WHITE PAPER

The Art of Cross-Cultural Communications

Written by Gene Hsu Founder and Principle Career Consultant

EME Career Consultants www.emecareer.com .com.cn .cn

INTRODUCTION No matter what stage of our careers, from recent graduates interviewing for entry-level positions to global directors or CEOs responsible for creating value for customers, shareholders, and stakeholders, there are fundamental approaches that will always lead to greater success and mutually beneficial relationships on a global stage. The world is flat, and a successful enterprise must be able to navigate the complexities of operating in distant lands and cooperating with foreign cultures where the values, ethics, and business practices (i.e. customs) are predictably different and often incompatible without varying degrees of flexibility, understanding, and compromise from both sides. As individuals, we will interact with many different people, with varying levels of influence on our objectives, both short-term and long-term, during each and every facet of our professional lives. At each interaction point, whether it is a job interview, a meeting, or a phone conversation, the perceptions, impressions, and misperceptions of those we are communicating with will have a profound impact on the way forward, a win-win collaboration or a strategic impasse that impedes progress and prohibits further cooperation. We attend universities to earn degrees; we receive internal and external training to improve our understanding of systems, tools, and processes; we learn from our experiences, both successes and failures. Our value to others in a business sense is the product of all that we have accumulated; however, our intrinsic value to an organization, project team, or partnership is more directly influenced by our attitudes, habits, and approach to solving problems, which varies based on priorities that are derived from our personal value systems. Are we flexible and open to new ideas? Do we work well in teams? Western companies most often hire job candidates they feel will be good “team players”, those who will “fit” into the corporate culture. Are we willing to acknowledge and improve our weaknesses? The first step towards becoming a stronger leader is knowing which areas of personal weakness need improving and making a conscientious effort against those limitations.

AMA VALUES For anyone who wishes to take greater control of their career development and success on a global stage in multicultural environments, the journey begins with an assessment of AMA values.

AMA represents your personal Attitude, Mindset, and Approach towards authority, leverage, negotiations, goal setting, prioritization, and all business interactions. Practitioners using the AMA value system to increase self-awareness and enhance professional success should first begin with an honest self-assessment (Appendix I: AMA Self Assessment Form). Perception management means it is more important what others perceive about you than what you believe about yourself, and it is this discontinuity between perception and reality that we should all strive to reconcile. We can influence the perception of others more favorably by first understanding their values, mindsets, and attitudes in the proper context of the situation; and then applying

thoughtfulness in our approach and communications against the AMA areas that are different and/or misaligned. Have you ever noticed when a Westerner and Chinese have a disagreement, the Westerner will often say, “you are not listening”, or “please understand that my meaning is…”. From the Westerner’s point-of-view, the Chinese person does not get the “main point” of the message. However, the Chinese person believes he understands perfectly, and will continue to use examples and make various arguments to make the case for an opposing view. At this point, the two sides are clearly not aligned and are not discussing the same aspect of the original topic, so the debate continues to escalate in a negative direction. When the focus of the discussion is NOT aligned, disagreement occurs and proclamations are made from both sides regarding what is “right” and “wrong”, what “should” or “should not” happen, etc. This results in a negative spiral that should be avoided, as the consequences are extremely harmful to trust and cooperation. Fortunately this is a situation that can be avoided if both parties learn to “listen first” and consider each other’s assertions in the proper cultural context. We suggest there are no disadvantages in cultural acquiescence and minor concessions in this area will always lead to something positive and more mutually beneficial. Goals should always be placed ahead of egos and demanding too much Face (mianzi) from Westerners will often leave you empty handed. Understanding your personal AMA values will provide you a basic framework for understanding the main sources of misunderstanding and poor communications with people from another culture. As a personal career development and enhancement strategy, the AMA value system should become an invaluable guide for more productive negotiations and collaborations. You will learn to “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” before drawing any negative conclusions regarding someone’s motivations or intentions. CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS In the modern era of globalization starting in the mid-1980s that accelerated at warp speed in the mid-1990s through the explosion of the Internet age, collaborating with people and organizations from another culture has become the most overlooked challenge of global business. This modern era of globalization roughly coincides with the reform and opening up of Mainland

China, the most populous country in the world, and since this century began, no global business topic is seriously discussed without a special consideration for the implications regarding China. Chinese culture is literally and figuratively distinct and different from Western cultural, and more often than not, these cultural differences hinder greater trust and collaboration between individuals, organizations, and nations. Even as China continues to gain economic, political, and military influence, global business is still predominately conducted in English based on Western best business practices, laws, and codes of conduct (business ethics). For those pursuing career success on a global stage, career development requires that you are able to successfully navigate and excel in complex multicultural environments. Over the course of an entire career, most people underestimate the ripple effects and unintended consequences from their negative interactions with others. Missed opportunities, the lack of supporters/advisors/mentors, and mistrust will all accumulate to make your climb to the successful mountaintop more difficult. The good news is we all can manage the change needed to enhance our professional journeys. The consequences from the negative perceptions of others can be avoided or at least minimized by adjusting your AMA values at all communication levels. COMMUNICATION LEVELS Amongst people with similar or common goals, vying for scarce resources or limited opportunities, it is only through effective communications that good decisions are made, needed action is taken in a timely manner, and divergent goals are aligned for the maximum mutual benefit of all constituencies. Even with ideal AMA values, a perfect AMA assessment score, greater success is generally a function of how well we communicate at all levels of interaction, formal and informal, by phone or face-to-face, 1-on-1 or group meetings. As we progress through our professional lives, our communication skills will naturally continue to improve, and we will all gain greater confidence through our experiences. However, a natural development does not always allow us to reach a desired result or level of proficiency. Understanding the different EME Communication Levels can further enhance effectiveness in cross-cultural communications.

