CHAPTER 7
Aligning with Global Work
Many organizations and employees are finding that work is increasingly global in nature. This chapter provides recommendations for how to make global work effective, and how to provide work-life supports for more global types of work. It also addresses social networking as a tool for connecting employees and thus bringing work to life.
GLOBAL WORK, NEW DEMANDS
In my study of work-life supports, I find that when companies have a greater proportion of work that is global, they tend to be more amenable to providing work-life supports. There are a few reasons for this. When employees are working with individuals from other countries and time zones, companies—even those that consider themselves to be more traditional and less supportive of flexible work schedules—are forced to provide for a variety of working hours. The U.S. employee who is on a call with another region of the world at 9 p.m., or on a videoconference with another at 5 a.m., is no longer required to be in the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Global work also tends to support and catalyze the provision of more work-life supports because leaders learn about the work-life supports and integration available in other countries. In general, the United States has some of the most paltry federal supports for everything from parental leave to vacation benefits. Executives in my study report that as global work increases, the exposure to differences in countries’ policies does too. Sometimes this inspires leaders to make increasingly convincing business cases for enhanced leave or improved vacation allotments using the ammunition of other countries’ policies and the results they achieve. Brent is a senior leader with a manufacturing company. He says, “We are experiencing a shift where we have almost as many workers in Asia as we do in the United States, and the workforce in Asia is a stronger proponent of work-life support than we are in the U.S. and they’re going to help the rest of the company acclimate to that environment.”
Effective global work requires new skill sets and approaches, and developing these can be demanding. For some, global working may be perceived as a significant set of demands without enough rewards in the “plus” column of the personal balance sheet. Given that one of the ways to provide support for work and life is to reduce the perception of demands, providing effective leadership and systems can be an effective way to offer work-life supports. Some companies are offering training on culture sensitivity. They are providing online and classroom-based learning on the nuances between cultures in order to make working between cultures easier. Other companies are offering foreign language training.
WORK-LIFE SUPPORTS FOR GLOBAL WORK
One company with which I consulted was implementing a new process that required teammates in the United States and Mexico to regularly interact and travel between countries. In order to facilitate what would be a multi-year process, the company ordered language training DVDs for employees so the English-speakers could learn Spanish and the Spanish-speakers could learn English. Even if employees did not become fluent in the teammates’ language, they had an increased understanding of the vocabulary. When the Mexico team was hiring new employees for the project, language skills were paramount, and the U.S. team participated in the interviewing process in order to help evaluate the candidate’s proficiency.
When teammates had to travel between the U.S. and Mexico, the company paid for one additional day of travel for each of the team members. U.S. employees enjoyed tours of Mexico’s historic and government districts and extensive art museums. Employees from Mexico visiting the U.S. attended a hockey game. They also visited one of the more northern U.S. sites in January and were able to experience snow for the first time. There were also a few teammates who also set up informal lunchtime phone conversations in which they attempted to speak exclusively in either English or Spanish and learn through this immersion. They discussed aspects of their personal lives as a means of enhancing their vocabulary and language skills. The company also instituted weekly conference calls to ensure that the team stayed connected. The calls were successful in keeping the lines of communication open, so there were fewer misunderstandings in translation. All of these tactics were in service to a strategic goal of supporting employees through the work and contributing to a capacity to work across borders. A situation that could have yielded tremendous stress instead became the context for new and fulfilling experiences and relationships among team members.
Work-life supports for employees who work with global clients or teammates may also be provided in the form of flexible working hours or technology that enables employees to work from home. Employees should be able to call in to conference lines using a local 800 number or using a phone with global capabilities. Employees who must use videoconferencing should be able to do so from a laptop computer equipped with a camera to enable a quality videoconference.
MANAGEMENT APPROACHES TO WORK-LIFE SUPPORTS
Another way to provide work-life supports is through leadership and management approaches that make working globally more effective. A couple of years ago, I worked with a global company that supplied well-known consumer goods. Its growth strategy was to acquire and also build capability outside the United States. In particular, it had established a branch of its organization in India. Despite the fact that the employees in India were regular full time employees of the organization, many in the U.S. did not think of them as members of the same organization. Instead, they tended to think of them as members of a totally different organization at odds with the parent organization.
