January 2010, no. 14
The year began in a great way for us at Aperian India with one of our founders, Dr. Ernest Gundling (Ernie), visiting the India office.
Ernie was in Bangalore at the end of January facilitating a portion of a Global Leadership program for high potential employees of one of Aperian Global's multinational clients.. This cohort of fifty plus participants from more than twenty countries spent two weeks in India that included visits with clients and company colleagues as well as to cultural sites, with one week in Bangalore and another in New Delhi. They will be gathering again in several months at the company’s European headquarters to present the results of their action learning projects. Other groups have gathered for sessions in different key growth market location such as Shanghai, Sao Paulo, and Moscow to develop critical skills as global leaders.
Ernie also spent time meeting with our staff and clients. Please find his bio below.
Ernest Gundling - Co-President & Founder
Dr. Gundling is a co-founder of Aperian Global and has been involved with the organization since its inception in 1990. He currently acts as a senior Asia specialist and co-President of the company's operations. His job is to assist clients in developing strategic global approaches to leadership, organization development, and relationships with key business partners. He also coaches executives with global responsibilities and works with multicultural management teams to help them formulate business plans based upon strong mutual understanding and a joint commitment to execution.
Dr. Gundling holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He wrote his dissertation on Japanese management training programs; his field research was funded initially by a U.S. Department of Education Fulbright Fellowship. He received a Master's degree from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. from Stanford University.
Dr. Gundling has been involved with Japanese language, culture, and business for over twenty years, including more than six years' residence in Japan; he has worked and traveled extensively elsewhere in Asia, and lived for extended periods in Germany and Mexico. Dr. Gundling is also currently a Lecturer at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he teaches a course called Global Management Skills. He formerly worked as the Director of Consulting and Organization Development at Clarke Consulting Group.
A partial list of clients that Dr. Gundling has served includes ACCO, AT&T, Canon Information Systems, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Bank, Ford Motor Company, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, Honda, Intel, Intuit, Kodak, Levi Strauss, Lucent Technologies, Mazda, Morgan Stanley, Mitsui Bussan, Motorola, Procter & Gamble, Texas Instruments, and the 3M Company. Dr. Gundling is the author of numerous publications, including several books: The 3M Way to Innovation: Balancing People and Profits, Working GlobeSmart: 12 People Skills for Doing Business Across Borders, and Global Diversity: Winning Customers and Engaging Employees within World Markets. He has been a co-producer of Aperian's award-winning video series called Working with China and Globally Speaking, and a contributor to the company's pioneering web tools, GlobeSmart and Global Teams Online.
Culture Shock
Culture shock is a state of disorientation and frustration that results from entering a new culture where people's fundamental values, beliefs, and ways of doing things are different from your own. Symptoms may include irritability, anxiety, excessive sleeping or reading, depression, increasing isolation, compulsive eating or drinking, resentment or bitterness, feelings of helplessness, and physical problems such as headaches, insomnia, and sickness.
Immediately after arriving in a new culture, there is often a "honeymoon" period, during which everything new seems interesting and exciting. This is typically followed by an increasing sense of disorientation, as deeper, more fundamental differences surface. A newcomer may have difficulty fitting in and become increasingly isolated from colleagues in the new culture, while at the same time starting to lose touch with his or her home culture contacts. This is the stage where many people become depressed and may be prone to stereotyping or venting about the host culture.
As individuals learn how to survive in their new environment and develop coping mechanisms, their level of comfort and confidence will usually increase, and they hopefully begin to enjoy their life in the new culture.
Before You Leave
After You Arrive Answer the following easy questions about the German culture and customs: 1) Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the relationship between managers and employees in typical German companies? 2) Which of the following statements most accurately describes the situation of German women in the workplace? 3) When dining with German counterparts, it is most common for business to be discussed: 4) Germany was divided into East and West Germany as a result of its defeat in World War I. 5) Germans tend to be very results-oriented and don't pay much attention to process. Future Newsletter Topics December 2009, no. 13 We would like to wish all our readers compliments of the season and a very happy 2010!! 2009 was a busy year at Aperian Global. In our ongoing effort to give our clients the most up-to-date and easy-to-access information we have been actively updating GlobeSmart®. In this issue of the newsletter we are highlighting some of these updates. GlobeSmart Mobile New Video Illustrations Enhanced Profile Comparisons GlobeSmart New Country Development GlobeSmart Resources Tab Redesign The Resources tab in GlobeSmart has been newly reorganized and is full of useful documents and best practices to help you promote GlobeSmart within your company and help companies to use GlobeSmart as part of a blended solution. LinkedIn Implementation Best Practices webcast Employment Law FOCUS ON REPATRIATION The following article from New York Times (By Heather Timmons, Published-November 27, 2009) highlights this aspect in detail: When 7-year-old Shiva Ayyadurai left Mumbai with his family nearly 40 years ago, he promised himself he would return to India someday to help his country. In June, Mr. Ayyadurai, now 45, moved from Boston to New Delhi hoping to make good on that promise. An entrepreneur and lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a fistful of American degrees, he was the first recruit of an ambitious government program to lure talented scientists of the so-called desi diaspora back to their homeland. "It seemed perfect," he said recently of the job opportunity. It wasn't. As Mr. Ayyadurai sees it now, his Western business education met India's notoriously inefficient, opaque government, and things went downhill from there. Within weeks, he and his boss were at loggerheads. Last month, his job offer was withdrawn. Mr. Ayyadurai has moved back to Boston. To read the entire article click on the following link: Some Indians Find It Tough to Go Home Again The Challenge: Aperian Global's Repatriation Program: The sessions focus on capturing the valuable learning from the assignment experience and preparing for the often unanticipated challenges of transitioning back to the home environment. Aperian also offers a web-based framework for housing content to support employees who are outbound to international assignments, on international assignments, and returning from international assignments to exchange information and be of support to one another. For a detailed description on Aperian Global's repatriation services please send your queries to apatni@aperianglobal.com Answer the following easy questions about the French culture and customs: 1) Which of the following is the most common method for greeting people in a French business setting? 2) In Paris, people who smile a lot may be perceived as: 3) What is appropriate behavior regarding gift giving in France? 4) Between mid-July and the end of August is a good time to schedule appointments and meetings with your French counterparts. 