demotivators in intercultural companies (english version)

Demotivators

in international

Companies

On-line webinar

About author

My name is Alexey Kuksenok, I have been working for 14 years in IT-industry in various roles, including managerial.

Currently occupy the position of Project Manager in a large foreign IT company.

During the last 7 years I had a long road from junior developer to project manager. Most of the time I was working in international teams, where noticed that a lot of demotivating factors in our work are generated by cultural differences, which we undervalued, despite the fact that 60-70% of business deals in the world fail because of cross-cultural misunderstandings!

Demotivators in international companies2

Contacts:

[email protected]

Skype: alexey.kks

Blog: http://alexeykks.wix.com/blog

mailto:[email protected]

skype:alexey.kks?chat

: http:/alexeykks.wix.com/blog

What will be today

The big motivation picture.

Demotivator types.

Culture structure. Cultural standards.

“Typical west” and “typical east“.

Historical background of cultural differences.

Manifestations of cultural standards:

personal vs. business dominant;

wide vs. narrow context;

external vs. internal control factors;

obscuring vs. clarifying conflicts.

Conclusion.

Do it Now!


The big motivation picture

Demotivators in international companies

Anchors

Fog

T1

T2

Motivator 1

Motivator 2

External factors

Demot. 1Demot. 2

Demot. 3

Demot. n

Demotivator types

Bureaucracy

Working in the “basket”

Working for the “trash can"

Metrics

Micromanagement

Context-switching

Disbelief/misunderstanding of the management/customer

…


Culture structure

Cultural

standards

Behavior

Culture productsBased on the

cultural standards

Mental standards, feelings

and perceptions that

control our behavior


Manners, customs,

music, architecture,

cuisine, etc.

“Typical west” and “typical east“

9.00“typical west” “typical east“ t

N


Historical background of cultural differences

Запад Восток

- The relative autonomy of social life

spheres (politics, economy, etc.).

- The presence of a single spiritual canon, which are

subject to all of the major areas of life.

- Innovation dedication, value of

everything new, orientation towards the

future (progressivism).

- Loyalty to the traditions; value of everything old,

time-honored; focus on the past (traditionalism).

- Activism, the desire to change reality - Contemplation, desire to surrender to the natural

course of things.

- Dominance of the individual above the

general.

- Dominance of the whole (total) over the individual.

- Rational, analytical, coherent thinking. - Imaginative, parable, aphoristic style of thinking.


Manifestations of cultural standards

Personal dominant Business dominant

1. Eye contact preferable, personal

conversation.

2. “I will do the job good, if I like

you”.

1. Usually contact without visual

acquaintance, on the known

functions and roles basis.

2. “I will like you, if you do the job

good.”

How to deal with such demotivator?

1. Add business context during the meetings, without personal and personality

assessments.

2. Agenda and a list of participants must be prepared for each meeting.

3. Staying within defined for the meeting topic, do not deviate.


Result: “There is no desire to work hard for the surly person, whom you haven't

seen in person before and whom there no personal contact with ."

Wide context Narrow context

1. Explicit communication - 30%.

Implicit - 70% (facial expressions,

gestures, intonation, eye contact).

Details are not

emphasized/discussed.

2. “Do not say 'no', but make ‘no’”.

1. Partner's feelings are not “read”.

Details discussion.

2. It is important “what will be done”

rather than “how it will be done.”


1. Clearly communicate the status and results, without fuzzy interpretations.

2. Clearly say “no”, argumenting the decision.

3. Communicate facts, not feelings.


Result: “Customer/partner does not understand us, it’s hard to find common

grounds”.


External control factors Internal control factors1. I’ll do something for someone, especially if

he/she is pleasant to me.

2. Time needed to get used to the idea.

3. “I'll tell you if you ask.”

4. Roles: moderator, director and controller

1. Self-control.

2. “I’ll tell you, before you ask”

3. Timely feedback on the request and/or

problem.

4. Roles: moderator, director, but not

controller,


1. To develop the in-person “controlling core”.

2. Timely report the problems/statuses.

3. Provide real task status.


Result: “The project is failed, the customer does not want to deal with us again” or

“Customer/partner constantly requests problem/task status, there is no time to

work!”.


Obscuring conflicts. Clarifying conflicts.

1. To hold on to the last, what leads to

unpredictable and long-term conflict.

2. Informal context is needed for the conflict

resolution.

1. The conflict is an opportunity to find a

solution. The sooner the conflict is

resolved, the sooner a solution is found.

2. Requires a formal context for the conflict

resolution.


1. Consider the conflicts correctly, i.e. to understand that the purpose of the

conflict is to find solution and to overcome the crisis.

2. Resolving of the conflicts in the formal context (should be part of the meeting

agenda) with the prepared logical, non-emotional arguments within the narrow

context.


Result: “Inadequate customer/partner: it is impossible to work with him!”


Conclusion

What we’ve learned today:

Demotivator types.

Cultural standards.

“Typical west” and “typical east“.

Historical background of cultural differences.

Manifestations of cultural standards:

personal vs. business dominant;

wide vs. narrow context;

external vs. internal control factors;

obscuring vs. clarifying conflicts.

Which demotivators lead the cultural differences to.

How to deal with them.


Do it Now!

Analyze yourself and your colleagues for the evidence of such demotivators.

Explain yourself and them where do they come from.

Understand your foreign colleagues/customers, identify the causes of misunderstanding.

Select interaction strategy.

Work up the courage and make an appointment:

With the prepared Agenda

With the list of necessary participants

Within the narrow business context

With specific topics for discussion

Without emotions and getting personal

Report your current status “as is”


Useful materials

Handbuch interkulturelle Kommunikation und Kooperation:

Grundlagen und Praxisfelder

Фирсов А.В., Фирсов Ю.Н. Особенности российского и западного менеджмента

Алистэр Коуберн. Люди как нелинейные и наиболее важные компоненты в создании программного обеспечения.


https://books.google.ru/books/about/Handbuch_interkulturelle_Kommunikation_u.html?id=Ya6MVDq8doMC&redir_esc=y

http://consulting.ru/econs_wp_6356

http://members.aol.com/acockburn

http://www.maxkir.com/sd/people_as_nonlinearRUS.htm

demotivators in intercultural companies (english version)

Self Improvement