Realizing this was a problem, we took some specific steps to unite the entire organization. These were strategies to provide work-life supports, making global work not only more manageable but more fulfilling in terms of the relationships that were fostered:
• First, we clarified direction, expectations, and business literacy. The company’s leadership clearly identified locations outside the U.S. as full members in the business and set expectations for a global team. Leaders regularly reported on all the global locations. They kept these locations visible to all employees at monthly all-employee business meetings.
• We established a U.S. leadership sponsor for each of the India counterpart departments (finance, design, engineering, customer service). This leader’s role was to ensure success for that portion of the India contingent and hold those in the U.S. accountable for success.
• Next, we addressed concerns of job security. We were clear with U.S. employees, educating them on the international growth strategy and clarifying how a strong global organization would translate to a strong organization in the U.S.—one in which jobs were more secure, not less secure. There was one department in the U.S. that was under consideration to be shifted off shore, and we worked with that department directly and honestly, helping them understand which jobs would be affected, which wouldn’t be affected, and what options were available to those whose jobs would likely be affected.
• We also ensured that all portions of the organization shared a common purpose and goals. We asked both the U.S. and the India teams to participate in articulating and shaping these. We did this through joint development sessions in which we facilitated dialogue via videoconference.
• Additionally, we did some problem solving with the team. We discovered that certain functions were working well across borders—specifically, engineering and some design functions. For the functions that were working less well—in particular, one of the financial functions—we pointed out the differences and reminded them of the accountability the entire team had for success.
• We created standards for the work that needed to be accomplished. One of the more troubling points of resistance to the India team’s success on the part of the U.S. team was a belief that their work wasn’t up to the quality levels of the U.S. team. Because of this, we increased the training available to the India team and created standards so that both teams were using the same playbook.
• We established specific lines of communication between the U.S. team and the India team. We established an every-other-week phone meeting in which we discussed what was working, what wasn’t working, and what we could continuously improve and work on together. We kept the meeting to thirty minutes and worked efficiently so that it wasn’t perceived as a burden, and was instead seen as a quick, effective way to communicate and accomplish work together. We also emphasized the use of e-mail communication between teammates so that accents wouldn’t be a hindrance to understanding. For communication that had to be verbal, we established an 800 number. We didn’t want anyone to say, “I didn’t know how to call them.” Instead, we wanted coworkers to pick up the phone and speak with one another in order to achieve common objectives.
• Additionally, and this was perhaps most important, we called people by their names. We reinforced that all the team members were people with identities. Instead of a team on the other side of the world that was a monolith made up of foreigners, we ensured that every employee knew the names of those with whom she was working across borders. Instead of the “India team” or the “United States team,” teammates became Aditi, Anita, Reah, Renee, Kirti, Mike, Raj, Devon, Rakesh, Tammy, and Omkar.
• Finally, we held people accountable. We added teamwork to the expectations we set as performance goals and identified constructive work as a point of accountability. After all, “what gets rewarded gets done” and this was no exception. We recognized the team and celebrated their accomplishments.
Figure 7-1 Global Team
Has it worked? Absolutely. Teams are working well together and productivity among the teams is at an all-time high. Positive feedback from customers is also at record levels. The teams have challenges, of course, but they now have communication channels and mechanisms to work through the challenges. One of the measures of success is satisfaction scores. Those working on these teams feel more satisfied and report less stress than they did a year before the changes, and this has made a big difference in reducing the overall demands they perceived. The provision of work-life supports reduces the perception of demand and increases the perception of capacity, and these tactics were effective in bringing work to life in the context of global efforts.
