Apr 16

Motivators – Do You Know Your Team in India?

By Ashok Mathur and Anjali RaoNo Comments

“We all work for the same (US) company, why aren’t the guys in Bangalore more open with us?”

The frustrated manager who said this…was Indian! But he had worked his whole career in the US and was not in touch with what motivated Indian team members to share the good, bad and the ugly with their remote manager.

Walk the talk! Give them time to analyze before committing.

In Charis Working with India programs, Western team leaders ask how to get their India team members to take more individual initiative, make clear commitments (does ‘yes’ mean yes?), and be willing to admit problems early.

Charis recommends these gold nuggets Westerners can apply to build trust and motivate more collaboration across the distance and difference with Indian teams.

  1. “Analyze before Commit” – This golden rule for Indian engineers prioritizes being accurate, first and foremost. Pressuring them to estimate a distant delivery date can be an unsuccessful exercise for everyone, as they may indulge in people pleasing behavior and state a delivery date they are not able to meet. Give the Indian team members time to analyze the task or project and come back with their commitment and requirements. Have frequent check-ins per week, to be sure the project is on track, and there is no deadline slippage.
  2. Harmony is crucial; avoid embarrassment, anger, confrontation. – Some will be quite assertive and talkative, while others may be quite reserved; whatever the personality, respect in this collectivist culture is crucial.  Even if you feel frustration or anger, don’t show it outwardly. Maintain your composure, Indians will continue communicating with you and increase their respect for you.
  3. Identify decision-makers. – Generally, authority and decision-making is retained at high levels in the organization. If you’re not getting action from your Indian counterpart, escalating can get results.
  4. Circle back 3x to check “yes”, understanding, or buy-in. – Indian conversation style is often circular, revisiting a topic to add more info, clarify, read between the lines, insist a bit to get an agreement. Particularly in a culture where it is rude to say “no”, circling back is the best way to clarify a hesitant yes into a clear commitment or a verified negative.
  5. Build teamwork with explicit instruction. – A common complaint from Indian team members is that Americans “throw instructions over the wall”, meaning cryptic directions are emailed at the end of the US work day, and are not substantive enough for Indians to know what needs to be done. Often Indians will avoid the risk of inaccurate actions, and delays ensue. Give clear, detailed, step-by-step procedures.
  6. Be conscious of rank in the room. – Junior staff will usually not disagree or speak up in a meeting with higher ranking members present. It is useful to ask individual team members what they think on a particular issue. This tactic encourages them to speak up, and let them know that their opinions matter. If you still need the junior staff’s input, follow up with a one-on-one communication.
  7. Give the “big picture”. – Spending the time up front to discuss the context in which the work will be done gives Indians the logical framework in which their tasks make sense. Share the strategy, project goal, client relationship, inter-departmental dependencies or other “big picture” context, and you may save a lot of time clarifying why and how later on.
  8. Be friendly, flexible, and have a network of Indian contacts (work & social). – In interviews and training with over 400 Indian engineers, software and IT professionals, Charis finds that “Career opportunity, open communication, direct approach to solving problems, and friendly relationships” are most highly valued, consistently, among Indians in high tech. Indian culture, cuisine, cricket, education, entrepreneurship, and democracy are points of pride that you can explore when motivating Indian team members.
  9. Role Model: Walk the talk! – If the team values risk-taking, be explicit about your expectations for initiative and risk taking. Be a risk taker, and praise openly the risk taking that has been exhibited by team members.
  10. Story telling works wonders. – Share personal work experiences of any problem solving methods you employed. Let your team members know of any projects/situations that are similar to the one you are working on and some of the key learning you have gleaned from experience.

Next! To expand your knowledge and skills in working with Indians and other cultures in global teams, request more resources and contact Anjali Rao, Manager India Practice or Ashok Mathur, Manager India Strategy at info@chariscorp.com or call 925.931.0555

 

Communicating, Leading, Viewpoint
Apr 16

Leading Ethical Practices Across Cultures

By Marian Stetson-RodriguezNo Comments

“Local sales people say clients are accustomed to expensive gifts and entertainment, beyond our policies and potentially bribery.”