5) Which of the following would be considered an inappropriate initial conversation topic in France? Future Newsletter Topics November 2009, no. 12 GENPACT AND APERIAN’S GLOBESMART PARTNERSHIP In this month’s client spotlight we celebrate Genpact - Aperian India’s first GlobeSmart client. Genpact is a leader in the globalization of services and technology and a pioneer in managing business processes for companies around the world. The Company combines process expertise, information technology and analytical capabilities with operational insight and experience in diverse industries to provide a wide range of services using its global delivery platform. “Effective communication is a priority at Genpact, both internally and externally.” To equip our employees with the right tools to communicate effectively with their peers and customers worldwide, we introduced Globesmart earlier this year. Supported by the Aperian team, we upskilled 150 training managers from across businesses to handle any employee questions on the tool and its use. So far we have had 3, 650 employees registered and 1, 432 employees complete their GlobeSmart assessment profile. We are using various strategies to drive usage, some of them include: The tool has been appreciated and is widely used by our employees as it provides them an opportunity to learn more about the countries in which we do business and our colleagues from those countries. "I have evaluated GlobeSmart both from an ‘advocator’ and a user perspective and it has left me deeply impressed. I like the simplicity with which the information is classified & the richness of the content. Indeed a great tool for all global organizations”, says Monica Dhar, Assistant Vice President (South Africa). In this section we discuss issues that come up with everyday interactions across cultures. There are simple things which if dealt with carefully can go a long way in estblishing a strong relationship with colleagues from other cultures. When giving flowers, check what types of flowers would be appropriate. In many cultures, certain flowers have specific associations. For example, red roses are often associated with romance in many North American and European countries, while flowers in general are often associated with funerals in many Asian countries. Answer the following easy questions about the Brazilian culture and customs: Answers: Future Newsletter Topics October 2009, no. 11 Wishing the Happiest of Diwali seasons to you and yours! I’m excited to share another business trend we are seeing here in India – the increased usage of web tools and e-learning to stimulate ongoing learning. In our experience, online learning has often been utilized by our global clients, but has not been attractive to our India-based clients’ employees. Historically, our India-based clients have much preferred face-to-face interactions that provide total context sharing and learning. However, as the global economic impact ripples through India, frozen travel budgets and requirements to do more with less continue to push leadership. We increasingly hear requests from our clients for web-based solutions, resources that they can use internally to cascade the learning throughout their organization. In answer to this request, we successfully launched GlobeSmart® with our India-based partners this year. Quality has been cited as the number one priority, and we are proud to say that a few of the top Indian IT companies, after careful examination of all competitive web tools available, have chosen to partner with Aperian Global and license GlobeSmart. Price is also important; business leaders have shared that they fully realize a positive, measurable business impact of having a well-structured web tool like GlobeSmart. There is great value in having the resource available 24/7 across all time zones for their employees’ free use as an instant reference tool, made even more accessible through the GlobeSmart Mobile application. Companies are utilizing GlobeSmart content, tests and case studies to measure learning. They include these in the requirements to ready employees for a transfer to another geography or a meeting with important stakeholders from other cultures. Interested in giving your organization this online global competency edge? View the demo online to find out more here: https://admin.na6.acrobat.com/_a13720645/gsoverview/ , then write or call us to see how GlobeSmart could benefit your organization! You have probably welcomed new colleagues to India who have arrived on assignment from another culture. Understanding the challenges they face can be crucial to successfully conducting business with them and making their stint in India more comfortable. We spoke to our consultants who meet such expats on a daily basis to come up with a list of the top challenges that the expat employees and their families experience . The top 5 challenges identified are: This is by no means an exhaustive list as individual experiences of transition to India are as diverse as the country itself. 1) Reduced privacy and freedom: Dealing with live-in house helps and 24-hour drivers is a big issue on the personal front for many expats. Having a total stranger listen to, and sometimes even ‘contribute’ to their private/domestic conversations is a completely alien and very discomfiting experience for them. One expat complained about ‘being unable to get a drink from his fridge in his boxer shorts’. Another related challenge is the loss of ability to "do things for oneself “, whether it is washing clothes, driving the car or do-it-yourself furniture. Having to depend on a service provider for each of these is perceived as a loss of freedom, particularly when that provider is not entirely dependable. There are creative ways to work around the omnipresence of helps in India. The expat family should set expectations with the help in the beginning about timing, e.g. that perhaps they retire to their own quarters in the afternoons and after seven in the evening. Also, once in a while, the family should take a cab for their outing (give them contact details of good taxi companies). For the more adventurous, there is, of course, the auto rickshaw ride or even walking. 2) Emphasis on hierarchy: It is often difficult for Westerners to understand the emphasis on hierarchy in the Indian business environment. Those who are used to an informal style of communication, for instance, find Indians referring to their superiors at work by Sir/Ma’am very difficult to adjust to. Along with the hierarchy at work, there is also hierarchy in the domestic world with drivers and house helps. 3) Not enough clarity in work environment: Expats often have difficulty interpreting the style of working in the Indian office- What is expected of me? And by when? Who do I ask for what? Not having things set up and planned in the office, or sometimes not having clear role definitions, is often misunderstood by expats as not being positioned for success. 4) Difference in view of time and sense of urgency: Often people don’t realize that there are different ways of looking at time, and this causes many cross-cultural conflicts and generates criticism of others: “All Americans care about is work. They are forever looking at the clock, and everything is an emergency.” OR “The Indians never meet their deadlines and have no sense of urgency”. This relative view of time from both views, especially when it comes to deadlines and appointments, can be extremely frustrating for people who are accustomed to a specific way of handling expectations. Connected to this is the inconsistency that comes with living or working in India. For example, just because something works one day does not mean it works the next day, whether it is the domestic help coming in or not coming in day to day or unscheduled power outages. Similarly, when managing a project at home, the expat may experience long delays- for example, the air conditioning repair team which promises a two-hour turnaround and shows up two days later. Delays and unpredictability can be extremely difficult for people who are accustomed to having control and predictability in most aspects of their life. In order to keep colleagues with a different time orientation more engaged it is advisable to be more task focused and stick to time commitments. Keep meetings structured, focusing specifically on the meeting topics, with limited side conversations. At the end of the meeting, summarize agreed upon next steps. 