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As a proponent of networking every
chance you can, I was thrilled to sit next to a Japanese
language expert at a sushi bar who was currently working in the
US. As he came in the sushi restaurant, I asked if he would sit
next to a “gaijin,” a foreigner, and he agreed.
What ensued was a frank and mutually fascinating conversation
about the mistakes that transnational companies make when trying
to use make “one size fits all well.” Shigeki complained about
working with an American fast moving consumer goods company to
improve their performance in Japan. The famous American company
was used to treating their consumers in a very casual and
personal way in the USA. We’ll call this client “A” Company.
Shigeki worked in a consulting company hired by “A”.
“A” Company loved to do special promotions so that it could
connect with customers’ private information and opinions. Once
it got the information it liked to continue to connect with
customers by email using their first names. They would send
emails with personal salutations like “Hi Sunny.”
In Japan, even young kids would find that kind of casual emails
or letters insulting. In spite of funky, teenage, green hair and
punk rock, Japanese kids have standards. And one of those
standards is an “honorific” like adding on“-san” for adults and
“-sama” for kids as long as they are customers. My companion
recommended that his client use “-sama” when the American
company contacted Japanese customers. The client insisted that
his company would use its philosophy: “American Casual.”
Appreciating
Diversity Increases Others’ Appreciation of You
It’s fascinating how much
habits learned during childhood endure into adult life,
profoundly affecting the way that we see the world. During our
early years, human minds construct embedded “mental models” of
the way things “ought to be”. These models are so strong that
even after spending many years in countries with the steering
wheel on the other side of the car, most Americans would still
have to think twice about which seat they need to use as a
passenger!
Mental models come into play every time we meet someone or do
something new. I recall watching a panel discussion with an
American head of diversity. He felt that one of the
participants, a woman from the Middle East, wasn't committed to
the topic because she wasn't passionate enough. What the
diversity executive had to learn is that the American mental
model of commitment – energetic enthusiasm - is not necessarily
true for all cultures, or for Arab women.
Most companies today declare a commitment to diversity, eager to
ensure that employees from all backgrounds are understood and
respected. But how many people, having filed away the policy,
really know what appreciating diversity means? The truth is that
it is not just about including others because that’s the
politically correct thing to do, but about realizing that others
act, communicate and think in different ways to you, and that
understanding and nurturing those differences will bring added
value to your work.
The greater the range of ideas and opinions you can generate,
the better the collective brain will work, as colleagues spark
off each other and learn from each others’ differences. Paying
attention to colleagues’ favored ways of working and
communicating, individual or cultural, rather than trying to
enforce your style upon them, will result not only in a happier
team but higher productivity. And those are the things that
prove to bosses that you really are in charge of the situation,
and worthy of their respect.
Take Fred’s story. Fred works in Kuala Lumpur for a major U.S.
company. A few years ago, noticing that his Malaysian employees
often talked animatedly amongst themselves, and clearly had
interesting ideas, but rarely spoke at meetings, Fred looked for
the reason. With the help of a local colleague, he discovered
that the Malaysians found it hard to express themselves well in
English without preparation, and felt uncomfortable jockeying
for airspace with fluent Americans.
So Fred created a system that would work for everyone, American
and Malaysian. Ideas were to be collected from people well
before each meeting, in order to draw up a shared agenda that
all personnel were ready to speak about. From that point on,
conversation flowed at meetings, and the team flourished. Fred’s
initiative not only led to better teamwork, but the impressive
results raised his profile at U.S. headquarters.
Fred was working across national cultures, but his attitude
would be equally effective in an all-American office. The key
rule is never to assume that others will present their thinking,
or respond to circumstances, in the same way as you. Forcing
them to do so only causes discomfort and dulls motivation.
Rather than equating lack of participation with lack of
initiative, check with colleagues that your approach works for
them, or ask them how they like to receive information. Make
accommodations for differences by setting ground rules to ensure
that the concerns and contributions of all colleagues are
solicited and acknowledged.
Working for a large organization means managing communication
across all kinds of barriers, and among a diverse range of
personalities. Inclusion is about working to ensure that you get
the best from everyone. That’s not just about following policy,
but about stepping back from one’s own mental models, and
treating all colleagues with the generosity and understanding
that we personally would like to receive.
Reading Resource:
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Educating citizens and
government officials about
pragmatic, non-partisan
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Environmental Protection, energy
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Our Global Leadership Network of
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TAHIRIH WINS 2007 WASHINGTON POST
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN
NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT
The mission of the
Tahirih Justice
Center is to enable women and girls who face gender based
violence to access justice. The Center engages in direct
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to ensure systematic change that protects women and girls from
violence.
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