DAVID CLIVE PRICE ______________________

THE CROSS-CULTURAL DOCTOR

HOW YOUR ORGANISATION

CAN GROW BY BECOMING

BAMBOO STRONG

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CONTENTS

The Driver of Success

Three Key Questions

Diversity is not Enough

Introduction to Bamboo Strong™

1. Multi-level Communication

2. Building Trust

3. Bridging Generations

4. Digital Transformation

5. Learning Styles

6. Diversity and Culture

Summary

Next Steps

A Couple of Testimonials for Bamboo Strong™

The Story of Bamboo Strong™

About the Author – David Clive Price

References and Further Reading

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DRIVER OF SUCCESS

This paper comes from my belief that the single most important driver of your organisation’s success is your people’s sense of

belonging, and their ability to communicate clearly with and to trust their diverse customers, colleagues, team members and leaders.

A more cohesive workplace leads to better working relationships

and higher performance and productivity.

However inevitable differences in thinking, working and behaving

can cause tension, misunderstanding, and disengagement in your teams.

These issues are intensified across different generations, cultural

groups, genders, ethnic, national, regional and professional backgrounds.

The two most common approaches organisations adopt to manage these differences are employee engagement and diversity and

inclusion. But do these programmes go far enough?

I couldn’t help thinking that leveraging diversity in an organisation

should be more than just managing differences. My extensive research and global experience has led me to come up with a

methodology (system) that can truly transform an organisation that wants to develop both at home and internationally.

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THREE KEY QUESTIONS

• How can you adapt your leadership and management style to other people in the workplace, at other levels in the

organisation, or in international teams?

• What is the best way to understand and leverage personal, generational and cultural differences in working

relationships?

• Is there a proven method to improve your communication,

confidence and trust with managers, colleagues and customers in other countries or regions?

Before you answer any of those questions let us take a look at the

diversity & inclusion and engagement programmes that are practiced by various companies and discover what they could mean for your organisation.

DIVERSITY IS NOT ENOUGH Diversity and inclusion aims to foster an inclusive environment that leverages the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of all

employees, suppliers, customer and partners.

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This is usually with the aim of driving competitive advantage in a dynamic local and global marketplace.

Many organisations advocate the use of diversity and inclusion and

consider it to be integral to driving superior business results.

Making diversity a priority shows that they are attracting, developing and retaining the best people. It means ensuring the company’s culture and values reflect the full spectrum of their

people and the communities in which they operate.

In combination with inclusive leadership, employee networks and engagement campaigns, diversity aims to help people to be themselves at work and makes them want to stay. It is a way of

fostering innovation and creativity by making full use of different perspectives and mind-sets.

However, while it works for a number of corporates, many clients

need a more results-driven option. Despite their stated commitment, many organisations with whom I have worked find it difficult to accept that diversity is really central to everything they

do.

There is an element of tokenism or political correctness about it that discourages real engagement. CEOs remark that

communications that do not include the words “diversity” and “inclusion” in the title are far more likely to be opened and read by stakeholders than those that do.

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I believe you need a whole organisational approach to embracing difference, rather than relying on individuals or teams to work

separately on box-ticking ideas and projects. This is where my Bamboo Strong™ Blueprint comes into action.

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INTRODUCTION TO BAMBOO STRONG™ Many organisations struggle with leadership, culture and engagement because they focus on dealing with the symptoms, not

the root cause of the problems.

People think, behave and work in such different ways that it causes stress, confusion, and disengagement. This issue gets much more

complicated across different groups in the workplace, across international or virtual teams, or when navigating new markets and cultures.

Middle managers lead the vast majority of the workforce and yet

they receive the least amount of training. The quality of their people and leadership skills directly affects employee engagement,

performance, execution of strategies and level of customer service. By highlighting the six areas to implement Bamboo Strong™

within your organisation, I will demonstrate how employers and employees can benefit, enabling staff to be more engaged and

proposing innovative solutions for the growth of your organisation. I call this work Bamboo Strong™ as it takes the concept of

personal development and places it within the structure of an organisation, while embedding it with organisational learning.