5) Work-life balance: This balance (or lack there-of) is also seen as a common challenge. It is easy to reach burn-out stage in one’s expat experience while managing requirements from key stakeholders in other geographies. An example of this is an expat in India, reporting to a headquarters supervisor in China while managing key team members in the US. This balance challenge is especially true for single expats traveling without families. For them, staying at work long hours may seem the best choice because there may not be much to do back in the hotel room. Conversely, the individual with family commitments may be perceived as less committed than their colleagues who do spend many over-time hours in the office. Use of Humor at the Work Place Across Cultures People are often advised to avoid humor when interacting across cultures, as humor is often culture-based and difficult to "translate." However, humor can be a vital ingredient to a successful intercultural interaction. Almost nothing makes you more comfortable than sharing a laugh about something universal, like kids or the weather. So, sometimes humor works exceedingly well across cultures to make people feel better about each other and about doing business together. The key may be determining what type of humor "works" in a particular culture, and also, at what point in a relationship it may be appropriate to use it. Of course, "bad" humor needs to be avoided -- the kind of humor that other people will find offensive or that makes fun of a particular country, nationality, race, or group of people, or humor that insults someone’s religious, ethnic or other values and life choices. In addition, sarcasm is often difficult for non-native speakers of a language to detect, and may cause misunderstandings. Monolingual puns may also be difficult for non-native speakers to understand. The effect of using humor that is only understood by a small percentage of the people present is to make the other people feel excluded. On the other hand, laughing at oneself — self-deprecating humor — can be very effective, particularly in cultures such as Ireland or Japan, which value humility and being "part of the group." It may not be effective, however, particularly at the outset of a relationship, in a culture such as Germany, where maintaining one’s dignity is an important part of establishing credibility. Puns or "plays on words" are appreciated in most cultures, but they are difficult to understand when delivered in a language other than one’s native tongue. Simple bilingual puns can be extremely effective, as long as they can be (and are) easily and quickly explained. Anecdotes about humorous misunderstandings may help to break the ice. Exercise caution. Be careful with teasing. Teasing is a form of humor used in many cultures to express affection or build relationships. However, it's best to proceed (if at all) with caution, as it's easy to overstep the bounds of what may be considered appropriate. Some cultures may use it to try to build a closer relationship, whereas others may consider it appropriate only after a relationship has been built. The safest approach is using a kind of shared humor, where everyone has an enjoyable time together around a particular experience or theme. This is part of what can make an intercultural experience truly rewarding. Answer the following questions about the Chinese culture: 1) As a foreigner, it is more difficult for a woman to conduct business in China than it is for a man. 2) Which of the following is a key cultural value that impacts the way in which business is done in China? 3) Which of the following is considered an appropriate business gift in China? Answers: For more such exciting quizzes log on to www.globesmart.com If you would like to contribute any topics, such as training ideas or case studies, or would like to be featured in our client spotlight for our upcoming newsletters, please send an e-mail to Archana Patni at apatni@aperianglobal.com September 2009, no. 10 This month we are happy to have a client spotlight with our friend Jay Muthusubramanian, L&D Lead with VMware, sharing his experience with us in India and, longer term, APAC and around the world. We have a unique relationship with VMware, inspired by a memorable experience Jay had with Aperian's Indian operations many years back. It is very rewarding when a long-time evangelizer of our work engages with us, now as a leader in his organization so please be sure to read our lead article below. Thanks for your time and support, Jay! We would like to share an exciting development on an initiative that we have heard about quite often over the past few years - Executive Coaching. Our clients' needs related to executive coaching continue to grow across multiple industries, and Aperian Global now has resources to deliver Executive Coaching locally in India. To provide an example of a recent need for executive coaching, this past Monday we spoke to the leadership of a chemical manufacturing company based in the U.S. They have had manufacturing operations in India for twelve years and are now focusing on the expansion and growth of those operations. While there are several talent development issues to address, the starting point for our engagement will be Executive Coaching. This support will begin with a focus on both the expat and local leadership to help build their cross-cultural competencies to ensure that business imperatives such as global teaming, localized leadership, knowledge transfer, change management and growth management are carried forward with cultural awareness and in-depth understanding of the diverse workforce they are leading. With several other companies, the overarching need has been senior management competency building, with the target audience having 10-20 years of experience. This target population usually has a client-facing role, has to influence buyers and key stakeholders, manages global operations and/or teams, and is a worldwide representative of the company. Even some of the most successful IT firms in India have shared with us that their in-house solutions cover all of the needs of their population, with the exception of this senior management level. When we are able to influence the top leadership of an organization through a successful coaching relationship, the business impact is significant. Culturally appropriate leadership can trigger cascaded competency development throughout the organization, sometimes using the consulting, training and web tools that Aperian offers, and other times through the client's own in-house training solutions. The result is a globally competent workforce better positioned to manage international operations. Please do reach out to us to explore executive coaching for your organization. Best wishes for the upcoming holiday season! In this month’s client spotlight we focus on VMware. VMware is the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter—bringing cloud computing to businesses of all sizes. VMware is a subsidiary of EMC2, a trusted partner of Aperian Global now for many years. We spoke to VMware’s Manager of Learning and Organizational Development, Why cultural training is important to VMware… VMware has about 800 employees in India. Everyday, they interact with colleagues and vendors in various countries - Bulgaria, Ireland, China, USA and Australia, to name a few. To succeed in such a multicultural work environment, it is critical that people understand cultural differences and appreciate the diverse communication styles. Why Aperian… Mr. Muthusubramanian states that, "having undergone a cultural training session by Aperian some years ago, I was keen that employees in our company benefit from what the training has to offer. I am a strong believer that such communications training is most effective in a classroom set up. Not only does this make direct interactions possible with a consultant who is an expert in this field, but also between employees of the company. They realize that the problems they all face are of a similar nature and are, therefore, more eager to work on solutions together." Unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence VMware has recently launched the "Developing a Global Mindset" program for its employees. Mr. Muthusubramanian states that this program along with access to the GlobeSmart® tool gives employees a good grasp of various cultural nuances. Participants become aware of the differences and similarities between people across cultures, and why the differences sometimes lead to problems. As a result of training, there is a definite move, in the participants’cultural learning ladder, from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence, which is an important transition. The ultimate goal is conscience competence where employees can deliberately style shift as appropriate in working with their global counterparts. Vision for VMware's partnership with Aperian India To conclude, we asked Mr. Muthusubramanian what his vision is for the VMware and Aperian partnership for the upcoming year. His response was, "The opportunities with Aperian are immense. Depending on which way the economy goes, for starters we would like to graduate to a two-day "Developing a Global Mindset" session. We are also looking at launching the GlobeSmart tool for employees in India and possibly the APAC region. Another area where I am keen on getting Aperian to participate is in the orientation of new hires. Eventually, we would also like to launch similar training with employees in other parts of the world". Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus and Bulgaria have recently been added to GlobeSmart, bringing the country count to 65. Below is some geographical information about the countries. For more on these countries’ working styles and cultures, please go to www.globesmart.com Lithuania is a small country on the shores of the Baltic Sea with an area of 65.2 thousand square kilometers. It is bordered to the North by Latvia; to the East by Belarus; to the south by Poland; and to the Southwest by Russia. Its capital is Vilnius. According to some geographers, the geographic center of Europe is just north of Vilnius. Latvia is a country in the Baltic Region of northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia; to the south by Lithuania; to the east by the Russian Federation; and to the southeast by Belarus. Its territory covers 64,589 square kilometers. Estonia lies along the Baltic Sea just below Finland. Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city, is only 64 kilometers South of Helsinki, across the Gulf of Finland. Sweden is Estonia’s western neighbor across the Baltic. Russia is to the east. To the south is Latvia. The Republic of Belarus is a land locked country with a total surface area of 208,000 square kilometers and a population of 9.7 million over 70% of which live in urban areas. It is located between the European Union and Russia and has direct borders with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. The Republic of Bulgaria is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe, which borders five other countries: Romania to the north, Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east. Conference Call Do’s In today's global business environment where colleagues often don't get a chance to meet face to face, conference calls help to facilitate a successful working relationship. So, the next time you are in a multi-nation/time zone conference call, keep the following easy tips in mind for a smooth and productive call… Answer the following simple questions about people from the United States: 1) In the U.S., a common way to build relationships at work is through light conversations about light topics. True or False? 2) U.S. Americans tend to be skeptical about charismatic leaders who like to talk about vision. True or False? 3) If you have a conflict with an U.S. American colleague, the best approach would probably be: Answers 2) False 3) c (Source: www.globesmart.com) Future Newsletter Topics If you would like to contribute any topics, such as training ideas or case studies, or if you would like to be featured in our client spotlight in an upcoming newsletters, please send an e-mail to Archana Patni at apatni@aperianglobal.com August 2009, no. 9 July 2009, no. 8 April 2009, no. 7 Program Highlight March 2009, no. 6 Aperian is pleased to have launched our first GlobeSmart® Open-Enrollment Demo Sessions for the Indian market this month. Twenty-six participants from various GlobeSmart-licensing companies took advantage of this new way to get acquainted with GlobeSmart at no additional cost. The group learned how individuals and teams can utilize the online resource to take the following steps toward developing cross-cultural competence: February 2009, no. 5 January 2009, no. 4 December 2008, no. 3 Aperian Insights - India November 2008, no. 2 Aperian Insights - India October 2008, no. 1 We are happy to announce that Aperian Global has established an office in Frazier Town, Bangalore, India. We are an Indian legal entity registered under the name Aperian (India) Management Consulting Pvt. Ltd. With this development comes additional infrastructure to locally support our clients' needs. Starting October 1, 2008, all invoicing, accounting and other services will be sourced from Bangalore with Service Tax included on the invoice. Payment for these invoices will then be in Indian Rupees to our Bangalore address and bank account. Did you know? The Aperian name comes from the Latin word “aperire”, which means "to open" or "to provide access to". We feel this name reflects the essence of our mission as well as the spirit of our client work. To learn more about Aperian Global as a global organization, click here. Client Spotlight Last month, BusinessWeek published an article highlighting EMC ’s use of our online tool, GlobalSmart® in support of its global business growth. Recently, Anshuman Panda from EMC India Center of Excellence in Bangalore sat down with us to share his perspective on EMC’s relationship with Aperian at a local level. Anshuman is the Manager of Training for EMC’s Center of Excellence in India, so his thoughts regarding the partnership with Aperian centered around maximizing virtually integrated global teams and matrix challenges such as role ambiguity. Current Programs As a reminder to all of our clients we offer the following programs: Please contact us for additional information about any of these programs. We also want to remind all of you of our proprietary web tool, GlobeSmart®, which provides global organizations with easy access to information on conducting business with counterparts from more than 50 countries around the globe. We have enterprise-wide licenses for this web tool. To view a demo of this valuable tool, click here or contact our office for a demo account. Other Aperian Global Web Tools: New Programs Along with the services noted above, there have been a number of requests from our India-based multi-national clients to develop some programs around mentoring, leadership, diversity and women in leadership. We are happy to announce that the following is ready for delivery to our clients: Other programs that address these target topics are under development, and we look forward to introducing them to you soon. ````````````````````````````` "It is like that only..." This section of the newsletter will highlight some of the phrases and words used in Indian English that are often misinterpreted by international counterparts. This month we are highlighting the phrase: Please do the needful What international counterparts often understand: They are giving me an order! ````````````````````````````` Fun Facts About India *Borrowed from Arun Prabhudesai's website: http://trak.in. ````````````````````````````` Future Newsletter Topics We sincerely appreciate your business and thank you for reading our newsletter. Watch for further developments of this newsletter in the coming issues. Next month, we plan to include a section that encourages our readers to exchange effective training ideas. If you would like to contribute any training ideas or a case study for our upcoming newsletters, please send an e-mail to Carrie Ann Udeshi.
a) During the workday, managers keep doors open to encourage subordinates to approach them.
b) During the workday, managers keep doors closed to discourage interruptions.
c) Outside the office, managers regularly socialize with subordinates in order to build relationships.
d) Outside the office, managers seldom socialize with subordinates unless at company-sponsored events.
a) Women are beginning to achieve parity with men in the workplace.
b) Women in Germany have far better opportunities for advancement than in other European nations.
c) Women are achieving equality in terms of position, but not in terms of salary.
d) Women comprise about half of the workforce, but have little representation in management.
a) Before and after the meal
b) Before, during and after the meal
c) During and after the meal
d) Not at all
True or False?
