CULTURALLY ADEPT
WHY IT MATTERS
The modern environment in which organizations operate has been transformed. Leaders can no longer be concerned with just their own “back yard.” To some degree the now interconnected nature of the world influences everyone and everything. Leaders that are culturally adept build bridges across the world, its peoples, and its cultures to enlarge their purposes. They extend their sphere of influence and find opportunities to grow beyond their borders. Leaders that are not culturally adept may constrain their influence within the boundaries of where they physically operate, miss opportunities to expand and increase, take missteps that ruin the hope of international success, or get swallowed up by influences they never saw coming.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders who are culturally adept find success in working across the different countries and cultures of the world. They realize the modern marketplace is truly a global marketplace. They see the world around them as one interconnected whole. They know they are just a small piece of a large, lively, and ever expanding worldwide business environment. With the world shrinking because of technology and modern advances, they know their partners, customers, stakeholders, and competitors can literally be anywhere on the globe at any time.
Leaders that are culturally adept don’t judge one culture or people to be right and another to be wrong, or one better and another less. They see every culture as unique and of equal value. No matter how different, they choose tolerance and acceptance instead of judgment. They have respect for all people, no matter their heritage. They treat everyone with deference. They show zero tolerance for those that might disparage the beliefs, customs, or traditions of others.
Leaders that are culturally adept apply themselves to understanding how business is done throughout the world. They know that knowledge precedes success. They take time to study different countries and cultures and apply themselves to understanding the different practices of each. They rely on literature to be their teacher, but are quick to identify people with actual “on the ground” experience to teach them what they need to know.
Leaders that are culturally adept know that a particular decision or strategy that works in one part of the world may not work in another. They appreciate that one size doesn’t fit all. When making a decision, or considering a strategy, they do their homework to determine how it might or might not work depending on where it is implemented. They don’t like surprises and don’t move forward on an issue until they have identified and uncovered every potential cultural landmine that can be avoided.
Leaders that are culturally adept appreciate the need to localize their work because of cultural or local business or governmental constraints. They balance standardization with the desire for local adaptation. They bring the international perspective into conversations and decisions earlier rather than later. They are willing to give up control to those who know best how to make sure their work succeeds in different parts of the world.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
The modern environment in which organizations operate has been transformed. Leaders can no longer be concerned with just their own “back yard.” To some degree the now interconnected nature of the world influences everyone and everything. Leaders that are culturally adept build bridges across the world, its peoples, and its cultures to enlarge their purposes. They extend their sphere of influence and find opportunities to grow beyond their borders. Leaders that are not culturally adept may constrain their influence within the boundaries of where they physically operate, miss opportunities to expand and increase, take missteps that ruin the hope of international success, or get swallowed up by influences they never saw coming.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders who are culturally adept find success in working across the different countries and cultures of the world. They realize the modern marketplace is truly a global marketplace. They see the world around them as one interconnected whole. They know they are just a small piece of a large, lively, and ever expanding worldwide business environment. With the world shrinking because of technology and modern advances, they know their partners, customers, stakeholders, and competitors can literally be anywhere on the globe at any time.
Leaders that are culturally adept don’t judge one culture or people to be right and another to be wrong, or one better and another less. They see every culture as unique and of equal value. No matter how different, they choose tolerance and acceptance instead of judgment. They have respect for all people, no matter their heritage. They treat everyone with deference. They show zero tolerance for those that might disparage the beliefs, customs, or traditions of others.
Leaders that are culturally adept apply themselves to understanding how business is done throughout the world. They know that knowledge precedes success. They take time to study different countries and cultures and apply themselves to understanding the different practices of each. They rely on literature to be their teacher, but are quick to identify people with actual “on the ground” experience to teach them what they need to know.
Leaders that are culturally adept know that a particular decision or strategy that works in one part of the world may not work in another. They appreciate that one size doesn’t fit all. When making a decision, or considering a strategy, they do their homework to determine how it might or might not work depending on where it is implemented. They don’t like surprises and don’t move forward on an issue until they have identified and uncovered every potential cultural landmine that can be avoided.
Leaders that are culturally adept appreciate the need to localize their work because of cultural or local business or governmental constraints. They balance standardization with the desire for local adaptation. They bring the international perspective into conversations and decisions earlier rather than later. They are willing to give up control to those who know best how to make sure their work succeeds in different parts of the world.
BELIEFS
- People will always be more alike than different, but each new culture may require different approaches to getting things done.
- Even though you can’t anticipate everything there is to know about working in a new culture or country, you need to try.
- The world has shrunk. If your business isn’t seeing the world as your marketplace, you aren’t seeing things clearly.
- There is no one culture that is superior to another. Even though cultures are all different, they are all equal.
- To understand a new culture, you have to do more than a cursory study. You have to invest to the point of becoming part of it.
- There is power in diversity and dissimilarity. Instead of fearing differences, embrace the strengths provided by differences.
- There can be zero tolerance in the modern world for cultural insensitivity, cruelty, or arrogance.
- Even if you can’t see how your organization is affected by the larger world, it is. You need to find out how.
BEST PRACTICES
- Study the uniqueness’s of cultures.
- Don’t overly dwell on differences.
- Know the cultures where you do business.
- Anticipate the cultural implications of decisions.
- Only walk into a new culture if you know it.
- Allow for cultural localization of work.
- Don’t push your culture or values on others.
- Appreciate what makes each culture unique.
- Anticipate the impact of cultural nuances.
- See all cultures as equal in value and importance.
- Be sensitive to different cultural norms.
- Blend into a culture instead of observing it.
- Learn from those different than you.
- Know what makes a culture unique.
- Show zero tolerance for cultural insensitivity.
- Never disparage a different culture.
- Learn the history of the area where you work.
- Respect the beliefs and values of others.
- Look to the global view in every situation.
- Adjust to others instead of expecting them to.
- Use experts to teach you what you need to know.
- Be aware of cultural threats to your success.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I feel confident in my ability to lead in different lands or cultures, or do I hesitate because of what I don’t know?
- Do I see the effects that the global environment has on my organization, or am I blind to how it matters?
- Do I have a vision for how my work fits into the larger world picture, or am I left to wonder how I fit in?
- Do I value the unique differences that exist between different cultures, or do I ignore or disparage them?
- Do I allow for the localization of work or products based on cultural needs, or do I only do things one way?
- Do I tolerate the prejudiced actions of others, or do I take action to stop them?
- Do I prepare to do business in a new culture, or do I enter into new situations without having done my homework?
- Do I modify strategies and plans to accommodate for cultural differences, or do I think one approach will work everywhere?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t draw so much attention to the uniqueness of people or their culture that you make them feel uncomfortable.
- Don’t allow for so many culturally-based customizations that the diversity waters down the intended impact of your work.
- Don’t be so paralyzed because of what you don’t know about a culture that you wait too long to jump in and experience it.
- I tend to more easily see how people are the same rather than focus on how they are different.
- To really understand a group of people, you have to know their history.
- I never get frustrated when talking to someone with a strong accent.
- I never feel uncomfortable when I am around people who are speaking a language I don’t understand.