David Livermore Global Thinker and Author

Economic recessions have typically been times when organizations scale back their global expansion. Not this time. The economic downturn is spurring companies to become more international.

Executives from every region recognize that the greatest opportunities for growth exist beyond domestic borders.

In fact, a recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit,  reported that 90% of executives surveyed predict their company’s number of overseas clients will increase in the next three years .

77% believe they will have an operational presence in more countries than they do today. Yet the same group of respondents agree that misunderstandings rooted in cultural differences are the biggest obstacle to effective expansion across borders.

Many organizations are responding to this challenge is by assessing their team’s cultural intelligence, or CQ. As many readers know, CQ assessments measure four capabilities:

CQ Drive: the interest, drive, and motivation to adapt cross-culturally

CQ Knowledge: the understanding of cultural similarities and differences

CQ Strategy: the ability to plan and be aware in light of culturally diverse situations

CQ Action: the flexibility to adapt one’s behavior when needed in a cross-cultural situation

 But simply taking an inventory of one’s strengths and weaknesses in these areas does little by itself. What’s the significance of scoring “high” in CQ Drive and low in another area?

Research reveals some interesting answers to the “So What” question.

[Click here to download a pdf of the above graphs. And visit here for the research article  in Management and Organization Review about the results of CQ.]

Culturally intelligent teams are more productive and innovative and they build a positive reputation for themselves and their organization. They naturally possess a broader knowledge of current world trends and thus their decisions and day-to-day operations are based upon a stronger grasp of relevant issues.

90% of the senior executives surveyed by the Economist Intelligence Unit believe increased cultural intelligence among  personnel will improve profits and revenues. Nandita Gurja of Infosys in India says, “We are a global company. We simply cannot progress without the knowledge and experience to deal with other cultures.”

Expanding internationally brings a number of risks, including legal liabilities, unpredictable situations, and an increased complexity to your operations. But when handled by a culturally intelligent team, it offers the brightest opportunity for growth and innovation in this economically volatile climate.

[More information about CQ Assessments available here.]

I can eloquently explain why some cultures value punctuality and efficiency  (“Clock-Time” cultures) while others place greater value on relationships and flexibility (“Event-Time” cultures). But get me off stage and I’m not nearly so patient handling these differences myself.

Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a nut case with expecting timely follow-through. But in my defense, I work in a world where people expect me to deliver projects on time.

I understand the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of this cultural difference. But simply appreciating the differences isn’t enough. For those of us who have to live and function according to deadlines and schedules, we have to learn how to effectively and respectfully work with individuals and cultures that don’t share our clock-oriented approach.

Here are a few suggestions. I’m hoping you’ll chime in with some of your own!

1. Manage the Relationship
In the “project management” world, it’s all about managing the process. You need to define the objective, get the right people on the job, assigns the tasks and oversee the process.

But most cultures around the world approach tasks and trust-building within the context of relationship. Most of us know that, but we often overlook it in the midst of a project. In these cases, managing the relationship is the most important part of the “project”. Developing consensus about the process, working on the tasks together, and regularly talking it all through might seem inefficient to some of us; but it’s actually how projects most effectively get completed in most cultures.

Beware. Pretending to build a relationship simply to get something done will be sniffed out right away. The intent has to be genuine.

2. Save Face
Most of us are familiar with the importance of saving face—maintaining someone’s honor and dignity, particularly in the presence of others. Individuals from “saving-face” cultures are taught not to “stand out” from the crowd.

Consider how “saving face” plays into getting things done. Blunt critique or effusive praise are ineffective. Instead, consensus, group goals, and indirect communication are typically what work best.

Frankly, we can apply some of this to any individual. Few things make me more defensive than getting an email from someone that starts right off with “I’m really FRUSTRATED and UPSET” blah, blah, blah. But this is even more important for many cultures around the world, where the importance of harmonious interactions are crucial for effectiveness and productivity.

3. Create Value and Increase Urgency
Accomplishing tasks on time is largely about motivation. In what Piers Steel calls the Procrastination Equation, he names “Expectancy” and Value” as the two most important contributors to motivation. The problem is, we often assume, What motivates me, motivates others.

Culture plays a strong role in how we’re motivated. Stop and consider what kind of value completing this project has for the other parties involved. What are the benefits for meeting the deadline (or the consequences for not doing so)? Extrinsic motivators like financial rewards may play a part in motivating someone to get something done on time, but a far more sustainable motivation is when there’s intrinsic interest in the project and a desire to be part of something like this in the future.

4. Check-in Periodically
Ask questions along the way to indirectly get a pulse on what kind of progress is being made. For individuals coming from cultures described as “high uncertainty avoidance” cultures, they may not want to speak up and ask for help. If they don’t know what to do, the project stalls.

The importance of saving-face and indirect communication doesn’t mean we should avoid explicit understanding about roles and responsibilities. “Someone needs to do XYZ”, or “We all need to play a part in ___” won’t get us anywhere. Create the understanding together, determine who (an individual or team) will be accountable for it, and then check in along the way to see what you can do to help.

5. Evaluate the role of Power Distance
Be sure to consider how the perceived importance of status and authority may influence what occurs. How does this person perceive you and your level of authority?  Do you need to bring in your superior to help get things moving? Do you need to talk to a superior on the other side?

Use this very judiciously. You don’t want to start going above and around people. But understand how strongly “status” can influence the situation. Most of us are quick to drop what we’re doing when the boss asks us to do something. This reality is multiplied many times over in a high power distance society.

6. Breathe
As much as I hate to admit it, few things become irreversible because of a missed deadline. Take a deep breath and consider this in the whole scope of life.

But for those procrastinators who are gloating in that acknowledgement—beware. I’ve silently decided not to work with some individuals or organizations when I know that follow-through is vital and I just can’t risk it…or deal with the added stress.

Every situation is different. We can’t really simplify “task completion across cultures” to 5-7 steps. That’s why my colleagues and I spend most of our energy helping people develop an overall capability of cultural intelligence so they can adapt their strategy for each specific situation. But hearing the practical solutions of others can sometimes unlock new ideas for how to work and relate with cultural intelligence.

I hope you’ll add 1-2 ideas of your own. Let me know what you think (the sooner the better!).

 

 

 

 

 

There’s no cultural difference that’s more easily understood by people than those that have to do with “time-orientation”. A few ways we explain this in the cross-cultural domain is contrasting cultures according to:

Event Time vs. Clock Time

Monochronic vs. Polychronic

Being vs. Doing

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Orientation

Understanding these cultural differences is the first step. It helps calibrate our assumptions and it slows down how quickly we might label someone “incompetent” or “up tight”.

But the reality is—every leader and organization has to meet certain deadlines.

I do. I’m up against this constantly. Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a nut case with expecting timely follow through from myself and others. But even for those not as hyper about it as me, there are decisions that have to be made and projects that have to be delivered. At some point, “We’re working on it” doesn’t work. (And I know—sometimes, “We have to get this done” isn’t possible).

So how do you do it? This is an honest question—not a rhetorical set-up for, Let me tell you how. I’m genuinely interested in your strategies for how you work with either side of this—a culture, individual, or organization that approaches “deadlines” and timely responsiveness differently than you do.

How do you make it work? How do you manage both the process and the relationship? Feel free to share one line or a paragraph so we can learn about this together.