True or False?
If you would like to contribute any topics such as training ideas or case studies, or if you would like to be featured in our client spotlight for an upcoming newsletter, please send an e-mail to Archana Patni at apatni@aperianglobal.com
As of last year, if your company licenses GlobeSmart, it is now available on your mobile application. Summary Key Points for each country featured in GlobeSmart available wherever you are. If you haven’t taken advantage of this new feature yet and have an iPhone, an iPod with web access, or a Blackberry, use the web browser on your device to go to: www.globesmart.com/mobile
The GlobeSmart Assessment Profile now contains video scenes and interactive exercises that illustrate the core dimensions played out in the work place.
As another enhancement to the GlobeSmart Assessment Profile, you can compare your own profile to the profiles of countries, teams and individual colleagues all at once.
In 2009, we launched 10 new countries in GlobeSmart bringing the country count to 65. The new countries added are Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, and Vietnam.
The GlobeSmart Community LinkedIn Group has been launched to connect GlobeSmart Community Members. This is an online community of GlobeSmart advocates who desire to get the most out of their investment in the GlobeSmart web tool.
A 13-minute presentation full of tips on how to help your colleagues learn about what GlobeSmart can do for you!
Through Aperian Global's partnership with the Employment Law Alliance, you can access up-to-date information from ELA's Global Employer Handbook for 45 countries in GlobeSmart... with more to come! You can find the new section in Business Skills/Managing People/Employment Law.
An employee's successful return to his/her home country after an international assignment is closely connected to the company's return on the investment (ROI) for the significant assignment expense. Yet, while many companies endeavor to achieve ROI for international assignments, repatriation is the aspect of the international assignment cycle that is most often overlooked. Many people/companies assume that returning to the "home" culture is going to be an easy task, but that assumption is proving to be wrong.
Successful repatriation of international assignees is essential in today's competitive global business environment. Too often, "coming home" means returning to an unclear job assignment, new colleagues, a new neighborhood, and for kids, a new school. For the company, valuable experience gained by the employee abroad is often lost upon return. Many returning employees are placed in positions that make no use of what they learned during their international assignments, In fact, according to the Global Relocation Trends Survey Report from Brookfield Global Relocation Services, 35% of repatriates leave their employers within one year after returning.
Aperian Global's Repatriation program is designed specifically for international business personnel and their families who are returning to their home country. The program covers a wide variety of re-entry issues that are normal and inevitable for most returning international assignees.
a) A firm, two-handed handshake with the top-ranking individual
b) A kiss on each cheek
c) A firm but not overbearing handshake with each person in the group
d) A slight, formal bow of the head
a) Untrustworthy
b) Friendly
c) Honest
d) Foolish
a) Bringing a gift such as flowers when invited to someone's home
b) Bringing a gift to an initial business meeting
c) Giving a tasteful item with your company's logo
d) All of the above
True or False
a) French history
b) Discussing politics
c) Asking about someone's occupation
d) Current events
For more such exciting culture-specific quizzes log on to www.globesmart.com
If you would like to contribute any topics such as training ideas or case studies, or if you would like to be featured in our client spotlight for an upcoming newsletter, please send an e-mail to Archana Patni at apatni@aperianglobal.com
As a testament to the partnership with Aperian, Genpact shares the following insights on our joint launch of the web tool GlobeSmart
GIFT GIVING
With regards to gift giving, it is important to understand the protocol regarding gifts in the country in which you will be doing business. Exchanging gifts is a highly valued custom in some cultures, while in others it may be unimportant or even inappropriate.
It is also important to check your company’s policies regarding gift giving. Many companies in countries such as Singapore and the United States, for example, have policies restricting the giving or accepting of gifts in an attempt to avoid any appearance of bribery.
General Tips for Gift-Giving
a) The color green
b) The color purple
c) Wine
d) Clocks
a) Briefly before the meal
b) Briefly during the meal
c) Throughout the meal
d) If the subject is broached by your Brazilian associates
a) Schedule several in one day
b) Arrive up to 30 minutes late
c) Expect interruptions and changes in schedules
d) Schedule one to two days in advance
True or False
a) Make direct eye contact
b) Shake hands with everyone, starting with the lowest-ranking employee
c) Take initiative to show friendliness by addressing people by their first names
d) All of the above
1) B 2) D 3) C 4) True 5) A
For more such exciting quizzes log on to www.globesmart.com
If you would like to contribute any topics, such as training ideas, case studies or would like to be featured in our client spotlight for our upcoming newsletters, please send an email to Archana Patni at apatni@aperianglobal.com
1) Reduced privacy and freedom
2) Emphasis on hierarchy
3) Not enough clarity in work environment
4) Difference in view of time and sense of urgency
5) Work life balance
While working with people from cultures that have more of an egalitarian outlook (e.g., USA, Scandinavia), it will be helpful for you to be flexible regarding roles and attitudes about appropriate behavior for people in those roles; be more willing to make exceptions and “bend rules”.
In this aspect, it is important to have objectives and expectations set at the beginning- preferably in writing. Schedule regular sessions to conduct formal evaluations, review progress, and determine steps for the next review period. The expat should do the same for their reports.
It is important that the expats learn the concept of ‘sharing the pain’- where they rotate late night calls with colleagues from other parts of the world and also reserve one or two nights in a week for personal things. In the case of the single expat, there should be guidance provided by local peers on interesting activities outside of work. Special care must be taken to ensure that they are well armed with information on events in the city.