THE CONNECTION TO SOCIAL NETWORKING
Global work is also related to social networking. Specifically, social networking via Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or other platforms can serve the purposes of helping employees connect and develop relationships, find others with common interests or competencies to collaborate on tasks, or even take a break from work in order to refresh and regroup. The reason social networking emerges especially in global companies is that their employees are often working with one another more virtually and less face to face. As a result, they must find ways to connect personally that are not dependent on running into each other at the coffee machine in the morning. Global working generally drives leaders to manage employees for the results they create, instead of their presence in the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Global companies tend to be more open to employees’ use of social networking sites to collaborate virtually. Social networking has also become a way in which many workers stay in touch with other elements of their lives during the workday. Sometimes it is the primary vehicle for connecting with another mom to RSVP for her son’s birthday party—through Facebook’s message feature—or checking in on a teenage daughter’s evening plans via her Twitter feed. A LinkedIn discussion group may be a vehicle for solving a problem or obtaining information. One study of investment traders found that those who learned from the input of the network achieved the highest returns on their investments.1 The network can have real benefits in getting work done effectively.
Social networking may also provide a brain break from an intensive project. Sometimes it offers a gateway to supportive family or friends on a hard day. Whether employees are using social networking to connect with one another and accomplish tasks, or are checking personal social networking sites during working hours, access to social networks is essentially helping to reduce the perception of demands and increase perceptions of capacity by providing support for getting these types of activities done. Kevin Knebl, social networking guru and coauthor of The Social Media Sales Revolution, believes that social networking is integral to the way we work and the way we relate to others (see my interview with Kevin Knebl).
Work-Life Supports and Social Networking: An Interview with Kevin Knebl
Kevin Knebl is coauthor of The Social Media Sales Revolution: The New Rules for Finding Customers, Building Relationships, and Closing More Sales Through Online Networking (McGraw-Hill), as well as a contributing author of Learn Marketing with Social Media in Seven Days (Wiley). He is the most recommended business speaker in the world and he speaks, trains, and coaches internationally on social selling, relationship marketing, networking, LinkedIn, and personal development.
What is the relationship between social networking and work-life supports?
KK: The world is more interconnected and hyper-caffeinated than it ever has been. If you think back to the ‘80s and ‘90s, work life and personal life were more separate. With the world of Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms, the line isn’t blurred anymore, it doesn’t even exist. The question is, “Does an individual have enough common sense in their professional life to be sure they’re not overstepping the boundaries?” Generation Y and Z and whatever is next are so used to being connected that the skill is to set a line in the sand. It is hard to separate work from life. In our 24–7, 365 society with electronics and cell and Skype, it isn’t work-life balance, it’s the balance of overall life, and work is just a part of it. It’s easy to teach people about the bells and whistles of social media, but I remind people to enjoy their life. Using social media, they can add value to others in so many ways. At work, we don’t turn off the person.
How does social networking add value to people’s lives?
KK: We’re wired to connect from the moment we are born. No one is wired to be Tom Hanks on an island with a volleyball named Wilson. Through social media we now have the ability to connect with anyone on earth. Every human with a cell phone is a media company. We can add value to others through these channels in many ways, financially, spiritually … like mosquitoes in a nudist colony of opportunity. Social media shows us that we’re so much more alike than different. For example, we may work at different companies and live in different states but we all love and appreciate our families, and this is what we post on Facebook. Social media breaks down the barriers between people. It shows us that we’re more alike than different. It opens lines of communications between people. Social media enables us to connect more and it facilitates relationships.
What are our responsibilities as they relate to social media?
KK: In some ways, it’s the same as what we learned from our parents and grandparents years ago. For example, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” The way we were raised at home has a ripple effect in the way we function in the world. The values we were raised with affect us. You can’t outrun your character. If you’re a jerk, you’ll leave a wake of jerkiness behind you. With social media, a jerk is still a jerk, it’s just that more people know it now. With social media, we all live in glass houses. You can’t legislate morality or etiquette, so a good rule is to leave the world better than you found it. We all have an impact on everyone else whether we realize it or not, and we need to treat that with a level of responsibility. The Dalai Lama says, “My religion is kindness.” I agree with this. It would be great if we could all just be a little nicer. The challenge with social media is, there is no context. Because of this, we need to err on the side of being kind, because posts can be taken the wrong way. We are responsible for what we say and do, both online and offline.
