29 June 2012
Why Cross Cultural Understanding is More or Less...Important
National culture has always been a complex and difficult construct to define. All cultures are more nuanced than we might ever imagine. In today’s globalizing world where cultures increasingly connect and collide, the art of finding distinctive or even unique characteristics of any national culture is becoming harder. Greater access to knowledge, data and multiple opinions adds complexity rather than simplifies our ability to capture and distil the essence of a nations’ culture accurately.
So how does this impact on the challenges of preparing managers for working internationally, where cultural awareness is often cited as being ‘the critical ingredient for success?’
By Steve Pritchard
In a recent McKinsey Global Survey of 4,666 executives, respondents were asked to select statements that they felt were pertinent to making their organizations’ operations more effective. I’ll share the results here, but first let me highlight their definitions of ‘global’ (a confusing term when there are so many organizational configurations)...
One of the most frequently asked questions I encounter when running seminars focussing on cross cultural leadership is: 'In the word of international business, are well becoming the same? The answer is 'yes' and of course, simultaneously...'no!'...
The spirit of collaboration often disappears under the weight of meetings. In turn, those meetings destroy the will to live and work by being puffed up with tedious presentations. We don't need to put up with this if we just set and enforce some simple rules.