson Mandela once said that “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership”.

Understanding Context and Why It Matters to Your Brand

Context plays a very important role in communication.  People, peers, colleagues, and especially employers, do not want to have to interact with someone who lacks the self-awareness, knowledge, or understanding necessary to fully appreciate context before speaking.  By doing this your brand looks immature and unexamined which is the opposite of all things professional.

Context comes in two forms:  High and low

The Walk From No to Yes | William Ury

What Motivates Us At Work | TED

I’m always in the mood for TED.

How Conflict Resolution Can Boost Your Personal Brand

Conflict can be either good or bad.  We all need some level of conflict to attain our goals, push our personal limits, and to show us what we’re made of.  However, the type of conflicts that I’m talking about are disagreements and full-blown disputes.

Having a solid understanding of the principles of conflict resolution can mean that you’re one step ahead of the dispute and already thinking of ways to navigate and negotiate your way to an understanding.

Listen to “The Art of Workforce Science” | Box of Crayons

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Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills | Difference and Importance

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