Leadership in a Multicultural Environment - PowerPoint Presentation

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Leadership in a Multicultural Environment

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Tom Gezo

PMI HVC PDD 2012

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Leadership in a MultiCultural

EnvironmentLeaders & Leadership

Cultural influences

Challenges for the PM

Leadership StylesBuilding & Leading your teamA few simple thingsHelpful tools and references

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Objectives

Get you thinking about culture and it’s impact on leadership.Provide a model for cultural influences.Illustrate how cultural profiles effect leadership and team building.

Provide some practical tips to help you lead your multicultural team.

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Leaders

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A person who rules, guides, or inspires

others

Were these leaders uniquely qualified for their cultures and times?

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Leadership in a MultiCultural

EnvironmentThink about a leader from any time period in your life, either personal or professional, who truly inspired you to accomplish something.

What was it about what that person did or who that person was that inspired you to take action?

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Characteristics of a Leader

Innovative

Focuses on people

Inspires trust Keeps their eyes

on the horizon

Challenges

the status quo

Asks

what and

why

Knows what to do

Does

the right thing

Leadership in a

MultiCultural

Environment

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Putting things into perspective

I’m

not Mahatma Gandhi………

……

But I need to successfully lead my project team!As a PM, what do I need to know about Culture?

Develop an understanding of cultural preferences and predispositionsThere are many models and resources which provide insight

Caveat: Models

are based on broad cultural generalizations

Your team is made up of individuals

who may not be the norm

Culture is not necessarily determined by country of residence

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Basis for Cultural “Identity”

History

US Legacy of “pioneers”

Argentina

culturally similar to Europe due to immigrationGeographyRussia is a vast, continental space that is unprotected by mountains and rivers.

The U.S has more miles of navigable, inland waterways than the rest of the world combined and

is protected

by oceans and the Canadian Arctic

.

Religion

France is approximately 65% Roman Catholic

In Japan, estimates of Buddhists is as high as 84-96%

Social

Structure

Upper class, middle class, lower class in Western societies

Nobility, peasants in feudal societies

Caste systems

FamilyPatrilineal vs. Matrilineal

Importance of family unitExtent of “kinship”

How do you make sense of it all?

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Cultural GPS

Model

developed by G.

Hofstede of IBM based on surveys across IBM Subsidiaries (1967 – 1973)

Power distance index (PDI)How readily do different cultures accept inequality/hierarchy

Individualism

(IDV) vs. collectivism

Importance of the individual: “I” vs. “We”

Uncertainty avoidance index

(UAI):

How do different cultures deal with ambiguity

Masculinity

(MAS), vs. femininity:

What is the cultural balance between c

ompetitiveness

, materialism, and power

vs. relationships and quality of lifeLong term orientation (LTO), vs. short term orientation:

Do different cultures exhibit long term values oriented towards rewards, including persistence, saving and capacity for

adaptation vs. steadiness, respect for tradition,

and quick results9

Cultural GPS Lite, ITIM Internationalhttp://geert-hofstede.com/

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Cultural GPS

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Cultural GPS

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Cultural GPS Profiles

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Americas

PDI: Inequality minimized

IDV: “I”

MAS: Need to excel

UAI: Relaxed, emotions not shown

LTO: Traditional/Quick results

PDI: Inequality accepted

IDV: “We”

MAS: Quality of life

UAI: Stressed, shows emotions

LTO: Pragmatic/

Perserverance

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Cultural GPS Profiles

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Europe

PDI: Inequality minimized

IDV: “I”

MAS: Need to Excel

UAI:

Stressed, shows emotions

LTO:

Traditional/Quick results

PDI: Inequality accepted

IDV: “I”

MAS: Quality of Life

UAI:

Stressed, shows emotions

LTO:

Traditional/Quick results

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Cultural GPS Profiles

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Asia

PDI: Inequality accepted (marginal)

IDV: “We”

MAS: Need to Excel

UAI:

Stressed, shows

emotions

- Inner urge to work hard, need for agreement

LTO:

Pragmatic/

Perserverance

PDI: Inequality accepted

IDV: “We”

MAS: Need to Excel (marginal)

- More balanced with quality of life

UAI:

Relaxed, emotions not shown

LTO: Pragmatic/Perserverance

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Putting information to work

What are the challenges that

you’ll face

leading your multi-cultural team?

Leadership StyleBuilding and leading your team

How will a cultural reference point help?

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Leadership Styles

Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. A study by Kurt

Lewin

(1939) identified different styles of leadership.

Authoritarian or autocratic Participative or democratic Delegative or Free Reign Good leaders use all three styles based on situation, with one of them normally dominantCulture can predispose you to certain leadership styles………as well as acceptance of leadership styles

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Leadership Styles

Authoritarian (autocratic)I want you to. . .

Good for emergencies

Participative (democratic)

Let's work together to solve this. . .Best for team buildingDelegative (free reign)You’re responsible for . . . Best when you have an experienced team in which you have trust and confidence

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Leadership Styles & Culture

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Hierarchical

High PDI

Collective

Low IDV, PDI

Individualistic

High IDV

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Building and Leading your team

Establishing the team (IDV)Hi:

“I” vs. “We”

Private Opinions

Lo:Good team playersRelationships have priority over tasks Authority (PDI)Hi: Inequality acceptedHierarchy neededSuperiors inaccessible

Revolutionary changeLo:Equality expected

Superiors accessible

Evolutionary change

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Building and Leading your team

Setting Goals (MAS)Hi:

Performance ambition, need to excel

Live to work

Lo: Quality of Life Work to liveRewards (MAS)Hi:Big and Fast are beautifulLo:Small and slow are beautiful

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Building and Leading your team

Work Ethic (LTO)Hi:

Pragmatic

Perseverance

Lo:Traditional approachNeed for Quick resultsDealing with Uncertainty (UAI)Hi:Need laws and rulesShows emotionsConflict threatening

Lo:Comfortable working things outFlexibleEmotions not shown

Conflict and competition OK

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A few simple things

Be sensitive

Cultural norms

Time

of dayHolidays Be inquisitiveLearn about your team’s culturesShare yours….Be FlexibleYou may have to disturb your sleep

Be appreciativeMerci bien, Domo

Aregato

, Gracias, Grazie

mille

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Practically speaking…..

Using a few words go a long way

Hello, good bye, thanks

Know the “Magic Words”

I have a problem and I need your helpSay it again Sam….Say it differently, not louderKeep it simple.Avoid slang and colloquialismsWrite it downNon-native speakers are better with the written word

Send notes ahead of meeting to guide discussionIM or e-mail may be more effective than conference calls

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Books:Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands; T. Morrison

French or Foe; P. PlattThere’s an app for that:Cultural GPSIBE: International Business Etiquette

On the web

CIA World Fact Book

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/http://kissbowshakehands.com/Revenge of Geography; R. D. Kaplan or summary at WSJ Archive

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Tools and References