Don’t be complacent about the challenges of managing across cultures (especially when you think it won’t be that difficult)
6th August 2015 | By Grainne |
I recently read a HBR piece (Creating a Culturally Sensitive Corporation) by Luc Minguet of Michelin talking about some of the challenges he encountered in moving to the United States despite having lived and worked previously in a number of European countries including a year in the US. Most people recognize that cultural differences can be challenging when they are very pronounced. So for example, most people would see the desirability of cultural awareness training for Europeans prior to an assignment in China (or vice versa). When the cultures are superficially similar people often assume they can wing it but that very similarity probably makes it even harder to see the potential issues and where you may be creating a negative impression or impact. Managing across cultures is never easy even if the culture seems quite similar to your own. As Minguet says in the article “it’s precisely when you expect to have no problems that you end up having them.” Read More