Humor to avoid…
Effective humor….
True or False?
a) Emphasis on the maintenance of relationships
b) Need to build and save "face"
c) Importance of family
d) All of the above
a) High-quality knives
b) A clock bearing your company logo
c) A pen set bearing your company logo
d) A set of four name-brand items
1) False 2) d- All of the above 3) c- A pen set bearing your company logo
Future Newsletter Topics
Jayakanthan Muthusubramanian, on the company’s association with Aperian India.
Updates
a) To confront the other person and ask him/her what his/her problem is
b) To consult your supervisor about it before approaching the other person
c) To discuss the issue in private with the other person
d) To leave it alone, as it will eventually resolve itself
1) True
Developing the Global Mindset: Diversity for Leaders in India
Leaders in multinational companies today are faced with challenges that require a global mindset, innovative approaches and increased cultural competency. Our global workforce and customer base is changing at an unprecedented pace. New entrants to the workforce in India, the United States and other global locations, often bring a different set of expectations requiring different management approaches. Another dimension of the changing demographics is represented by women who are entering management and leadership levels in greater numbers. Additionally, according to The Economist, the global middle class is growing by 70 million people a year.
Diversity is defined differently around the world, however, the ability to lead a diverse workforce, fully leverage the similarities and differences of employees, and create an environment of engagement and innovation are global business imperatives. It is essential that global leaders understand the diversity variables that impact the business environment in key global markets. In the United States, for example, diversity traditionally focused on gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, and armed forces veteran status. According to our research in Global Diversity: Winning Customers and Engaging Employees within World Markets, these diversity variables continue to impact the business environment yet often in new ways. As formal policies and procedures protect against overt discrimination, the focus on diversity in the U.S. has shifted to subtle, often unconscious exclusion that impacts the ability to effectively mentor, manage, and provide feedback across diversity dimensions. The definition of diversity has also broadened in the U.S. to include diversity of work style, perspective and experience.
In India, diversity is often defined by gender, religion, place of birth (ethno-linguistic region), and, for Hindus, caste – specifically, whether individuals belong to one of the traditionally dominant "Forward Castes," one of the traditionally excluded "Scheduled Castes" or "Scheduled Tribes," or the large "Other Backward Castes" grouping. Research in our Global Diversity book found that in India, language, regional origin, religion, socioeconomic status, and gender are critical diversity variables within a very diverse country. Although the workforce itself is highly diverse, many times, multinational companies headquartered outside of India are disappointed with the lack of diversity represented at the leadership level of their Indian entity. Lack of diversity in leadership can be attributed to a variety of factors, but many times it is linked to a lack of initiative on the part of the organization or a lack of understanding of what it means to lead a diverse workforce on the part of the individual.
The program Diversity for Leaders is designed for leaders in highly diverse work environments to foster ownership for seeing and leveraging differences within the talent pool and building sustainable strategies and action plans for continued development. The competencies targeted for development in this program are: global mindset, leaders as change agents, leveraging diversity, creating inclusion, and developing “third way” solutions. The program introduces leaders to company goals for globalization and their impact on leadership skills and competencies; it addresses the questions: what makes leaders successful in their company work environment, and how does one move from manager to global leader? It affords the participant the opportunity to look closely at building his or her individual leadership brand and address the question, “Who do I want to be, and what do I need as a leader?”
Further, the program will instill global leadership skills including the creation of an inclusive work environment that may include generations in the workplace, gender diversity, ethnic diversity and other relevant diversity variables. It will help the participant design a plan to put his or her individual leadership brand into practice and create successful strategies for developing self and others.
In the end, the participant will:
Diversity for Leaders is a one- or two-day program that includes discussion, hands-on exercises, case-studies, role-plays, and multi-media presentation.
GlobeSmart Update
Papua New Guinea and Vietnam were added to GlobeSmart this month as the 57th and 58th countries.
The Independent State of Papua New Guinea is located in Oceania. It occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands (the western portion of the island is a part of Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua). It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in a region defined since the early 19th century as Melanesia. Its Capital is Port Moresby. It is one of the most diverse nations on Earth, with over 850 indigenous languages and at least as many traditional societies out of a population of 6 million.
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the easternmost country on the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It has 86 million people and is the 16th most populous country in the world. It is bordered by China, Laos and Cambodia. The capital of the country is Hanoi. The country has a 329,560 square kilometers and up to 54 different ethnic groups with the Kinh (Viet) people accounting for 86% of the whole population.
It’s like that only……
Saying “no” and sticking to it in any culture can be difficult, but when we make a habit of changing our position whenever we feel pressured, it can seriously damage our credibility and effectiveness as professionals. There are several ways to say no while conveying your resolve and maintaining your relationships.
This section was adapted from “Staying with No” by Holly Weeks in the March 13, 2009 issue of BusinessWeek. To read the complete article follow this link
Reinforce the neutral tone with statements such as, “It is hard for me to tell you no, and it must be difficult for you hear.” Or, give a reason or justification for your no, for example, “I see my job as balancing valid but competing needs; I’m focusing on that.”
In some cases, you may want move away from holding your no position, and tell your counterpart what you could say yes to. This is the beginning of a negotiation. If you're open to that, you don't have to wait for your counterpart to ask.
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/mar2009/ca20090313_852198.htm?link_position=link6
Facts About India
Foreign investment in India up to January 2009 slid to USD 15.5 billion contrasting with a high of USD 57 billion recorded up to January 2008.
http://www.indiainbusiness.nic.in/indian-economy.pdf
Future Newsletter Topics
If you would like to contribute any topics, such as training ideas, case studies or would like to be featured in our client spotlight for our upcoming newsletters, please send an e-mail to Carrie Ann Udeshi.
