"How do you
as a leader draw a balance between respecting someone else's culture and
traditions while producing results that remain in line with the organization's
culture and objectives?"
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Great question! From my perspective, communication is critical in considering inter-cultural leadership issues. Leadership consultant Cynthia Kemper states, "Leading a diverse work force is more than a mental construct, a memorized list of cultural differences, or a willingness to be tolerant. It's about examining how well we function at the margins and interfaces of life, where divergent ways of being and believing meet and collide".
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kemper's quote, and firmly believe that intercultural communication competency is the key to striking the right balance between diverse employees and company culture and objectives. Further, I think effectiveness starts with acquiring knowledge about the target cultures in your organization. Once you seek to understand and accept variances, it becomes exponentially easier to adapt and integrate culture and traditions within organizations without jeopardizing productivity.
- 391-16SP10 (Mark L.)
Mark,
DeleteI am wondering about Kemper's statement related to ". . . a willingness to be tolerant." Does tolerance equate to acceptance? How are these concepts similar? How are they different?
~C Blockingeer
Charlene,
DeleteGreat question. From my point of view, tolerance and acceptance are two very different concepts. To me tolerance means "dealing with" different cultures -- either acting defensively (why can't they just act like us) or minimizing differences (why are we making such a big deal about it, they aren't that different). Acceptance is an eye opening, seeing things clearly and wondering how you've missed the differences. The concepts are similar in that they are both beyond denial. Hopefully I'm thinking about the differences the right way.
Further thoughts, Class?
DeleteAs our text, Global Leadership, describes, the success of a leader in a multi-national corporation evokes more challenges than are seen in a domestic environment. Although this is true, to a lesser degree, we all face cultural diversity of some type in our work environment. The degree of success that a leader will have with a diverse workforce, will to a large degree depend on the competencies of the leader himself/herself.
ReplyDeleteThis text first outlined the development of the international leadership paradigm. As research teams continued to refine and define the leadership role, more information helped to identify these competencies. Therefore, when a leader has interpersonal skills that she brings to the workplace and utilizes them to engage in thoughtful discourse with all employees, that leader will be successful. Some of us have worked in the corporate environment for many years, and have seen the development in workplace protocols and with change in the definition of acceptable behavior. Similarly, we must come to understand the cultural barriers that prevent global thinking, and be as inclusive with all employees as possible, which will help develop teamwork and acceptance within the team.
The McBer (pg 36) study identified the factors that predicted a leaders’ effectiveness as a global manager. Further, McBer identified that the three competencies that identified successful global and domestic managers: sharpening the focus, building commitment, and driving for success. My interpretation of ‘sharpening the focus’ in this model is to align the culture and traditions of employees to the extent that they will conform to the corporate culture. Once such a model is developed, all employees regardless of background will be successful in the organization. If a leader can successfully empower employees, goals will be achieved. As we gain a deeper understanding of traditional corporate culture and tear down silos that exist between teams as a result of this traditional paradigm, the efforts will engage and empower all employees. How to accomplish this: a successful leader needs to be an effective communicator and to encourage all employees to voice ongoing problems they may have encountered within the organization in the past, and sincerely work to be the change agent within the organization towards a successful future. Then, in observing these behaviors by the leader, members across the organization will follow suit.
LOB Mom,
DeleteAll too often, a strong corporate culture will overshadow the challenges diverse employees (ethnicity, race, age, ability, religion, etc.) experience. Considering the diverse nature of today's workplaces, how does "sharpening the focus" align and empower ALL employees. How, in your opinion, does a successful leader navigating a culturally-diverse workplace "communicate effectively" and encourage all employees to voice their issues? Will you tell us more . . .
Dear Charlene,
DeleteYour question on how can a leader encourage all employees to voice their issues reminds me of a TedX talk and article I shared with my group this morning. The Tedx talk is given by Harvard University Professor Amy Edmondson and discusses cultivating “psychological safety” in a group.
http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Building-a-psychologically-safe-
1.Frame the work as a learning problem not an execution problem
2.Acknowledge your own fallibility
3.Model curiosity
Thanks you for the suggestion, Haydee. I'm on my way to TedX now to watch the talk.
