Assessing Managers for International Competence

How do you select staff for international assignments? It's an important question because, no matter how effective and successful your employees may be at home, they cannot be guaranteed the same performance in a different culture-unless, that is, they can demonstrate some key competencies. But beware, these may be quite different from the competencies they need to succeed in their own environment.

To begin with they need to be receptive to the host culture. This will mean that when they face new ideas, new ways of working, new people, different values-they can accept these as different, but still valid. If they go with the firm belief that their own way of doing things is the only way, if they are suspicious of the new people they meet, and if they cannot respect the values of their host culture, they will simply engender hostility, fear and antagonism-hardly the best climate for a successful team effort.

Building on that receptiveness, they will have to be sufficiently adaptable to blend into the local style of doing things. Take working hours. Mediterranean cultures often have early starts, long lunch breaks and late finishes. It's a timetable that takes some getting used to because that lunchtime break really does need to be a time when you wind down and rest, otherwise the working day and its related stresses will occupy every waking minute. Not everybody is capable of adapting their natural rhythms to this. Employees with family commitments in particular find it very hard, so in assessing the suitability of somebody for an overseas position, you need to ensure that their family too is fully supportive of the move.

It is also essential to be able to take an objective view of the host culture and not to judge new colleagues on criteria you have brought from home. For example, a manager who moves to a culture in which the normal working environment is very hierarchical should not be surprised if individuals lack initiative. What may seem a negative quality from a British perspective could well be seen as a strength in the local context.

Given that the new environment could make your managers feel like fish out of water, it is important for them to have clarity of vision. As they face the many hurdles that arise from the different ways of working and living that characterize the new environment, they will have to be able keep a hold on their purpose for being there. They will need to let that vision drive their actions so that progress towards the required goals is maintained despite the obstacles. And part of this clarity of vision should be pre-assignment awareness of the new culture and its framework so that they are prepared for what they will find and have thought of some coping strategies.

They will also need excellent communication skills. These involve the ability to listen and interpret any implicit messages that their new colleagues may be emitting, and give directions with clarity and with respect for the means of communicating in the host culture. Of course, communicative skills are important no matter where you are, but they are crucial in a new culture. If the manager goes from Britain, say, to a Scandinavian country, it will be important to remember that the local team may be much more direct in their expression of criticism, say, than in the UK. Conversely, it will be important not to use typically British understatement or irony because, the more direct style of the hosts will predispose them to interpret everything literally.

They will need to be sensitive to the customs, motives and values of their new colleagues. They will only be able to achieve their goals by building good rapport with the local team and this can only come in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Of course rapport can be established in many different ways, but it essential to show an interest in the host culture and in the local team. As the outsider it is important not to offend by flouting local dress code, being over familiar-or too distant, as the case may be-or showing impatience with aspects of behaviour that are in keeping with local tradition.

Resilience and emotional robustness are also important. The period of settling in will involve what is known as culture shock. This involves some key stages, the second of which puts a big strain on both physical and emotional strength. To begin with your managers will go through a honeymoon period in which all the new experiences are exciting and stimulating. But this is followed by a period of disorientation during which homesickness, loneliness, frustration and disillusionment with the host culture will cause a great deal of stress. To be able to pass through this to the stage of acceptance requires considerable inner strength.

Of course underpinning all these competencies is knowledge. The managers need two kinds of knowledge to be effective abroad. Firstly they need to understand the theory of culture difference. Culture goes very deep and the unfamiliar behaviour patterns are the external signs of underlying values. It will help your managers if they understand the nature of these different cultural values. Then they should have country specific knowledge that prepares them for what they will find. This should, of course, include training in the local language not just for the person concerned but for their family.

Brenda Townsend Hall is a writer and trainer in the field of cultural awareness and English for business and is an associate member of the ITAP International Alliance: http://www.itapintl.com