Many enhancements have been made to GlobeSmart® over the past month. For example, as of Monday, March 16, 2009, the GlobeSmart® Self-Assessment was upgraded to include brief, interactive videos that illustrate how the dimensions of culture come to life in actual business scenarios. To view these video vignettes, once you have completed the Self-Assessment questionnaire and have your profile, at the top of the profile screen, you will see the question: What would you like to do? followed by a drop-down menu that says "Select an Option". By selecting "Understand Your Profile" from the drop-down menu, you will be guided to the video segments (make sure your computer is set to allow for pop-ups).
In our consulting and training practice, we have noticed an increased number of client requests related to improving cross-cultural competency in teams. As evidenced by research on teams by thought leaders like Nancy Adler, highly diverse teams can be the most productive teams, or the most unproductive teams, depending on the leader’s competencies. This said, the majority of teams are mono-cultural in composition and achieve average productivity. To bring this to light in a different way, in a report commissioned from occupational psychologist, Pearn Kandola, by Cisco Systems, September 2006 , "The Psychology of Effective Business Communications in Geographically Dispersed Teams", it is cited, "Cultural differences can also become exaggerated within virtual teams. Multi-cultural teams can take up to 17 weeks to become as effective as teams whose members are of the same culture." With these realities in mind, we are pleased to be engaging with clients in this global teams diversity dialogue.
The focus of the RMS leadership team’s first engagement with Aperian Global was cross-cultural effectiveness. This training was important to individual and team success for two reasons: 1) the RMS team is in charge of managing Accenture’s global mobility programs which means they interact with cross- border assignees and business leaders on a daily basis; and 2) Our primary client contact states, “For most members of our global team, the majority of our day-to-day interactions is probably with people outside our own countries - so understanding how culture and communication styles impact our effectiveness is really important.”
When asked how face-to-face training has helped her APAC and India RMS teams, she replied, “The key to face-to-face training is that it has enabled us to participate in active learning. During these sessions, participants are engaged with the facilitator and each other.” To this she added, “The role playing exercises, in particular, have helped us to be more aware of the impact we have on others and more cognizant of trying to understand and work effectively with styles that may be dramatically different from our own.”
To convey why this is so important, our contact shared some of their biggest challenges and how Aperian addressed them: “Some of our struggles as a team were in building relationships and resolving conflict in a virtual setting. Sitting face-to-face with each other, we can address things quickly, but when it is done over a structured phone call or e-mail, there is plenty of room for misinterpretation. We asked Aperian to come up with ideas on how to help teams be more effective in these areas of virtual communication, and the Aperian India team created a training course especially on the topic of resolving cross-border and virtual conflict. We are much more effective in these areas than we were two years ago!”
To conclude, we asked the RMS Lead what her vision is for the Accenture and Aperian partnership for the upcoming year. Her response was, “I think the kind of work we do with Aperian is an ongoing initiative. We are learning about people and ourselves and communication effectiveness – it is a continual journey.”
The Indian expression jugaad means (loosely translated) creative improvisation, a tool to somehow find a solution, ingenuity, a refusal to accept defeat, initiative, quick thinking, cunning, and resolve. Indians naturally have an instinct for jugaad, and that instinct sometimes has an effect on how they work with their non-Indian counterparts. Because of jugaad, an Indian will, on occasion, bend the rules or guidelines in order to achieve a desired goal, which their non-Indian counterparts may not understand or may have a difficult time with. While it is important for the non-Indian counterparts to appreciate the Indian effort in trying to solve the problem, the Indian should take careful inventory about whether or not their solution will break a guideline or rule and inform their non-Indian counterpart(s) immediately if it does, ask them whether or not that rule or guideline can be changed and, if not, come up with a new solution that will fit into the parameters that have been established.
Fun Facts About India
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Swathi added, “The most effective part of the GlobeSmart® tool is the graphical representation of each of the profiles and clear instruction on how cultural differences that otherwise may cause tension in a global setting can be minimized if we understand our communication style and how to adapt it in different situations.”
On evangelizing the tool throughout Qualcomm, Swathi has a best practice to share with other GlobeSmart® license holders, to maximize the learning gained from the web tool. “To ensure that we maximize and evangelize the license,” Swathi related, “we give a walkthrough of [GlobeSmart®] during new hire orientation and use it as a tool during personal onboarding of directors.” Qualcomm India has also interacted with Aperian over the years in face-to-face sessions, taking advantage of the blended learning model of consulting, training and web tools to enhance overall effectiveness and bottom-line impact for their operations.
Some historical facts about Armenia include:
Fun Facts About India
Future Newsletter Topics
Aperian (India) Management Consulting Private Limited
Despite these economic realities, we are heartened to hear first-hand stories from the leadership of our multinational clients redoubling their training efforts, bringing a laser focus to their employee development strategies and empowering their Finance divisions to play a key role in cost cutting. We see an emergence of heightened corporate governance with contract reviews and strategic long-term tie ups to enhance the relationships and build even stronger alliances.
Previously, we often fielded inquiries from training participants about our other clients and the job market in general. Now, we hear a very different perspective emerging from the average Indian professional. Determination and longer-term commitment to their current employer has created an atmosphere of urgency and focus that we have not seen in the past. Although there are exceptions, most of our clients have seen an increase in their retention rates.
Furthermore, we see more intra-Asian collaboration. Indian professionals working with Chinese counterparts tops the list of most frequently cited challenges, along with the change management requirements that push senior and top-level management to make hard decisions while motivating the reorganized teams to do more with less. We see increased importance given to organizations’ Diversity and Inclusion efforts, with gender-related challenges as priority. Companies want to leverage, not just manage, workforce diversity as an asset.
Aperian (India) is poised to partner with our clients as a trusted advisor to provide solutions that will address the challenges ahead in 2009. We have launched multiple new initiatives to start the year off, one addressing matrix reporting structures and the second a Leadership program focusing on Diversity and Inclusion. Third, we have refined our web-based programs that bring teams together in a training environment without requiring global travel, with our clients realizing significant cost savings. Finally, our web tools are in high demand as our clients are looking for solutions that are accessible 24/7 for an annual fee. We look forward to introducing these new solutions to your organization. Please inquire with us regarding solutions that may serve your specific needs.