DeleteCharlene,
DeleteIn reply to your questions, above, an effective leader could be successful in aligning diverse employees by utilizing the models that are described in the case study from our Maximizing Business Results text. This model creates a way to engage team members by devising an on-boarding ritual for new members of the team. I propose that all employees, both current and new, would benefit from the creation of a new collective identity. The diverse employees will embrace the idea that they are all in a new environment. Although this new paradigm will create some discomfort at the start, an effective leader who shows sincerity and honestly in promoting the new model will be successful. LOB Mom (Dena)
This is a challenging topic and brings me back to a course I took on Employment Law. There are certain objectives that an organization strives to meet and certain guidelines that help them achieve their goals. Different cultures may prioritize the means by which they achieve their goals differently. For example, some of the leaders introduced in the scenarios in Maximizing Business Results with the Strategic Performance Framework showed their lack of adaptability in accepting others’ cultures. John Spencer who was working with the representative from the Cost Rican subsidiary could not comprehend why a colleague would spend an entire business luncheon talking about personal issues.
ReplyDeleteThe important lesson learned in this story is sometime productivity is tied to working better and more closely with someone as opposed to just crunching numbers. It takes a significant amount of emotional intelligence for a leader to understand what his/her employees require to be successful. Understanding and having a desire/curiosity to learn how other cultures function is the key to success in a cross-cultural environment.
There are certain freedoms employees should be allowed to express in the workplace to foster a comfortable workplace. For example, although a company’s dress code may prohibit wearing hats during the day, certain sensitivity should be paid to an Indian woman whose religious tradition require she wear a hijab on a daily basis.
A great leader will be able to detect these cultural differences and make accommodations to have a welcoming environment that allows people to focus on production, instead of trying to fit a cookie cutter mold. Accurately stated by Putz, et al., ”It is this deliberate leveraging of culture creation as an adaptive response to the challenges of a globalized world that is the essential meaning of cultural competence.”
Excellent post, Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteClass,
Any thoughts on overcoming the discomfort or awkwardness that can arise during discussions regarding cultural difference?
Charlene,
DeleteFrom someone who works for a relatively large multi-national company, I can tell you that one of the key barriers actually comes from the desk of those who are meant to ensure equality among employees -- our Human Resources organization. So much emphasis has been placed on avoiding discrimination (by HR) that many employees explicitly avoid discussions regarding cultural difference for fear that they'll be reprimanded or otherwise "written up" if they say the wrong thing. Said another way, many employees do not feel comfortable dialoguing on this topic, which is obviously a huge problem. HR leaders might consider adjusting their focus from discouraging discrimination to encouraging dialogue around cultural differences (and helping employees with techniques around how to do so in a safe and comfortable environment). If folks feel unsafe or uncomfortable, progress will be limited.
Wow! Any thoughts, Class?
DeleteI share some of these experiences with my employers Human Resources team as well. When we try to sweep things under the carpet or pretend issues are not there, we create more problems. Our HR team is the same way. They do not talk about the very issues that need to be solidified and discussed. No team members want to go to them in fear they will be another target. I feel that many employees need to have additional training and exercises to give us that experience we desperately need.
DeleteRespect is a critical skill that is vital in a global and diverse world. Having an inclusive mind set as a human being first is always important to me. I believe that we must be the change we wish to see in the world as Gandhi said, and that entails being a good human being in every area of your life in terms of respecting others, being open to learning, and engaging in new perspectives. As a leader it is a delicate balance in trying to be culturally sensitive to issues that may arise in new business situations; however I believe honesty and transparency with the group or individual you are working with is paramount. Most people understand..."I have to get the job done"...and "I will try to try to meet your needs in the process. Leadership requires emotional intelligence. I don't think there is a direct formula...I just think one must always be mindful and respectful and ask questions if you aren't familiar with something...and to acknowledge it openly.
ReplyDelete(391-16SP08) I truly believe to be an excellent leader one has to be cognizant and understand they need to tweak a bit of their sales pitch. For example, being able to do their due diligence and understanding how they can cooperate with the other side while driving results. In the text, Maximizing Business Results, it was mentioned that different cultures may prioritize their goals differently. That being said, I truly believe that most cultures essentially want the same results. As a good leader, we must dissect and understand the people in front of us and align to priorities that makes sense for both side. I also believe that in order for one to be a good leader, you must be self-aware. Understanding your mannerisms and how you approach people can make you a successful leader. I certainly thought I was a great leader but now seeing the different frameworks and how the thought process is for every culture, it really makes you understand how big the world is. It made me realize that I need to be cognizant every minute of the time.
ReplyDelete