Demotivators in intercultural companies (english version)
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Transcript of Demotivators in intercultural companies (english version)
About author
My name is Alexey Kuksenok, I have been working for 14 years in IT-industry in various roles, including managerial.
Currently occupy the position of Project Manager in a large foreign IT company.
During the last 7 years I had a long road from junior developer to project manager. Most of the time I was working in international teams, where noticed that a lot of demotivating factors in our work are generated by cultural differences, which we undervalued, despite the fact that 60-70% of business deals in the world fail because of cross-cultural misunderstandings!
Demotivators in international companies2
Contacts:
Skype: alexey.kks
Blog: http://alexeykks.wix.com/blog
What will be today
The big motivation picture.
Demotivator types.
Culture structure. Cultural standards.
“Typical west” and “typical east“.
Historical background of cultural differences.
Manifestations of cultural standards:
personal vs. business dominant;
wide vs. narrow context;
external vs. internal control factors;
obscuring vs. clarifying conflicts.
Conclusion.
Do it Now!
Demotivators in international companies3
The big motivation picture
Demotivators in international companies
Anchors
Fog
T1
T2
Motivator 1
Motivator 2
External factors
Demot. 1Demot. 2
Demot. 3
Demot. n
Demotivator types
Bureaucracy
Working in the “basket”
Working for the “trash can"
Metrics
Micromanagement
Context-switching
Disbelief/misunderstanding of the management/customer
…
Demotivators in international companies5
Culture structure
Cultural
standards
Behavior
Culture productsBased on the
cultural standards
Mental standards, feelings
and perceptions that
control our behavior
Demotivators in international companies6
Manners, customs,
music, architecture,
cuisine, etc.
“Typical west” and “typical east“
9.00“typical west” “typical east“ t
N
Demotivators in international companies7
Historical background of cultural differences
Запад Восток
- The relative autonomy of social life
spheres (politics, economy, etc.).
- The presence of a single spiritual canon, which are
subject to all of the major areas of life.
- Innovation dedication, value of
everything new, orientation towards the
future (progressivism).
- Loyalty to the traditions; value of everything old,
time-honored; focus on the past (traditionalism).
- Activism, the desire to change reality - Contemplation, desire to surrender to the natural
course of things.
- Dominance of the individual above the
general.
- Dominance of the whole (total) over the individual.
- Rational, analytical, coherent thinking. - Imaginative, parable, aphoristic style of thinking.
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Manifestations of cultural standards
Personal dominant Business dominant
1. Eye contact preferable, personal
conversation.
2. “I will do the job good, if I like
you”.
1. Usually contact without visual
acquaintance, on the known
functions and roles basis.
2. “I will like you, if you do the job
good.”
How to deal with such demotivator?
1. Add business context during the meetings, without personal and personality
assessments.
2. Agenda and a list of participants must be prepared for each meeting.
3. Staying within defined for the meeting topic, do not deviate.
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Result: “There is no desire to work hard for the surly person, whom you haven't
seen in person before and whom there no personal contact with ."
Wide context Narrow context
1. Explicit communication - 30%.
Implicit - 70% (facial expressions,
gestures, intonation, eye contact).
Details are not
emphasized/discussed.
2. “Do not say 'no', but make ‘no’”.
1. Partner's feelings are not “read”.
Details discussion.
2. It is important “what will be done”
rather than “how it will be done.”
How to deal with such demotivator?
1. Clearly communicate the status and results, without fuzzy interpretations.
2. Clearly say “no”, argumenting the decision.
3. Communicate facts, not feelings.
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Result: “Customer/partner does not understand us, it’s hard to find common
grounds”.
Manifestations of cultural standards
External control factors Internal control factors1. I’ll do something for someone, especially if
he/she is pleasant to me.
2. Time needed to get used to the idea.
3. “I'll tell you if you ask.”
4. Roles: moderator, director and controller
1. Self-control.
2. “I’ll tell you, before you ask”
3. Timely feedback on the request and/or
problem.
4. Roles: moderator, director, but not
controller,
How to deal with such demotivator?
1. To develop the in-person “controlling core”.
2. Timely report the problems/statuses.
3. Provide real task status.
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Result: “The project is failed, the customer does not want to deal with us again” or
“Customer/partner constantly requests problem/task status, there is no time to
work!”.
Manifestations of cultural standards
Obscuring conflicts. Clarifying conflicts.
1. To hold on to the last, what leads to
unpredictable and long-term conflict.
2. Informal context is needed for the conflict
resolution.
1. The conflict is an opportunity to find a
solution. The sooner the conflict is
resolved, the sooner a solution is found.
2. Requires a formal context for the conflict
resolution.
How to deal with such demotivator?
1. Consider the conflicts correctly, i.e. to understand that the purpose of the
conflict is to find solution and to overcome the crisis.
2. Resolving of the conflicts in the formal context (should be part of the meeting
agenda) with the prepared logical, non-emotional arguments within the narrow
context.
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Result: “Inadequate customer/partner: it is impossible to work with him!”
Manifestations of cultural standards
Conclusion
What we’ve learned today:
Demotivator types.
Cultural standards.
“Typical west” and “typical east“.
Historical background of cultural differences.
Manifestations of cultural standards:
personal vs. business dominant;
wide vs. narrow context;
external vs. internal control factors;
obscuring vs. clarifying conflicts.
Which demotivators lead the cultural differences to.
How to deal with them.
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Do it Now!
Analyze yourself and your colleagues for the evidence of such demotivators.
Explain yourself and them where do they come from.
Understand your foreign colleagues/customers, identify the causes of misunderstanding.
Select interaction strategy.
Work up the courage and make an appointment:
With the prepared Agenda
With the list of necessary participants
Within the narrow business context
With specific topics for discussion
Without emotions and getting personal
Report your current status “as is”
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Useful materials
Handbuch interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kooperation:
Grundlagen und Praxisfelder
Фирсов А.В., Фирсов Ю.Н. Особенности российского и западного менеджмента
Алистэр Коуберн. Люди как нелинейные и наиболее важные компоненты в создании программного обеспечения.
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