The U.S. business community is entering its
third decade of diversity initiatives. Corporate leaders today usually
understand the significance of inclusion and the need to build positive
relationships across race, gender, and personality. The diversity discussion
is not complete, however, until intentional efforts towards building
relationships in today’s global society are included. Key questions need to
be addressed to expand efforts in U.S. companies:
- How is our customer base expanding?
- Who comprises our potential customer
base?
- What competencies do we need across all
employees to compete in a global marketplace?
- How does diversity education relate to
our company’s financial performance?
- Are we using our employees’ talents to
leverage resources and gain competitive advantage?
- Are we using our employees’ talents to
achieve our business objectives and return value to shareholders?
I have found that my successful
international clients align their efforts towards building collaboration
across diverse customer and employee groups with core values, key result
areas, and efforts targeted at differentiation in the marketplace. For
example, one organization I work with has decided to build a presence in
Southeast Asia. A critical component of their plan to achieve this presence
is ascertaining what competencies their employees, both in the U.S. and in
Southeast Asia, will require to ensure success. Ex-pats will need to learn
Japanese because that’s the target country for expansion. They and their
families will require an education around living in a country far different
in culture and lifestyle than the U.S.
When I lived in Japan, I made a cultural faux pas early on that spurred me
towards educating myself about the country’s culture. I attended the funeral
of a Japanese neighbor, dressed in my best black outfit. I attributed the
stares I received during the ceremony to the fact that I’m a “round eye” who
didn’t look like anyone else. However, after the ceremony one of my Japanese
neighbors pulled me aside and courteously explained that white is the symbol
for grieving in their country. I was truly embarrassed! He went on to
explain that black is their color for joy….so in essence I was saying, “I’m
so glad he’s dead!” This is the kind of mistake that can cause huge
misunderstandings personally and professionally in other countries.
With my client example above, staff in the U.S. who support the ex-pats’
efforts will require an understanding of factors such as Japanese currency,
their stock market, and labor relations laws. The company’s ability and
readiness to provide employees with these skill sets is a consideration when
setting objectives such as international expansion.
From the employee’s perspective, many of us ask one basic question prior to
expending time, energy, and effort for an assignment: “what’s in it for
me?!” Whether you’re hoping to encourage a manager or an individual
contributor to learn a different language, move to another country, or open
their home to international business visitors, think about how you will
foster their willingness to participate. Tactics such as rewards,
recognition, compensation and promotional opportunities that are tailored to
individual employees should be considered to ensure employee buy-in.
The society presenting itself in this next decade is a global one. Those who
successfully meet the challenges of this society will be adaptable, open to
different perspectives and approaches, and adept at collaborating across
race, gender, age, and culture.
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Dr. Gravett is founder and Senior Partner of Gravett and Associates, an
international organization development consulting firm headquartered in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Her email address is
Linda@gravett.com.
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