“We’ve encountered ‘elastic truth’ in this project. Can we trust them?”

“We’re hiring in Country X, are there specific COI (Conflict of Interest) issues to include in employee orientation?”

Ethical dilemmas occur for us all, but when crossing cultures the “right behavior” can be fraught with ambiguity, differing legal systems, loyalty and duty to friends/family, fears, and ignorance or misunderstanding of concepts that are challenging to translate.  “Open communications and a willingness to raise difficult issues are more critical ethics determinants than knowing whether there is a helpline,” says behavioral ethics specialist David Gebler. Leading ethical practices globally can be done with a formula of Understanding + Application + Monitoring.

Understanding: Ethics is based on values, and knowing the values and context shared among employees is the right starting place for common understanding.  For example, employees in Vietnam may experience strong family pressure to hire relatives, a norm in business. In India, have you heard of “off the record compensation”?

Ashok Mathur shares an illustrative example in India. Prior to the economic liberalization that occurred in 1991, India had punitively high income taxes and low ceilings on managerial income. As a consequence, many organizations compensated management by giving them tax free perquisites and sometimes “off the record compensation”. These practices, from an American perspective, would be unethical and even illegal. Even though the business environment in India has changed, and it is not necessary to compensate management using dubious compensation practices, the tradition continues in many organizations, and is not regarded as unethical. It would be prudent for multinational organizations to discuss all aspects and limits of compensation, have leaders role model company ethics, and be vigilant to ensure that traditional compensation practices do not creep into their India organizations.

Application: After “understanding” policies, even taking tests in online training on compliance, employees don’t always make the connection to real ethical dilemmas, and may continue unethical practices (copying intellectual property, asking for kickbacks from suppliers, falsifying receipts, etc.)  At Charis we have found employees “get it” when trained with realistic scenarios, specific to their country and job role, then engaged in discussions to examine the ethical dilemma from a different points of view, including the organization’s stance. The legal (local and U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) and company consequences are made explicit. Areas we have helped clients with include Conflict of Interest*, Intellectual Property, Financial or Expense Reporting, Kickbacks, Falsifying Records, Hiring of Relatives, and Discrimination – from various cultural aspects.  Once unethical behavior has occurred, there are benefits to having an outside 3rd party consultant who can gain the trust and respect of the group, conduct interviews with confidentiality, deliver ethics training in the local language, and report the suggestions of the employees back to leadership to build more open communication and avoid future infractions.

Monitoring: Support ethical behaviors with channels of communication, and monitoring systems that show leaders are serious about ethics. Some best practices for leaders include:

  • Lead with personal commitment,  and share stories of how you have dealt with ethical dilemmas
  • Be fully informed of the local laws and traditions where you are operating
  • Investigate and address unethical behavior swiftly and fairly
  • Use written tests for hiring positions(avoid hiring based on loyalty) and change tests frequently
  • Per Diems instead of reimbursed receipts
  • Help line to report anonymously
  • Consistent expense reporting practices, with questionable receipts non-reimbursed
  • Discuss ethics regularly with subordinates, explore team members’ challenges, don’t wait for a crisis

We do our employees, colleagues and business partners a service by discussing how we will “do the right thing” from a culturally informed position. While it helps to get things in writing, most cultures want to hear what you believe, and watch how you operate in challenging situations. Listen with openness, check assumptions, and be aware of the limitations to your flexibility.  Leaders can support success by their commitment to personal responsibility, honesty and fairness, and convey this in clear policies in the local language with consistent fair monitoring.

 

Communicating, Controlling, Leading, Staffing, Viewpoint
Mar 02

China’s Millenials – Do You Know Your Team in China?

By Marian Stetson-Rodriguez2 Comments

Ruben and I were finishing our visit to the impressive 3 Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, when Evelyn, our Chinese tour guide impressed me some more. Without any shyness, she asked me to read an economics term paper she’d written in English, and give her feedback. She told me her goal was to be a stock broker! She is like many of China’s top talent in marketing, engineering, IT, under 32 years old and having characteristics global employers should pay attention to. The 240 million member “Baling hou” (After 80’s generation) are shaping consumer patterns and corporate cultures, and giving Western managers interesting challenges to build teamwork. Here are the 10 “Must Know” strategies for your tool kit, when leading a project with young professionals in China.