At the basic level, what we refer to as “0 Level” communications, we primarily focus on how we express ourselves. Do we appear “easy to talk to”? Or are people afraid to approach us? 0 Level communications is the gateway towards creating a positive perception by others that we should all strive to accomplish in our perception management calculus. At the next level, “1 Level” communications, we focus more on our ability to achieve greater alignment with others through our interactions. Of course, AMA values play a tremendous role is reaching alignment, but the goal of 1 Level communications is to take action and make decisions. In a collaborative effort, making decisions usually requires that the majority of stakeholders are in agreement with the way forward. Otherwise, no action can be taken. The final level, “2 Level” communications, is about leadership, more specifically, it is our ability to lead and inspire others. Ordering someone to do something from a position of authority is not leadership, nor is it necessarily the proper means to achieve the best results, as it is important to remember discretionary efforts are not measureable and are only given when someone is willing, empowered, or inspired. In Western organizations, all employees are expected to assume varying degrees of leadership because once you are given responsibility for something, it is excepted that you then become the owner of the task, project, or deliverable. You are expected to utilize all resources at your disposal to achieve the desired outcome, which often include contributions from cross-functional team members or more senior colleagues with higher authority. On my first day reporting for a new position at Motorola as a MBA Intern, my boss, the VP of Marketing, assigned me a project, gave me the title of Marketing Project Manager, and told me, “You are responsible for this project, and I am one of your subject matter experts. You need to tell me what I need to contribute to make this project a success, and if I do not meet my obligations, you need to challenge me”. This project required the input of several senior executives that I had no authority over, but they were nevertheless willing to support the majority of my requests and ideas because my project was aligned with the overall company strategy. While everyone was a stakeholder in my project, greater success and the efficient utilization of limited resources were heavily influenced by how I performed at all communication levels.

The AMA self-assessment (Appendix I: AMA Self Assessment Form) also includes a section for the three Communication Levels. These assessment questions are a guide into the subconscious considerations of everyone you will interact with throughout the course of your professional career. BARGAINING POWER Porter’s five forces analysis is a framework to analyze competition within an industry or business strategy development. It draws upon industrial organization (IO) economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and attractiveness of a market. The Porter’s Five Forces model helps users to visualize the bargaining power of the main market forces within an industry so strategic decisions can be made. Should we enter this market? What are the main competitive obstacles that must be overcome to reach our business objectives?

From a career or business development standpoint, it is important to determine our personal bargaining power, or leverage, for our interactions. This is especially important in discussions between people that share similar goals, for example, a job interview. The interviewer is trying to fill a needed resource gap, and the interviewee is trying to market himself as a potentially valuable resource. There is the potential for a mutually beneficial outcome. During an interview, the interviewer is generally trying to assess whether the job candidate is suitable for the position. “Suitable” and “qualified” are two completely different considerations during the interview process. Most candidates these days are prescreened, therefore, all interviewees are qualified, but only the most “suitable” person will get hired. Personal bargaining power comes from the perception that our contributions add value, and it is only through delivering value that we can increase our personal bargaining power. Taking the job interview example from the perspective of the jobseeker, what responses will create the greatest perception of value to the interviewer?

Many jobseekers make the mistake of focusing too much time during the interview boasting about past successes, and even more harmful, creating the perception of entitlement. The perception of entitlement means you believe you deserve something because of your past accomplishments or hardships, but a job interview is a gateway to begin a new journey, with a new organization, in a new market with new colleagues. From the point-of-view of the hiring company, job candidates generally have not earned any entitlements and the hiring manager cares more about predicting future performance, not relishing in past successes. The hiring manager is seeking to add another piece to his team, to the company, and therefore how you “fit” is more important than how qualified you are. In a job interview, bargaining power comes from first impressions and the perceptions you create in a very limited amount of time.

• Are you trainable? If you appear open to new ways of doing things, if you are comfortable discussing personal weaknesses, if you appear to be more inquisitive than opinionated, you can increase your bargaining power as someone who can be developed into a future leader.

• Are you a team player? Do you work well with others? Working well with others includes peers, subordinates, and those in a position of authority. Demonstrate the desire and ability to build a consensus with diverse people and reach alignment with cross-functional team members and your bargaining power will be further increased.

AMA SPHERES OF INFLUENCE If you truly have a desire to increase your professional and career success through the positive perceptions of others, especially from those of a different culture, then it is important to expand your understanding of your personal AMA values to additional spheres of influence. The AMA Spheres of Influence diagram will help you visualize your subconscious approach towards your interactions that will profoundly affect how others perceive you. We are all emotional human beings, and negative biases or positive chemistry are all influenced by the perceptions and misperceptions of others. Our goal is to influence the perception of others to be more positive,

especially in situations where language and cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings and poor communication.

Our AMA Values project who we are as individuals, and it is a helpful exercise to consider how personal beliefs and culture affect our priorities, thinking, and habits. This exercised should then be reversed to better understand the considerations and priorities of those we interact with on a daily basis. Successful perception management means we have analyzed multiple viewpoints to determine how best to create positive sentiments and greater alignment. Successful practitioners will develop a natural and instinctive discipline to consider goals and objectives from all perspectives and to interact positively and collaboratively at all communication levels.

Appendix I: AMA Self Assessment Form