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How to Succeed As the Center Shifts

Leading Across New Borders

COMMUNICATINGLOW CONTEXT HIGH CONTEXT

TRUSTINGTASK BASED RELATIONSHIP BASED

PERSUADING

SCHEDULINGLINEAR TIME FLEXIBLE TIME

DISAGREEINGCONFRONTATIONAL AVOIDS CONFRONTATION

EVALUATINGDIRECT INDIRECT

DECIDINGCONSENSUAL TOP DOWN

LEADINGEGALITARIAN HIERARCHICAL

PRINCIPLES FIRST APPLICATIONS FIRST

COMMUNICATINGLOW CONTEXT HIGH CONTEXT

TRUSTINGTASK BASED RELATIONSHIP BASED

PERSUADING

SCHEDULINGLINEAR TIME FLEXIBLE TIME

DISAGREEINGCONFRONTATIONAL AVOIDS CONFRONTATION

EVALUATINGDIRECT INDIRECT

DECIDINGCONSENSUAL TOP DOWN

LEADINGEGALITARIAN HIERARCHICAL

AustraliaGM Germany AU

GM

GM

GM

GM

GM

GM

GM

GM

AU

AU

AU

AU

AU

AU

AU

CAPRINCIPLES FIRST APPLICATIONSIRST

COMMUNICATINGLOW CONTEXT HIGH CONTEXT

TRUSTINGTASK BASED RELATIONSHIP BASED

PERSUADING

SCHEDULINGLINEAR TIME FLEXIBLE TIME

DISAGREEINGCONFRONTATIONAL AVOIDS CONFRONTATION

EVALUATINGDIRECT INDIRECT

DECIDINGCONSENSUAL TOP DOWN

LEADINGEGALITARIAN HIERARCHICAL

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

BR

BrazilFR France BR

FR

FR

FR

FR

FR

FR

FR

FR APPLICATIONSIRSTPRINCIPLES FIRST

How are we the same?We all want to be:

The challenge is the BEHAVIORS we look for to feel this way are different depending on the culture we grew up in.

LOW PERFORMANCE HIGH PERFORMANCE

Homogeneous Teams =

Average PerformanceDiverse Teams =

Above Average

Performance

Diverse Teams =

Below Average

Performance

Team Performance and Inclusive Leadership

• Recently, I was speaking to some French members of a global, matrix team that had started working with the

Americans. They were frustrated! They said, “You know those Americans! They are so indirect, so imprecise.

They “sugar-coat” everything so we do not know what is true. We just don’t know if we can work with those

Americans!” Later in my discussions I interviewed some members of the team in India. I was struck by what they

said: “You know those Americans. They can be so blunt with their opinions. Their directness is sometimes even

rude. How can we work with them.”

EXTREME A EXTREME B

Generalizations NOT Stereotypes

Not This. . . .

French Range

Indian Range

US Range

EXTREME A EXTREME B

But This. . . .

• Recently, I was speaking to some French members of a global, matrix team that had started working with the

Americans. They were frustrated! They said, “You know those Americans! They are so indirect, so imprecise.

They “sugar-coat” everything so we do not know what is true. We just don’t know if we can work with those

Americans!” Later in my discussions I interviewed some members of the team in India. I was struck by what they

said: “You know those Americans. They can be so blunt with their opinions. Their directness is sometimes even

rude. How can we work with them.”

DIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK INDIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

IndiaUnited StatesFranceGermany

Dutch Germany Austria Italy USA UK Brazil Mexico China Saudi Japan

Israel France Spain Australia Argentina India Emirati Korea

Russia Denmark Poland Canada Singapore Zimbabwe Thai

DIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK INDIRECT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK

RESPECTED

HBR Video

Negotiation Video:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dprfmpi4f09is0m/negotiating-across-cultures.mp4?dl=0

High Context, Indirect Communication

It looks like we’re going to have to keep the production line running on Saturday

I see.

Can you come on Saturday?

Yes, I think so.

That’ll be a great help.

Yes, Saturday is a special day.

How do you mean?

It’s my son’s birthday.

How nice I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you. I appreciate your understanding.

Mr. Chen Mr. Jones

Explicit

Simple

Clear

Implicit

Layered

Nuanced

US Netherlands UK Poland Spain France Emirati Zimbabwe Korea

Australia Germany Denmark Brazil Mexico Russia India China Japan

Canada Austria Belgium Argentina Singapore Saudi Thai China

LOW CONTEXT HIGH CONTEXTCOMMUNICATING

UNDERSTOOD

SENDER’S

Responsibility to be clear

RECEIVER’S

Responsibility to interpret

Communicating Conclusions

Multi-cultural teams need low context processes.

Build awareness on your teams.

When working with low context cultures be as explicit as possible. Put it in writing. Repeat key points.

When working with high context cultures repeat yourself less and

work on increasing their ability to “read the air”.

!

Task RelationshipTrusting

You do not need to know a person

well to work with them. You get

“down to business” quickly.

Relationships are best made by

working hard together

You begin by getting to know

a person when working with

someone.

This helps your understand

each other so the business

goes smoothly

US Netherlands Denmark UK France Argentina Korea India Saudi

Canada Germany Australia Poland Spain Russia Mexico Emirati China

Austria Singapore Japan Brazil Zimbabwe

Task RelationshipTrusting

Phone F2F MtgEmail F2F Social

Task RelationshipTrusting

Trusting Conclusions

When working with relationship-based cultures:

When working with task-based cultures:

• Get down to business. Try shorter lunches, less non-work related talk, get down to business

• Or explain why you want to invest the time – (“in order for me to work with someone well I

need to spend time to know them. In Brazil we do this by. . .”).

• Invest significantly more time building relationships when working globally.

• Practice exposing yourself more than you are used to and working on blending your personal

self with your professional self.

• Use more non-work talk to pad your emails and telephone calls.

She was so prepared. Why did Hong not speak up in the meeting?

• After 12 years of working in local roles in Shanghai, Hong was delighted

to join a matrix team made up of Americans and Europeans. Hong still

reported to her local Chinese manager, but was invited by her new

American boss to attend a first virtual meeting of her new team. She

prepared for a full week prior to the meeting. When the meeting began,

she briefly met and said hello to her new colleagues. Although having

many things she would have liked to say, during the meeting Hong spoke

almost not at all. Later her American manager sent her an email saying

“We were pleased to have you at our meeting last week! Next time we

would like to hear your voice more!”

USA China

Egalitarian Leading Hierarchical

UK Germany France

Denmark

The Netherlands

A

B

A

B

A

B

LISTENED TO

Israel Canada USA Brazil Argentina Poland Russia Japan

Netherlands UK Germany France Mexico India China Nigeria

Denmark Australia Spain Austria Singapore Saudi

Korea Emirati

Egalitarian Leading Hierarchical

www.erinmeyer.com

LOW PERFORMANCE HIGH PERFORMANCE

Homogeneous Teams =

Average PerformanceDiverse Teams = Above

Average Performance

Diverse Teams =

Below Average

Performance

Team Performance and Inclusive Leadership

Where to learn more:

Culture Map Tool

• Country Mapping: http://erinmeyer.com/product/7-days-free/

• Password code: ICTFSNovember

Self-Assessment Questionnaire:

• http://erinmeyer.com/tools/self-assessment-questionnaire-2/

If you want to learn more… Books by Karen Cvitkovich and Erin Meyer

www.erinmeyer.com

T-shirt video:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ga0abcv1npg3135/slide-34.mpeg?dl=0