Evelyn, a Baling hou, aspires to be a stock broker.

Growing up in modern China, China’s Baling hou are characterized by their optimism for the future, excitement for consumerism and entrepreneurship, openness to the West, and acceptance of their historic role in transforming China into an economic superpower. Broadly speaking, these young people from mostly one-child families are known to be independent, competitive, ambitious, brand-conscious, eager learners, tech-savvy, and enjoying the comforts they earn…now! Companies are experiencing turnover and wage compression when Baling hou seek higher salaries (wages increased 34% in the last 3 years), bonuses, promotions and perqs. How to motivate and retain Chinese young talent in your team? Charis recommends 10 Points to lead your team in China.

  1. Listen, socialize, get to know Chinese employees individually. – Some will be quite assertive, want opportunities to demo their work in front of others, and ask you personal questions. Others may be quite reserved, and you will need to draw them into conversation. Used to a lot of attention from adults, Baling hou say a close relationship with their manager is a big motivator. When visiting China, go to lunch, dinner or karaoke – great settings to build relationships.
  2. Communicate clearly, slowly, simply. – Remember this rule of thumb (for speaking or email) – One major point per sentence. If you have more than 3 related points, number them. Proofread and remove business or sports jargon (e.g., Let’s ramp up the roll out!) or slang. If you’re a fast talker, just think, “If this conversation were in Chinese, how fast would I want THEM to talk to ME?”
  3. Circle back 3x to check understanding or buy-in. – Chinese conversation style is often circular, revisiting a topic to give the opportunity to add or perceive information. Never ask, “Do you understand?” (it is insulting; besides, you’ll probably get a “yes” no matter what). If you ask for clarification or commitment 3 different ways on the same point, Chinese will know it is a priority for you, and increasingly disclose their understanding or commitment.
  4. Build teamwork through assignments and explicit instruction. Beware of their competitiveness and “connecting the dots.” – A common experience among these young people is not having shared with siblings, and needing to excel at extremely competitive national exams (gao kao). While older generations of Chinese are “collectivist”, many Baling hou do not find teamwork so natural. Avoid intra-team competition with very clear, structured role assignments, accountability to the manager, explicit assignment for task/project leadership, while giving guidance for steps and limits to taking initiative. Structure carefully who is “To” and who is “Cc” in emails; that is part of the message Baling hou will infer.
  5. Earn respect, with predictable behavior. – Send agendas, plans, slide decks ahead of meetings, so they can prepare questions and contributions, check the English, and gain confidence to speak up. Don’t surprise them by calling on them in a meeting, when they are not expecting to report project status or findings.
  6. Find a Chinese mentor, a senior engineer to guide you. – David Wan says, “China is not another country, it’s another world!” Spending a few hours a month with a Chinese mentor, one who can explain the challenges, hopes, pressures and assumptions operating in your team, can save you hours of repairing communication, rework, or new recruiting.
  7. Start projects small, build with patience. – A Chinese value that has not changed is mian-zi “face”. Building success patiently, in small steps, is critical for Baling hou who want to succeed but are still learning the job, business practices, etc.
  8. Plan more F2F time for coaching, accountability and guidance. – A “hands on” management style (some U.S. would call it micro-managing) is the norm for Chinese managers, and I’ve experienced being managed this way by Chinese clients. The message to Chinese reports is a) show me deliverables step by step (I’ll trust you after you deliver); b) I care about your work and you (relationship); and c) you and I will be held accountable, let’s avoid mistakes (don’t lose face).
  9. Be careful what you ask for – they may be too compliant. – Many Baling hou have taken big risks to follow their dreams, and obeyed their parents to study and work hard. Some fresh college graduates assume that a manager knows best, want to please him/her, and will say “yes” to a project, deadline, or a teambuilding activity beyond their ability. Remember #3, circle back with specific questions. One client had a swimming event, only to find that two people jumped into the water and did not know how to swim!
  10. Role model your Corporate Culture values; they aspire to lead by your example. – In interviews and training with over 600 Baling hou at software and semiconductor companies, Charis associate Amy Miao reports that “Open communication, direct and assertive style, quick reaction to solving problems, and fair/equal opportunity” are highly valued consistently among young Chinese high tech professionals. They are watching how their managers handle technological, ethical and human relations situations, to become good leaders one day themselves.

