Penetrating barriers: communicating clearly in the international organization

Communication World, June-July, 2003 by Keith S. Collins

Early in its efforts to develop operations in Eastern Europe, a multinational manufacturer found it was having problems with employee performance. After deciding that the sticking point was the company's risk-taking culture, which required employees to act and communicate without fear, new recruits were told they had two years to make reasonable mistakes and learn from them before they would be held accountable. The relaxed atmosphere was a boon to internal communication and productivity.

When a company gets to the point where it can adapt its corporate culture chameleon-like to any national culture, it has built a foundation for good international communication.

Wal-Mart is an example. The company, which depends heavily on enthusiastic employees for its success, makes sure that every new worker in China has "face"--that within the vast Wal-Mart operation, he or she feels individually important. Stephen Drake, a consultant to the company during its entry into China, says Wal-Mart had a distinct advantage over competitors that didn't acknowledge the importance of personal respect in the Chinese culture.

Restless: A restless company may feel like a place where one's job is never secure, but for the right people, such a company can be exciting and will encourage the spread of new ideas.

BP aims to be "the magnet for people who want to change the world with new ideas." An organization that tries to bring out the best in people by never being satisfied with mediocrity will attract the kind of employees who are eager to work and communicate with each other.

Inclusive: A key to inclusiveness is a common set of values. Values communicate oneness at a more powerful level than the intellect. Hassan Tavakoli, Motorola's vice president and regional corporate director for the Middle East and Africa, believes Motorola has been successful in creating good international communication because of the importance the company places on consistency of values. "We pursue being a local company with the mother company values," he says.

Which values? It doesn't really matter, as long as they nurture the highest qualities in people and the organization.

LEADERSHIP: 'WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH'

One memorable example of a manager with vision was an Australian executive with Citibank in Moscow. He was a prophetic leader, a term borrowed from religious writers--one who leads through a vision of the most profound possibilities of an organization and its people. He never wavered in his faith that Russians are as capable as anyone of performing at high standards, and the result was a unity of spirit that created tremendous energy and seamless communication.

Prophetic leaders are needed in the corporate community, and they can help their organizations and employees become part of a greater good. Upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2001, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan defined the vision required to lift the world above a future of endless conflict: "If, today...we see better, and we see further, we will realize that humanity is indivisible."