tma world: a guide to developing country intelligence

Developing Country Intelligence

Develop productive working relationships

© Transnational Management Associates Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

2

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.


3

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.


4

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’


5

Adaptability



knowing what we are




awareness.


phases:

Awareness

Calling on a repertoire of behaviours that support cross-cultural bridge building


6



knowing what we are




awareness.


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


7

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


8

Beware of using your personal/cultural perspectives for interpreting behaviour, learn to interpret behaviour based on the perspectives of the other person.



9

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.



10

Let’s look now at the second stage – how to put it into action.



11

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


12

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:


13

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


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


14

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



15

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



16

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



17

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:

http://www.tmaworld.com/news-insights/webinars/

https://twitter.com/tmaworld

http://www.tmaworld.com/news-insights/blognews/

http://www.tmaworld.com/news-insights/viewpoints-articles/

http://www.tmaworld.com/news-insights/books/

http://www.youtube.com/user/TMAWorldVideos

http://www.linkedin.com/company/210855

http://www.slideshare.net/StevenParkinson


18

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:

[email protected]

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.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.youtube.com/user/TMAWorldVideos

http://www.linkedin.com/company/210855

http://www.slideshare.net/StevenParkinson

tma world: a guide to developing country intelligence

Business

transnational management associates

expertson global

rights reserved

insightsto discover

high level

dont

tmaworld

focus