Next! To expand your knowledge and skills in working with Chinese of all generations, or request more resources, contact Charis at info@chariscorp.com or call 925.931.0555

Communicating, Organizing, Planning, Viewpoint
Feb 01

Mediation in Multicultural Teams

By Jacqueline Oliveira2 Comments

If you manage a multicultural team, and you’ve had to mediate a conflict between two or more team members from different cultures (and what supervisor or manager hasn’t had to do this, right?), you may have experienced the same situation that I’ve experienced as an intercultural mediator. You start off the mediation by asking, “What would a perfect resolution to this challenge look like for you?” and you get two similar yet different answers. One party says, “I want this to stop AND I want him (or her) off the team!” and the other party says, “I want this to stop and I want to be acknowledged for my contributions to the team.” Both parties want the behavior to stop but they want two different resolutions to make it stop.

As an interculturalist, it is always interesting to me to see the cultural aspects to these responses. The first response – I want to end this untenable situation by removing the offending party – is focusing on ending the problem immediately. It is “present-oriented” and resolves the problem quickly. The second response – I want to end this untenable situation through acknowledging contributions – requires much more energy and communication than the first. This response is “future-oriented” and suggests that all team members remain, but work be done to ensure the future of the team through communication and acknowledging resulting hardships from the conflict.

Most interculturalists would bet that the first response comes from someone from an individualistic culture, one that focuses on personal rights and immediate consequences that might even end the relationship. They would probably bet that the second response comes from someone of a collectivist culture, one that focuses on harmony within the team and solving issues so that the relationship will grow. This is a critical difference: some cultures focus on the individual and some cultures focus on the group.

Oh, and one more thing. As the mediator, don’t forget your own cultural filters. You will be seeing the “facts” through your cultural filters which might cause you to unconsciously favor one side over another.

When you manage a multicultural team or group, consider these simple suggestions for mediating a conflict:

  1. Do your homework before the mediation meeting.
    Research each cultures’ orientation with regard to “individualism” and “collectivism” (including your own culture) so that you will have prior knowledge of some cultural values of each culture. A web tool to compare countries on this cultural dimension at http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html.   GOAL: increase your understanding of, and sensitivity to, the influence of culture in a conflict.
  2. Start the meeting by asking each party to describe the resolution that they want. �
    Engage the parties in a discussion about the differences, focusing on the value that drives the expectation. You may find that each party has the same value (respect, for instance) but the behavior that each party associates with respect may be different. GOAL: find cultural commonalities as a way to connect the  parties at a deep level.
  3. If the parties have the same or a similar value, facilitate the mediation by periodically referring back to it.
    When both parties have the same value, even though the behavior associated with the value is different, use that “value connection” as a way to encourage discussion about differences in behavior.  GOAL: take the focus off the behaviors that drove the conflict and onto the realm of understanding where the conflict began. Here is where potential resolution will begin.

Jacqueline Oliveira, M.A.,  is Director of Global Teams Practice at Charis and can be reached at info@chariscorp.com

Viewpoint
Apr 15

Is that a Yes that I hear??

By Anjali Rao1 Comment

A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. - Mohandas Gandhi

Its 9:00 p.m in Mountain View, California (USA) and you are on what feels like a never ending teleconference call with your team in Chennai, India. After the presentation, you ask, so do we all agree to this deadline? Chances are you may get silence, and then again, chances are that you may just get a Yes. Does that mean Yes-I-agree? Maybe, then again, maybe not!

