Hi! Managers: Cultivating a global mindset

Generally, this was true, and may well still be true, of many multinationals. Someone from the multinational’s home country may be more familiar with the culture of the company, especially the internal procedures, policies and politics of the company. He or she is often “known” by senior management and is, therefore, more predictable in terms of his/her performance and judgement. He or she may have extensive knowledge of the company’s core technology or proprietary information that is being implemented in the invested country. He or she may also be perceived to be more loyal to the company, being linked (by contract, networks) to the company’s head office.
However, the main reason multinationals invest and operate in another country is to grasp the business opportunities in such country. Increasingly, companies recognise that business objectives may be more effectively achieved by putting local employees in leadership positions; they are more familiar with the local business environment, culture and practices and can tap into the local network. Also increasingly, it is not sufficient for such local employees merely to be familiar with the local business environment; they must also be able to operate in a global environment, across different cultures and with a strong awareness of diversity in different countries and markets. This is because multinationals, by definition, span different countries, and local country heads must understand the impact that developments in other countries may have on local business. They must be able to observe and interpret such developments intelligently, and react appropriately and quickly. In addition, they often need to manage information flow effectively across borders and between people with different backgrounds, and ensure smooth coordination amongst colleagues in different business and regulatory environments.
Colleagues who can operate in this way are often said to have a “global mindset”. The Financial Times defines “global mindset” as “one that combines an openness to, and awareness of, diversity across cultures and markets with a propensity and ability to see common patterns across countries and markets. In a company with a global mindset, people view cultural and geographical diversity as opportunities to exploit and are prepared to adopt successful practices and good ideas wherever they come from.” Such mindset is particularly vital in Thailand where many jobs are related to international trade (within or beyond Asean) and export businesses. Such interface with other countries will only increase, especially with the Asean Economic Community in 2015, making Thailand more sensitive to developments in other countries and globally. Our managers must have the skills to handle such upcoming changes. With increased business opportunities comes a greater need for our managers to develop a “global mindset”.
Many multinationals have made the cultivation of more international managers a high priority. It is important that the manager is able to speak at least one other language, preferably English. Good English communications skills are critical in order for managers to interact with colleagues from different backgrounds and perform their jobs effectively. In addition, the manager must shed his or her “unicultural lens”. According to Mansour Javidan at the Thunderbird Global Mindset institute, “unicultural lenses” are developed by people when learning to work with others who are like them. Such a lens is used by such people to understand and interpret their surroundings but becomes an obstacle when used with people who are different from them and who have different cultural lenses.
According to Javidan, a global mindset requires three sets of capital:
-intellectual capital (knowledge of global industries, understanding complex global issues, cosmopolitan outlook and cultural acumen);
-psychological capital (passion for learning about, respect for and open attitudes toward diverse cultures; curiosity, confidence, quest for adventure, self-assurance);
-social capital (intercultural empathy, interpersonal impact to develop new relationships, diplomacy and leadership skills to mobilise others).

Companies need to provide our employees with opportunities to develop a global mindset. Most companies resort to long-term overseas assignments but this alone is not sufficient. Other activities are helpful, eg seminars and training programmes, short-term international assignments, cross-border job swaps, assignments to multicultural project teams or task forces, bringing diverse cultural elements into the local workforce, and mentoring programmes.
The Asean bloc will continue to be amongst the world’s fastest-growing economies. Such growth will require a talent pool of managers with global mindsets now and in the coming years. It is imperative that we prepare our employees for the challenges ahead.

Celina Chew is senior Bayer representative for the Country Group North Asean and the managing director of Bayer Thai.