A manager's job is to deliver results, through people, according to the requirements of the company. Globalization has brought its share of complexities to the management front.
It's a valuable manager indeed who is able to work across the cultural divide. Having an ability to get the best performamce from employees, often spread across the globe, is a quality a new breed of intercultural managers have in abundance.
Nowadays, being 'international' is not an exotic adventure in business, it's the way that businesses have to operate, through sourcing, manufacturing and, of course, selling.
With offices in all the major cities, production based in outreaches normally associated with TV specials and growing, wealthy markets just clamoring for appealing products, there are few organizations who remain untouched by the globalization of trade.
In a nutshell all companies must understand intercultural communication requirements.
Intercultural Management - The Basic Issues
In a very competitive marketplace, organizations are leveraging worldwide expertise to build their businesses and this has required a new level of intercultural management skills.
The term "intercultural management skills" is loosely defined as the ability of a manager to deal and communicate with people from different cultures.
In all forms of people management, communication is a recognized key ingredient for success and intercultural communication is a term of increased complexity.
Just by getting the message across, you will ensure that the organization's information is welcomed and appreciated.
Where a manager is able to inform, communicate (and this means 'two-way' of course!) and value the local population, business will grow and flourish.
That being said, one true talent is making the most of relevant skills and capabilites, which often, especially with specific activities, may only be available locally.
Externally a multicultural manager will have expertise in broad and varied cultural awareness for supervising the entrance into foreign markets. The selection and training of people who will work in foreign interests must be overseen.
Some managers have the knack of great relationship building sklills wherever they are in the world - a talent to be much admired!
Where things work out well, bank those for the future. Where there are some shortfalls, careful scrutiny of what could be done better will also forge the way for future success.
Intercultural Management - Clear, Focused and Experienced
The intercultural manager therefore must ensure that there are no misunderstandings due to cultural differences between colleagues, customers and clients.
Then it's down to work and life experience, added to previous opportunities to work elsewhere on the planet. These four angles are worthy of consideration:-
1. A focused awareness of the target location(s)
2. An ability to create value from new cultures
3. Considered approach to business
4. The capacity to pace change appropriately
Intercultural awareness is the basis of wide ranging management skills. Having a hands-on experience of working amongst varied cultures is critical.
That gives a big step-up to working there - or anywhere 'different', which makes integration easier and results much more likely to be positive.
Cross-cultural Managers Need To Be Very Flexible
Flexibility will often happen naturally once a manager becomes aware of cultural differences and can see beyond superficial level experiences. Flexibility means thinking out of the box, when considering solutions to intercultural challenges.
Problems will need different solutions than perhaps might expect - and this often requires a very different approach.
Likewise a manager with international responsibilities must use intercultural differences positively. Despite the challenges, cross cultural differences can only yield positive results when managed well.
Then new possibilities come from new horizons, that any business can value and create new outcomes from.
The manager with the best capacity to see and seize opportunity will, of course, be the one who brings home the prize.
There is a Dutch proverb that says, "A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains".
Patience, perception, persistence and resourcefulness, all coupled with a vison for what might be possible, all are the trademarks of the truly valuable intercultural manager. - 15359
It's a valuable manager indeed who is able to work across the cultural divide. Having an ability to get the best performamce from employees, often spread across the globe, is a quality a new breed of intercultural managers have in abundance.
Nowadays, being 'international' is not an exotic adventure in business, it's the way that businesses have to operate, through sourcing, manufacturing and, of course, selling.
With offices in all the major cities, production based in outreaches normally associated with TV specials and growing, wealthy markets just clamoring for appealing products, there are few organizations who remain untouched by the globalization of trade.
In a nutshell all companies must understand intercultural communication requirements.
Intercultural Management - The Basic Issues
In a very competitive marketplace, organizations are leveraging worldwide expertise to build their businesses and this has required a new level of intercultural management skills.
The term "intercultural management skills" is loosely defined as the ability of a manager to deal and communicate with people from different cultures.
In all forms of people management, communication is a recognized key ingredient for success and intercultural communication is a term of increased complexity.
Just by getting the message across, you will ensure that the organization's information is welcomed and appreciated.
Where a manager is able to inform, communicate (and this means 'two-way' of course!) and value the local population, business will grow and flourish.
That being said, one true talent is making the most of relevant skills and capabilites, which often, especially with specific activities, may only be available locally.
Externally a multicultural manager will have expertise in broad and varied cultural awareness for supervising the entrance into foreign markets. The selection and training of people who will work in foreign interests must be overseen.
Some managers have the knack of great relationship building sklills wherever they are in the world - a talent to be much admired!
Where things work out well, bank those for the future. Where there are some shortfalls, careful scrutiny of what could be done better will also forge the way for future success.
Intercultural Management - Clear, Focused and Experienced
The intercultural manager therefore must ensure that there are no misunderstandings due to cultural differences between colleagues, customers and clients.
Then it's down to work and life experience, added to previous opportunities to work elsewhere on the planet. These four angles are worthy of consideration:-
1. A focused awareness of the target location(s)
2. An ability to create value from new cultures
3. Considered approach to business
4. The capacity to pace change appropriately
Intercultural awareness is the basis of wide ranging management skills. Having a hands-on experience of working amongst varied cultures is critical.
That gives a big step-up to working there - or anywhere 'different', which makes integration easier and results much more likely to be positive.
Cross-cultural Managers Need To Be Very Flexible
Flexibility will often happen naturally once a manager becomes aware of cultural differences and can see beyond superficial level experiences. Flexibility means thinking out of the box, when considering solutions to intercultural challenges.
Problems will need different solutions than perhaps might expect - and this often requires a very different approach.
Likewise a manager with international responsibilities must use intercultural differences positively. Despite the challenges, cross cultural differences can only yield positive results when managed well.
Then new possibilities come from new horizons, that any business can value and create new outcomes from.
The manager with the best capacity to see and seize opportunity will, of course, be the one who brings home the prize.
There is a Dutch proverb that says, "A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains".
Patience, perception, persistence and resourcefulness, all coupled with a vison for what might be possible, all are the trademarks of the truly valuable intercultural manager. - 15359
About the Author:
(c) 2008 Martin Haworth, a business coach and 25 year time served manager, is the author of Super Successful Manager!, an easy to use, week-by-week development program for managers of ANY capability. You can get a sample lesson for free at http://www.SuperSuccessfulManager.com.
