Rethinking GCC Leadership series(4) - Navigating the Global-Local Gap
Most GCCs start to train intercultural skills too late, often when the employees have already assumed the leadership position. Nevertheless, this is a vital ability, which must be cultivated early in life. GCCs are available in the international context. The workers must collaborate effectively working across time zones and with the workers of different cultural backgrounds particularly those at the headquarters. This may entail high learning curve.
A lot of Indian professionals are related to hierarchical and status sensitive backgrounds. They tend to have difficulty with deep-seated conditioning which renders it difficult to:
Confront the opinion of a superior, even in a constructive manner
Always say no and have the right way
Communicate thoughts in diverse cross-cultural contexts
Use your voice during a meeting especially where senior members are involved
These things may be little practices of communication, but they are essential to the perception of being a strategic globally integrated partner and not an execution vehicle.
Unless such skills are nurtured at an early age, the Indian teams will be seen as passive, too deferential or lacking initiative. This is not necessarily true. They have been merely not empowered to play an active part in the global narrative.
What are you doing to establish intercultural confidence at the bottom of your teams?
I would be happy to know what has helped you to gain intercultural confidence building. What is the level of your team involvement in international discourse? Communication and confidence is equally important when dealing with the international colleagues besides the working task.Healthy teams do not evolve in quietness instead they evolve by asking questions, agreeing to disagree in a decent manner and sharing new ideas. A team that receives orders only can perform, but not be innovative. Competent teams are confident enough to take risks.
Do you even teach global communication at enough age?
Individuals do not pick up speaking with global teams with great confidence easily. It must begin early. When individuals are raised in the environment in which they do not say no or are reluctant to disagree with seniors, it is hard to change the behavior in the future. Open communication should be taught at the initial stages, which will help a person develop confidence in the future.
Are you making followers or future leaders out of you?
When your team simply waits and follows your instructions, then they will never stop depending on you. Nevertheless, in case they are made to feel that they have a role in sharing ideas and owning them, then they become real global partners. True leadership is a situation where all people feel that they have a voice.
