Are your people globally minded or globally effective?

Technological, political and sociological changes are accelerating the impact of globalisation, from the impending Asean Economic Community to social media. Any reasonable-sized business must see itself as a global business now, and recognise that it needs people with the capabilities to thrive in this environment throughout the business at home and (where appropriate) abroad. 

So the next logical question should be, what qualities must these people possess? Excellent work has been done on this subject, and research is broadly consistent in suggesting three core components of what is often referred to as “global mindset”, which are:

Business understanding. This is a matter of understanding how business works internationally and having the cognitive horsepower to operate in that environment. Business on a global scale is more complex, with many more variables than in a national economy. Having the capabilities to process numerical and textual data, to make sense of seemingly unrelated and complex data sets, to see a wider and deeper perspective, and to show and encourage an openness to ideas are all core traits of the globally capable person.

Social effectiveness. Social and interpersonal skills are a universally valuable capability, but obviously they are priceless in a global context, particularly if a person is actually being posted overseas. However, it’s not simply a question of social confidence; it’s a question of balancing social extroversion with empathy, sensitivity, tact and diplomacy. It’s more a matter of being genuinely interested in people, of wanting to understand, learn and collaborate. 

Global outlook. Possessing global outlook is a blend of cultural curiosity, resilience and optimism with a knowledge of global events and trends. It is a matter of being interested in the world around you, being comfortable with the ambiguity inherent in exploring it, and being active in learning what one can and broadening one’s outlook and knowledge. 

The above three criteria are, I believe, fundamental building blocks to global effectiveness; however, I also believe that there is an important criteria set missing from the above structure from a business perspective. I believe it would be perfectly possible to possess what we may term a global mindset without necessarily contributing meaningfully to organisational success. This is why I prefer the term and the concept of “global effectiveness”, which includes a measure of Organisational Impact. After all, in business, we don’t merely want people who are interested in the world, smart, and interpersonally and culturally sensitive; we want people who leverage those capabilities to get things done. To recognise this performance aspect, I add the element of Organisational Impact to the model:

Organisational Impact. Working remotely, working across cultures, and working with multiple stakeholders with diverse agendas requires an even greater level of motivation, persistence and downright stubbornness to keep moving forward than working within the comfort of one’s own country and culture. Organisational Impact is about possessing the natural drive and desire for success, the ability to excite others, to motivate and influence, to find the energy to overcome obstacles and the courage and trust to delegate, to empower, and to show accountability for outcomes. 

So, to return to my headline question, what kind of people do you want working in and leading your organisation: people who are merely globally minded or people who are globally effective? Globalisation is nothing new but its increasing scope and impact are set to transform the business landscape in the near future. Perhaps now is the time to change how you look at the people your organisation needs to meet that transformation and to focus on effectiveness.

 

Richard Gilman, practice group leader, APMGroup, can be contacted at [email protected].