Using personal development as a tool to develop and encourage

growth and quality within your organisation is not just a way of

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making money, but a way of connecting the needs of your clients with the abilities of your employees to meet those needs.

Let’s get started and look at the six areas:

1. MULTI-LEVEL COMMUNICATION Today’s new generation of business leaders require increasing resilience and flexibility to navigate and respond to the challenges of a rapidly changing and volatile world. They have to communicate well with diverse teams and act on instructions that are complex, multidimensional and often international. They have to handle fast-evolving relationships at all levels, and often in many departments and regions, without becoming stressed, disengaged or confused. They have to respond to the evolving needs and expectations of their diverse customers. This means that leaders and teams must develop their social, cultural and emotional intelligence as never before to communicate with each other and their customers, enhance productivity and deliver the very best solutions. Organisations that are the most successful understand the central importance of good communication to developing confidence and trust with managers, colleagues, suppliers and customers in other countries or regions, or in their home market.

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Whether written, contextual or verbal, good communication is

based as much on listening, learning and sharing as it is on talking. Only then can the trust be built that is so vital for creating long-

term partnerships and sustainable results.

Question – If you had to review your communication levels in your organisation what would you discover?

2. BUILDING TRUST Whether you are working in a company targeting your domestic market or a company with international operations, your people need to create working relationships based on trust and respect –

rather than on accumulated grudges, lack of communication, or implicit rejection of colleagues who don’t seem to think or behave

just like them, their generation or their “tribe”.

Trust always affects two measurable outcomes: speed and cost. People who don’t get along in the workplace not only cause high staff turnover, their dissatisfaction leads to delayed decisions, poor

customer loyalty and declining sales.

Trust is subjective since people trust what is familiar and predictable to them. Often people from the same generation or

group have similar ideas on diverse and inclusive organisations, and different ideas from people of another group.

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“People like us” People who stretch beyond the comfort zone of people like themselves are more likely to be resilient and innovative problem-solvers, with a can-do attitude and a growth mind-set.

This challenge is intensified in new markets and cultures, where building trust and respect depends on acquiring knowledge of

different mind-sets, ways of doing business and local customs. Trust must be earned over time and engagement cannot be forced.

Providing your people with the tools and knowledge they need to work and live together even if they are from various cultural

groups will ensure your company doesn’t lose out and actually increases profits.

Question – How much do you know about different mind-sets within your organisation and is sharing of ideas taking place in a trusting environment?

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3. BRIDGING GENERATIONS

The ageing demographic in many countries and the desire or necessity to work longer means we are now at a stage where we see five generations in the workplace: Silent Generation (1920-46), Baby Boomers (1947-1964), Generation X (1965-82), Generation Y or Millennials (1983-2001) and Generation Z (2002 onwards). How we engage with each of these generations is slightly different and sometimes markedly different.

Recent studies suggest that certain trends stand out: the Silent Generation is strong, self-sufficient and prefers to work behind the scenes, whereas Baby Boomers like to understand the big picture, are adventurous and are always ready for new experiences.

Generation X prefers suggestions rather than being told what to

do and inclines to the global approach rather than a local one, whereas Generation Y needs constant feedback for their ideas, wants to get involved and feel valued, and so on. The preferred

means of communication and engagement of these age groups also varies widely.

Understanding and leveraging these differences is essential for employee engagement, team collaboration, motivation and productivity.

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“Bamboo Leader”

The bamboo bends in the wind, but it is inherently very strong. It is still used for scaffolding in some parts of the world. It flexes with wind, and rain but always springs back. In other words, the bamboo represents both empathy and strength. As the world becomes more multipolar, more connected, and more multicultural, we need to develop the qualities of the Bamboo Leader in ourselves.

“Bamboo Leaders” who are able to “flex” and empathise with different generations, making them feel they belong and are valued for their perspectives, are far more likely to lead highly successful and well-motivated teams.