While the challenges of the year to come are clear, it is our aim, in our work with you, to co-create constructive solutions and play a role in the development of more conscientious global citizens. It is a true privilege to serve you, and we look forward to collaborating with you to build an even stronger, more globally-capable talent pool for the benefit of all.
Invitations
You are invited to view a new 7-minute module called “Global Diversity Fundamentals”. The purpose of this demo is to communicate the business case for Global Diversity and Inclusion and what some of the best practices are in this field. Aperian Global offers a number of solutions addressing Diversity and Inclusion including a customized course dealing with the topic specifically in India. To access the demo at any time, please use this link: http://aperianglobal.acrobat.com/diversitydemo/.
Program Highlight
*Adapted from Indlish, The Book for Every English-Speaking Indian by Jyoti Sanyal
Fun Facts About India
Future Newsletter Topics
The staff of Aperian (India) wishes all our clients and partners a very festive and peaceful holiday season. From December 22, 2008, through January 2, 2009, Aperian worldwide has a rolling shutdown of operations. During this time, please contact our Country Manager, Lynne Tarter for any urgent issues.
Tunisia is the northernmost country on the African continent and is nestled between Algeria and Libya. Forty percent of the country is part of the Sahara Desert, while the other areas are covered by extremely fertile land and a 1300 km coastline. The Phoenicians established Carthage (modern day Tunis) in the 9th century B.C., and it fell to Rome in the 2nd Century B.C. Tunisia remained part of the Roman Empire for several centuries. When the Roman Empire collapsed, Tunisia was invaded by the Vandals, became part of the Byzantine Empire, and was taken by Muslim Arabs in the 7th Century A.D. The country has remained an Arab Muslim country ever since despite incursions by Sicilians, Spaniards, Ottoman Turks and French Colonization that lasted for almost a century. The country obtained independence from France in 1956.
Client Spotlight
The goal of this Aperian partnership is to bring RDI staff to a greater mutual understanding amongst their employees around the world, allowing for the optimization of communication between RDI partners, donors and government officials across a wide array of different cultures. This valued relationship was launched in June, 2008, when Aperian (India) facilitated a half-day, cross-cultural training entitled, “Working with the United States/Working with India,” with RDI’s staff in Hyderabad, one of their offices in India.
The objectives of the program were to understand the advantages and challenges that come along with working in a multicultural workforce. For RDI, these advantages and challenges include: understanding unique styles of communication and norms; providing tools and/or models for giving and receiving feedback; communicating; and listening, including demonstrating techniques for better listening when communicating with challenging speakers.
According to Carol Shisler, RDI Project Administrator- India, the program brought the staff closer together, and each participant gained a greater understanding of one another’s cultural values in and outside of the workplace. In Carol’s words, “this training accelerated the ability of the Indian staff and American (United States) staff in our Hyderabad office to work more closely and more effectively together”. Future trainings are on the agenda for their staff at RDI’s offices located in Bhubaneswar and Kolkata in 2009.
RDI is a not-for-profit organization of attorneys helping the rural poor in developing countries obtain legal rights to land. If you are interested in learning more about and supporting the Rural Development Institute, please log onto their website or contact Darryl Vhugen, the State Director in RDI’s Hyderabad office at +91-40-40063697.
Things you can do:
1. Begin or close your emails with: “Happy Holidays!”
2. Ask them what traditions they have around the holidays. What do they do? With whom do they celebrate?
3. Ask if there are traditions within the company? Is there a party? Does their team do something special?
4. During your email talk about the holidays that happen here and when they happen as well.
5. Send an e-holiday card that is not holiday specific unless your co-worker indicates otherwise.
We want to take a moment to thank you for your tremendous response for this communication piece. We appreciate all the positive comments and suggestions for improvements.
The number of organizations that are adopting a matrix reporting structure is increasing. This reporting structure helps organizations manage the sometimes competing priorities and goals of various parts of the company. While matrix organizations are seen in many industries as a best practice, they present unique challenges for employees. In this complex structure, team members have multiple bosses in various geographies with varying priorities and processes. This program, "Team Effectiveness in a Matrix Environment," is designed to help the participants assess their current reporting structure and prioritize their work. Key topics of focus in this program include stakeholder mapping and analysis, building a business network and influencing without authority.
The multiple meanings of “yes”
Navigating language can be one of the most difficult aspects of doing business in a foreign country and one of the most challenging in India. For many foreigners, the biggest challenge while working in or with India is understanding the multiple meanings of the word “yes”.
Indians say “yes” for a variety of reasons:
Start your sentences with “yes” or “no” only if you really have a definitive answer. For many cultures, if an individual hears the word “yes” in a sentence, they assume that you mean an absolute affirmative answer.
To alleviate this problem, we suggest some different ways to say “no”.
“EMC believes in One EMC where we can do business across the world in a seamless and integrated manner. The company’s operation in India is a significant part of that vision. EMC India’s workforce is a key constituent of integrated virtual teams that operate globally. As a result, we have virtual teaming challenges, most notably the process of ‘norming’. We found it common that after a discussion, most parties came away with different understandings of the outcome.”
Anshuman went on to share a simple example: “Send me the report ASAP”. In the United States, ASAP means immediately where as in India, ASAP could mean as your priorities allow. To tackle this challenge for a specific group with an integrated U.S. - India team, EMC brought in the same Aperian trainer who worked with the U.S. business to work directly with the India team members. Anshuman shared that the result, according to the business leader, was improved communication within the group and greater team effectiveness.
To the challenge of a matrix organizational structure, Anshuman shared that role ambiguity, assessing priorities, expectation setting and balancing management reporting structures are some of the main challenges around effectiveness within a matrix organization. In his experience, “people undergoing Aperian’s training have a higher level of comfort and self confidence in managing these career dynamics.”
Overall, Anshuman shared, “I have enjoyed a great relationship with Aperian. They have been sensitive to our needs, responsive to our queries and very solution oriented. I look forward to building on this relationship in the future with Aperian in India.”
1) Westerners Working with Indians
2) Indians Working with US Americans
What the Indian national usually means: "Please help me with this task right away."
An alternative to consider: I appreciate your attention to this. If you are able to completed this task within the timeline, we can stay on track with our overall project plan.