What is the role of social media in the work environment?
KK: It can add value to the end customer and internal employees. Think of birthdays. If we’re friends on Facebook and I know it’s your birthday, now I can wish you a happy birthday. Or I can wish you a happy work anniversary based on LinkedIn. I can pay it forward and add value in so many ways. It can help employee morale and retention. Externally, it can help with customer service. It can also help a company monitor the competition and see new opportunities. Both internally and externally, it can help increase the effectiveness of teams and strategic partnerships and alliances.
What are the trends regarding companies’ adoption rates for social media?
KK: I’m seeing increased adoption of LinkedIn and Facebook and Twitter by organizations. Even the more traditional companies are figuring out that these tools can be helpful to them. In addition, the way they respond and whether they allow employees to use the tools sends a message about whether they respect and want to empower employees. If a company doesn’t allow employees to use social media, it quickly sends a message that they don’t trust employees to communicate to the world, and this can lead to a disengaged employee. My experience in business is that the tone is set from the top—from senior management and chief executives. They don’t have to be experts with social media. They can accept the tools and empower the organization or they can pretend the tools don’t exist. The little things CEOs do have a ripple effect. This happens through their attitudes and how they interact and what is tolerated or not and how they treat people. We need to have empowering environments in this interconnected world. We have a tremendous opportunity to create great relationships.
Are there particular guidelines you recommend?
KK: Companies just have to be cognizant of the communication tools and provide guidelines for using social media. The guidelines create the environment for employees to build strong relationships. The right guidelines all depend on your company’s size, industry, and other factors. It doesn’t have to be a fifty-page edict, but things like “never respond negatively to customers,” “never criticize each other publically,” “never air dirty laundry,” “always be polite and positive,” “always take the high road,” are good examples.
Any final words on social media?
KK: Social media at its core is about relationships. The more enlightened organizations will use it to empower and strengthen their employees and their relationships.
Companies that do not already allow employees to spend time on social networking during working hours are sometimes concerned with employees taking advantage of the system. Unfortunately, there will be some who will. Most won’t, however. One of my first jobs was chairperson of one of the company’s “equity committees.” The equity committees were our answer to dealing with issues of fairness and policy. The committees provided a vehicle for employees to voice concerns in a representative system through which the committee members could process policies and issues. There was a committee for each part of the business with an overall committee for the company as a whole. Each committee met monthly and was made up of representatives from all functional groups within that part of the business.
Nick was a long-term employee who had been with the company for more than forty years. He had a vast network across the organization. Beyond Nick’s tenure and job, he was vastly networked because he was a good listener, easy to talk to, and patient. When he offered his response to a problem, he usually approached it from an angle that was new or unconsidered, so chatting with Nick always helped us think differently. One day, in an equity committee meeting, we were debating whether we should adopt a new policy that would impose greater controls on employees. Nick listened through the debate. Then he spoke up and asked us whether we were creating policies for 95 percent or 5 percent of employees. His argument was that 95 percent of the people would do the right thing because it was the right thing to do. Only 5 percent of the people wouldn’t do the right thing.
Companies should create policies for the majority of the people who want to do the right thing. Expect the best and create rules, policies, and guidelines that are liberating and provide the broad outlines of expectation, rather than creating policies that seek to control every detail of an employee’s work. For some leaders, a point of resistance to work-life supports is that people will take advantage. They’re worried about the minority of people who cannot be trusted. To think as Nick did, it is best to create approaches that serve the majority. Some employees may take advantage of social networking options or work flexibility, but in general, you’ll win because 95 percent of your employees will set the bar by performing well and by doing the right thing.
Global work has shifted realities for many workers by requiring new hours, new types of communication, and new problem-solving skills. When organizations provide work-life supports in the form of many different solutions—flexibility of working hours, language development, travel time, social networking—they provide for an employee experience that is positive. With this positive experience, employees contribute to the organization and the outcomes they are expected to accomplish. Companies are also wise to create solutions that serve the majority of people who want to do a good job and make a positive contribution.