---

Google News Updated : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:38:53 GMT Gallardo ready for Game 1 pressure - MLB.com Washington Post Gallardo ready for Game 1 pressure MLB.com - 33 minutes ago By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com PHILADELPHIA -- For a 22-year-old who appeared in just four games this season, Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo certainly endured a great deal. NL Division Series Breakdown - Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia Sports Network Brewers Will Open With 22-Year-Old Starter New York Times Bleacher Report - FanHouse - AHN - SportingNews.com all 506 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:05:12 GMT Sentiment against the rich, Wall Street, CEOs still a major hurdle ... - Bizjournals.com BBC News Sentiment against the rich, Wall Street, CEOs still a major hurdle ... Bizjournals.com - 1 hour ago Underlying public distrust of the wealthy -- along with Wall Street and Washington -- and the perception the $700 billion mortgage bailout will help big banks and rich CEOs continues to be the main stumbling block and minefield for passage of a rescue ... Michigan Rep. Miller demands that certain accounting practices be ... Detroit Free Press Reporter's Notebook: Meltdown FOXNews Washington Post - New York Times - Politicker Maine - Los Angeles Times all 2,883 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:32:24 GMT Obama, McCain seek political gain in credit crisis - The Associated Press Seattle Post Intelligencer Obama, McCain seek political gain in credit crisis The Associated Press - 1 hour ago DES MOINES (AP) - White House rivals John McCain and Barack Obama combined televised attack ads with statesmanlike appeals for bipartisanship on Tuesday as they vied for political gain in the shadow of the worst economic crisis since the Great ... Video: McCain Faults Obama, Allies for Partisanship AssociatedPress McCain takes hit from bailout collapse CNN Reuters - ABC News - AFP - CNN Political Ticker all 2,630 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:12:18 GMT So much for those knee supplements -- probably - Los Angeles Times Chatter Shmatter So much for those knee supplements -- probably Los Angeles Times - 2 hours ago Don't go stocking up on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate just yet. The supplements, often taken by people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, don't appear to slow cartilage loss. X-Ray Evidence Shows Popular Supplements Fail to Slow Knee ... MedPage Today Glucosamine and chondroitin don't slow arthritis Reuters USA Today - eFluxMedia - InjuryBoard.com - Austin American-Statesman all 53 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:58:39 GMT Depression risk high for heart patients - San Francisco Chronicle Calgary Herald Depression risk high for heart patients San Francisco Chronicle - 13 hours ago (09-29) 17:20 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Patients with heart disease should be screened and treated for depression because it can adversely affect their health outlook and quality of life, according to a new report by the American Heart Association. Heart Problems And Depression eFluxMedia Guidelines alert heart patients to depression risk Reuters WebMD - Bloomberg - The Associated Press - InjuryBoard.com all 438 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:10:58 GMT Bloomberg Called Ready to Announce Third-Term Bid - New York Times New York Times Bloomberg Called Ready to Announce Third-Term Bid New York Times - 47 minutes ago By MICHAEL BARBARO and DAVID W. CHEN After months of speculation about his political future, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to announce on Thursday morning that he will seek a third term as mayor, according to three people who have been told of his ... NY mayor Bloomberg to seek third term: report Reuters NY Times: Bloomberg To Announce Third Term Run NY1 TIME - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Gothamist - New York Daily News all 281 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:51:03 GMT China Detains 22 in Tainted-Milk Case - New York Times China Detains 22 in Tainted-Milk Case New York Times - 3 hours ago By DAVID BARBOZA SHANGHAI - China said Monday that it had detained 22 people suspected of operating an underground network that intentionally adulterated milk with an industrial chemical, melamine. Hong Kong says Cadbury melamine levels acceptable The Associated Press Manufacturing giant recalls melamine tainted tea CNN International AFP - Wall Street Journal - Reuters - GMA news.tv all 2,775 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:50:50 GMT Clickbank Datafeed How to Earn Money At Home

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

The 5 Obsessions of a Passionate Employee

A recent report entitled "How Google Grows?and Grows?and Grows" stated... Read More

Use QA As Your First Step To Outsourcing

Quality Assurance, or QA, is often given short shrift in... Read More

Human Resource Employee Risk Profile - Management Risks Explained

Human Resource Employee Risk ProfileIs your business at risk? Do... Read More

Employees Commit Corporate Fraud

Imagine the following scenario; Ten years ago you decided to... Read More

Communicating with Case Studies

A few weeks ago, a couple of colleagues and I... Read More

Innovation Management and Brainstorming Management ? why people hate to brainstorm!

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Leaning Toward Change

Seduced by the publicity surrounding the impact of Lean on... Read More

Interviewing: How to Stay Out of legal Hot Water

Some interviewers ask great questions; others ask dumb questions; and,... Read More

Narcissism in the Boardroom

The perpetrators of the recent spate of financial frauds in... Read More

What are Your Best Practices?

Best Practices StudiesThese studies can be defined as inquiries into... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations

Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing... Read More

3 Reasons Why CRM Strategies Fail

Customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the most effective... Read More

Innovation Management ? Time to Market or Time to Success?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Transparency: A Key To Your Effectiveness

Last month I talked about the Skilled Facilitator principle of... Read More

Outsourcing Problem Analysis

As an HR professional, you have responsibilities in several broad... Read More

The DNA of Motivation

It really is about motivation. After all, what impels someone... Read More

Climb out of the Box - How to Hold Effective Meetings

Out of the box thinking is a popular fad today.... Read More

Innovation Management ? Reducing Hierarchy

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For

Imagine that you're a sports coach and you need a... Read More

How to use NLP for Business?

What is Neuro-Linguistic Programming?Neuro-Linguistic programme is nothing but the study... Read More

Reprimanding Marginal Employees

THE MARGINAL PERFORMER: Every manager must, from time to time,... Read More

Tales From The Corporate Frontlines: Job Security in Todays Workplace

This article, Job Security in Today's Workplace, is part of... Read More

Making Your Workers Your Partners

There is an inherent conflict between owners and managers of... Read More

Experiences of Management Coaching (Part 2)

In our experience, we have found that there are several... Read More

Minimising Conflict With Effective Communication

Did you know there are 5 types of... Read More