Question – how well do you leverage different perspectives in all you do and do you have a pipeline of Bamboo Leaders right now?

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4. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

To not only survive, but to keep adapting and moving forward

in the digital age, organisations need resilience and flexibility.

Diverse teams have to cooperate and communicate well with

each other but they often have tunnel vision due to the nature of technological innovation and the age and specialization of

the pathfinders. This leads to autistic listening and lack of a Big Picture vision.

Digital Transformation may be rapidly achieved with tech tools

and IT, but the total human engagement of the team is missing

– especially in the area of team motivation, alignment and empathy.

The Big Picture mind-set is about developing lateral thinking

and inter-generational understanding and interaction in the

workplace, or in international teams.

It means improving your cross-cultural communications to

better manage client/vendor expectations and relationships with virtual teams.

Above all, it is about focusing on the human dimension right at

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the centre of Digital Transformation. You need to awaken the EQ in each individual to amplify and filter the perception of

others’ thinking and to properly channel less positive energies.

Question – What have you done to foster a culture of creativity and innovation based on diversity in your organisation?

5. LEARNING STYLES In most organisations, little time is set aside for learning how people from different backgrounds, generations and cultures

communicate with each other. Understanding learning styles is especially important for

organisations that trade internationally or have international teams. But it is also relevant for communication in the home

workplace and with local colleagues, customers and partners. In some groups and in various countries of the world, the context

of a communication is all-important – rather than the words themselves.

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“Reading context” Cultures of the world are divided into high context and low context. High-context cultures are those that communicate in ways that are implicit and rely heavily on context. In contrast, low-context cultures rely on explicit verbal communication.

You may find it difficult to get a straightforward yes or no to a question. Silence may mean agreement or non-agreement. Facial

expression may mean more than what is being said.

This non-verbal language, or your ability/inability to read others correctly, affects even apparently global communications such as email or videoc0nferencing.

Learning how to “read context”, as well as different attitudes to

hierarchy and consensus gives an organisation and its employees competitive advantage, especially when learning occurs across

diverse business units.

Question – How does you organization continue learning? Does your expertise stay when employees leave?

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6. DIVERSITY AND CULTURE

Clearly, there is more to working with diversity than the word implies. The same is true of culture. More and more organisations are recognizing that culture does not refer simply to organisational culture, or even individual cultures. It includes a broad spectrum of differences that can be embraced and exercised through a “muscle of the mind”.

This “flexing” enables your people to become adaptive, responsive

leaders without being experts in hundreds of different cultures and backgrounds.

Bamboo Strong™’s powerful combination of validated assessment, best-selling content from across the globe, and personal guidance

gives your people the tools and knowledge to be able to live, work and thrive together even if they are from various generations,

backgrounds and cultural groups.

Question – What benefits can you see from a programme of cultural flexing? What opportunities are you missing by not having one?

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SUMMARY

Organisations that develop a more diverse and global mind-set within their staff produce empowered employees who can

confidently navigate complex challenges. Employees can then use the intelligence they gather to give both local and global clients the best experience possible, providing the services that enable the

organisation to generate greater profits.

We looked at how companies have included diversity in their business model but I asked the question of whether this by itself

was sufficient. In my view it wasn’t and I created my Bamboo Strong™ model, which looks at the following six areas:

Multi-level Communication: Using communication across your organisation to develop confidence and share perspectives

Building Trust: Providing your people with the diverse

knowledge they need to work and live together

Bridging Generations: Making different generations feel they

belong and are valued for their perspectives

Digital Transformation: Avoiding tunnel mind-set and developing the human dimension

Learning Styles: Understanding the context of communications across diverse groups

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Diversity and Culture: Exercising your muscle of the mind to work and thrive together

Following my research into each of the above areas and talking to

my clients my belief is that

Senior Executives and Managers can enable change to happen in a measured and progressive way, allowing Bamboo Strong™ to take root within your organisation.

Empowering staff when associated with a culture of learning and

growing will ensure that your organisation develops further.

