TMA World: A Guide to Developing Country Intelligence
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Transcript of TMA World: A Guide to Developing Country Intelligence
Developing Country Intelligence
Develop productive working relationships
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Developing
Country
Intelligence
In today’s global workplace, we often find
ourselves needing to better understand and
adapt to customers, colleagues, vendors and
partners from another country.
Whether you are interacting face-to-face or
virtually, your knowledge of a specific country’s
culture can make a very positive impact.
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Developing
Country
Intelligence Modifying your behaviour and
communication style, where appropriate,
to accommodate cultural differences can
reduce the risks of misunderstandings and
reach a mutually satisfying state of
collaboration.
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We can increase our cultural
awareness by not only
knowing what we are
adapting to, but also what
are we adapting from – this
requires a high level of self
awareness.
Think of it in these three
phases:
Awareness
Attention
Coming off cultural automatic pilot and observing and listening in the ‘here and now’
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Adaptability
We can increase our cultural
awareness by not only
knowing what we are
adapting to, but also what
are we adapting from – this
requires a high level of self
awareness.
Think of it in these three
phases:
Awareness
Calling on a repertoire of behaviours that support cross-cultural bridge building
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We can increase our cultural
awareness by not only
knowing what we are
adapting to, but also what
are we adapting from – this
requires a high level of self
awareness.
Think of it in these three
phases:
Awareness
Knowledge
Understanding what culture is and its key characteristics, as well as increasing our knowledge of specific differences when working in a particular culture
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We don’t see the world as it is, but as we are.
We don’t see others at they are, but as we are.
“
”
We are always looking through perceptual filters
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Beware of using your personal/cultural perspectives for interpreting behaviour, learn to interpret behaviour based on the perspectives of the other person.
We are always looking through perceptual filters
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To avoid misreading the thoughts and actions of people from the other country, we need challenge our own habitual ways of seeing, thinking and doing and to start acting out of informed choice, not habit.
We are always looking through perceptual filters
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Let’s look now at the second stage – how to put it into action.
We are always looking through perceptual filters
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Tune Make further adjustments, as needed
Analyze Reach an initial understanding of the situation
Process Assess the effectiveness of your adaptations
Apply Make adaptations
Skill Development
The ADAPT Cycle A method for dealing with new situations.
It should be applied in the moment, as you observe what’s happening.
Each step of the cycle has a goal.
Decide Choose reasonable adaptations based on your initial understandings
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Maintain a desire to learn
Observe differences and similarities:
• Analyze your own culture/working style/priorities
• Analyze the culture/working style/priorities of your colleagues
• Look for value in difference
The ADAPT Cycle
Analyze
Key actions to focus on:
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Be self aware: Recognize and manage your own mental filters
Be tolerant of ambiguity: Function effectively when there’s a lack of clarity
Consider the 5 strategic options when working across cultures and difference:
Adapt
Blend
Co-Create
Divide
Enforce
The ADAPT Cycle
Decide
Key actions to focus on:
ADAPT
Adjust behaviours to accommodate the other
BLEND
The best approach is a mix of your way and my way
CO-CREATE
Develop a new way that works for both of us
DIVIDE
You do it your way, and we’ll do it our way
ENFORCE
We have to do it this way – we don’t have a choice
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Adapt your working styles and preferences to work well with the other cultures and when there is difference, to generate business value
Be confident in your actions that things will work out
Control and manage any common damaging behaviours, thoughts and feelings
Take a risk and simply act in the face of unpredictability
The ADAPT Cycle
Apply
Key actions to focus on:
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Slow down your reactions
Focus your attention on the ‘here and now’
Become more aware of your own thinking and reasoning
Make your thinking and reasoning more visible to others
Ask questions about others’ thinking and reasoning
The ADAPT Cycle
Process
Key actions to focus on:
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Be open to learn continuously and re-adapt, unlearning previously tried and tested routines
Recover from failures quickly and keep going
Gather information on what to know, what to do, how to do it and when and why to do it
Organize information to better remember and use it
Reflect on lessons that you have learned
Adapt knowledge and skills learned in one situation to new problems in another
The ADAPT Cycle
Tune
Key actions to focus on:
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Webinar Twitter Blog Viewpoints and articles
Publications Written by Terence Brake, Director of Learning & Innovation at TMA World. Our new Borderless Working e-book series
About Us
Visit
www.tmaworld.com/insights
to discover the latest
thinking from our experts
on global, collaborative,
cross-cultural and virtual
working.
There you’ll find links to
our:
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Above all we’d like to hear from you directly, so please don’t
hesitate to send any comments, questions or feedback to us at:
Or visit our website:
www.tmaworld.com
About Us
Visit
www.tmaworld.com/insights
to discover the latest
thinking from our experts
on global, collaborative,
cross-cultural and virtual
working.