In almost 90% of the Working with India training sessions I conduct, this question/issue poses problems of mistrust and miscommunication in the team. A lot of the trainees feel frustration and confusion when they hear a Yes but don’t see the required action and follow-through. There could be a variety of reasons why this is happening like prevalent organizational hierarchy, propensity to please, insecurity regarding one’s role in the team etc.

The 3 Cs: Talking with Indian managers over the years, I’ve gleaned these 3C’s recommendations and best practices for you when working with Indians:

  1. Clarify, clarify, and clarify roles and responsibilities, available resources of headcount, access to tools, and dates for milestones and deliverables.
  2. Communicate expectations and give the Big Picture i.e., what happens when they miss a deadline and how that can impact the team and other stakeholders’ goals.
  3. Create a “safe” environment where risk-averse employees can “think outside the box”, provide ingenious solutions and feel protected even they make mistakes.

In a country full of paradoxes, Gandhi’s quote above is the inspirational ideal sparking millions of people to say No during the Independence movement. But deep set hierarchical values can give rise to Yes still producing misunderstanding. By being truly open to the cultural diversity impacting communication, and using the 3Cs, you can earn trust and a solid YES! commitment from Indian employees.

Viewpoint
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Apr 08

How Different Styles Saved the Software

By Marian Stetson-RodriguezNo Comments

Abstract

Three engineers, an Asian-American, an Indian and a European-American manager rescue a web programming application, but almost fail in the process.  It takes the combination of each culture’s approach to assemble diverse engineering knowledge in the organization and create a breakthrough in time to launch the high priority software.

Case Study

I’m Rick, an Asian-American software engineer, who was asked to work on and take over a web programming application that had not launched. Over chat and email, my manager, Dave (a White American), said that this was an important project to start right away, and I trusted that he would give me the project scope, requirements, and necessary resources from the previous owner.

Lost in Limbo
A month passed without an official meeting to pass on the project from its previous owners. Requirements remained very vague, so I continued to work on my other projects. After two months, pressure came from Dave’s manager to release the web application with some new project requirements and an aggressive date. Now I was under pressure, but didn’t have the capability or experience to deliver the project on my own. I brought my concerns to Dave, but he could not get additional resources. His response was to finish it as soon as possible, with a “get it done!” attitude. Tejinder, an Indian engineer also reporting to Dave, noted the situation.

Rick Plays it Safe
I’m a quiet, reserved kind of person. I dedicate hours of my own time to gather data, test new methods, and prepare recommendations to fellow team members. Continue reading this entry »

Case Study, Communicating, Leading
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Mar 19

How to Lead Breakthroughs across Borders

By Marian Stetson-Rodriguez1 Comment

How Trust can Lead to Breakthroughs Across Borders

Presentation at Asian Professional Women in Technology, Silicon Valley
by Anjali Rao and Marian Stetson-Rodriguez

To download, click on the link below.

  Lead Breakthroughs Across Borders-Trust

Communicating, Leading
Mar 16

Stressed Out over Deadlines for Engineering / Sales Team

By Marian Stetson-RodriguezNo Comments

Abstract

Both ethnic (Italian and US) and functional (Sales vs. Engineering) cultures clash when trying to construct a winning proposal for a client’s photovoltaic system. With meetings running long, deadlines shifting, and procedures changing, there are challenges and cultural misunderstandings for this technical – business team to get the proposal finished by the deadline.

Case Study

We were creating a proposal for a photovoltaic system for a client. I, John, was working on the technical portion of it with an Italian business development manager named Enzo who was working the sales/financial portion. My boss assigned the proposal to me and interacts on a regular basis with Enzo’s boss. He gave us one deadline and didn’t assign who was the lead on the proposal. This caused us both to share the lead on our own parts, however each of our parts relied on the other’s to complete. Often I’d be waiting on him to get his part to me, like when he needed to get the costs from our suppliers so I could decide which equipment to use on the project. He would promise to give the supplier a call, but didn’t give me a timeframe of when I could expect those prices. Continue reading this entry »

Case Study, Leading, Planning
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