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NEXT STEPS However you envision your organisation’s future, you need employees who can think on their feet in new business or daily life

situations. Rapid changes in the marketplace and the increasing diversity of stakeholders require people with exceptional adaptability and empathy to lead the way.

Trying to develop these people skills with programmes that don’t

involve your employees could lead to a loss of talent and revenue. People aren’t engaged by programmes; they are engaged by people.

By creating a people-centred way of working across the whole organisation it is possible to enhance collaboration, create more

integrated and productive teams, and prepare the ground for expansion into new and dynamic markets.

Whatever stage of domestic or international growth you happen to

be at, I can help take you to the next level. Why not have a chat and we can explore some initial ideas.

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A COUPLE OF TESTIMONIALS FOR BAMBOO STRONG™

“Terrific and creative guy to work with! David has a wide and

deep knowledge of global cultures and business behavior. His inspirational presentations are always full of insider tips and

have a fascinating local twist for different audiences, groups and teams whether local or global.”

Patricia Chua, former Head of Communications, AIA Group Hong Kong

______________________________________

“Thank you for an excellent presentation on global leadership

and managing differences in the workplace, virtually and across the organization. The participants that I talked to felt

that it was one of the best programmes we have had for the last few years with highly interesting, informative, entertaining and useful content!”

Terry Irwin, Director, The XTEND Network of Executives

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THE STORY OF BAMBOO STRONG™

For more than 20 years I have been working with Senior Executives who wished their staff were better able to relate and

work effectively across cultures, borders and generations. Often what was missing with an organisation was the link between

diversity and higher performance. Many employees considered that Senior Executives simply included diversity and cultural awareness to be politically correct. But Senior Executives often

believed that employees should take issues of poor teamwork and miscommunication with customers and colleagues more seriously.

Without proper systems within the organisational structure for

employees to become more culturally skilled and aware of diversity’s benefits, I could see staff were becoming more and more frustrated. They were told that they should become more culturally

aware and flexible, yet they were often left without the tools and support they needed.

As a result, employees often resented having more responsibilities. Meanwhile, Senior Managers wanted more skilled support from

staff and couldn’t understand why staff would not commit to ensuring the long-term success of the organisation.

I continued to speak to clients about the concept of enabling staff

throughout the organisation to have a real input into leveraging diversity for business development. My research led me to a series of projects, talks and training programmes which allowed me to

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discover the ways in which a culture of diversity can be embedded within organisations.

I call this embedding work Bamboo Strong™.

*** “Bamboo Strong is exactly what today’s savvy business leaders

need to manage in today’s complex, multi-dimensional markets!” – Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Global Gurus #1 executive coach in the world

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR – DAVID CLIVE PRICE

Having lived and worked across the globe, David has gained numerous cultural insights into human behaviour that he brings to

his client projects.

He has a highly personal and innovative approach to developing global leaders of today and tomorrow. His manner is accessible,

human, warm and authentic.

Speaking several languages, David uses his mix of personal

insights and strong scientific modelling to bring about growth for organisations such as banks, national and multinational companies, not-for-profits, government and educational bodies.

He inspires Senior Executives, leaders, managers and staff to become Bamboo Strong™.

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REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Aimin Yan and Yadong Luo, International Joint Ventures: Theory

and Practice (NewYork 2001)

Charlotte Sweeny & Fleur Borthwick, Inclusive Leadership (FT Publishing 2016)

David Clive Price Ph.D., Bamboo Strong: Cultural Intelligence Secrets to Succeed in the New Global Economy (2016), with Foreword by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

Deloitte, “Culture and engagement; the naked organization,” (February 2015)

“Developing the Global Executive,” Institute of Executive Development/DDI Research Report, 2016

Soon Ang, Linn Van Dyne and M L Tan, “Cultural Intelligence” in

Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence (Cambridge University Press 2013)

DAVID CLIVE PRICE ______________________

THE CROSS-CULTURAL DOCTOR

www.DavidClivePrice.com