Introduction

Donna Steffey

When I stepped out of the airport, everything was unfamiliar: the sounds of the taxis and blaring sirens off in the distance, the bright colors on billboards with words I couldn’t understand, the unusual aromas in the air. All of it was exhilarating. When you say yes to new and different training opportunities in unfamiliar countries, you can explore new cultures, share unforgettable experiences, and be inspired by people from different countries eager to learn and share their customs.

If you are a local practitioner working for a multinational organization who designs for or delivers training to learners from around the world in the face-to-face classroom, you are working in a global classroom. However, not all talent development professionals relish waiting in long airport lines, living out of a carry-on suitcase, or being away from their families for extended periods. In today’s world, you don’t have to pack luggage to experience different cultures and people. If you design or deliver online learning for participants within a multinational organization, you are also working in a global classroom. Whenever we work in global classrooms, the opportunity for misunderstandings and cultural mistakes increases, which can interfere with learning transfer.

As a talent development professional, I made the choice years ago to seek out the adventure of training abroad. The opportunities can be stimulating, enriching, educational—and challenging. More than once I was caught up, unintentionally, in a whirlpool of cultural faux pas. One time it was as simple as dropping chopsticks and having the manager replace each person’s eating utensils with forks. Another time, placing the wrong football image in my slides caused the class discussion to derail. Maybe the worst mistake was grossly misquoting a famous national author, which brought a burst of laughter from the crowd and embarrassment to me.

There are two great ways to gain knowledge to avoid mistakes: Experience the challenges and learn the lessons yourself, or learn from the experiences of others. Destination Facilitation brings together a team of talent development professionals to share their knowledge and wisdom to guide others toward productive training results. They are explorers, people-lovers, and master trainers who have all facilitated in multiple countries. This book compares needs assessments, design processes, facilitation, and classroom management techniques in different countries. Our goal: to give you the confidence and knowledge to say “yes” when opportunities to design and deliver training for people in another country arise, without having to worry about inciting an international incident.

And that starts with developing a global mindset.

Global Mindset Behaviors

The world seems to be getting smaller and more similar. Starbucks, McDonald’s, and a Disney store are in just about every corner of the world. It is easy to forget, with KFC in 125 countries, whether you are ordering food in Beijing, Bangalore, or Buenos Aires. People may enjoy the same foods, but that does not mean that the same techniques, language, sense of humor, and learning styles work everywhere.

Who would think that to call someone “sir”—a polite and respectful way of addressing a man in many cultures—would be wrong in Oman? Hamza Taqi, a trainer from Kuwait, found this out while conducting a DiSC Communication workshop with a group of senior leaders in a prestigious government entity in Oman. One of the leaders asked for permission to speak. Hamza gestured with an open hand and said, “Please, sir.” The room grew quiet and uncomfortable. Participants looked at each other and shared awkward smiles. The person who asked to speak blushed. Hamza had no idea what he had just said to change the mood and make his learners feel uncomfortable. During the break, Hamza asked what he had done wrong. A participant informed him that the title sir was used only for a member of the royal family. A title of respect that Hamza showed to all his students across the globe did not work in Oman. (Read more about his experiences in chapter 1.)

But knowing a list of protocols to follow and the taboos to sidestep in each country is not enough to help avoid international miscommunications and awkwardness. Nor is knowledge of different cultures sufficient information to create a positive learning environment for knowledge transfer to occur. It is important to be open to feedback when working internationally to notice the awkwardness of a situation and make adjustments.

The Thunderbird School of Global Management defines global mindset as, “A set of attributes that helps people work better with individuals and organizations unlike themselves. It is the ability to understand the similarities and differences among cultures and not be paralyzed by the complexity of the differences. It is about being comfortable with being uncomfortable in different environments” (Herbert 2000).

David Livermore, president of the Cultural Intelligence Center in East Lansing, Michigan, and author of 10 books on global leadership, is an expert on the topic of global mindset, or “cultural intelligence” (CQ) as he refers to it. He defines CQ as “the capability to function effectively in a variety of cultural contexts including national, ethnic, organizational and generational” (Livermore 2011). He has worked with leaders in more than 100 countries and surveyed more than 50,000 people from every major industry and region of the world on the topic of CQ (Ang and Van Dyne 2008, 3). He used this information to create a model for better understanding global mindset or CQ (henceforth, we will use the terms interchangeably)—a set of competencies to be taught, developed, and measured. The CQ model is a new tool for approaching cultural sensitivity, racism, and cross-border effectiveness, and discovering what unites us as people rather than what separates us.

CQ consists of four interdependent competencies: drive, knowledge, strategy, and action.

CQ Drive: The Interest, Confidence, and Impetus to Adapt

Drive is the motivation behind CQ. It is about having the ambition and energy needed to persevere throughout the challenges and conflicts that come with intercultural work. Patience, flexibility, resilience, and tolerance of ambiguity are critical components of CQ drive. Drive also includes the enjoyment you experience from culturally diverse situations, as well as the tangible benefits and confidence gained from being in intercultural encounters.

My first trips abroad involved teaching for three weeks in the United Kingdom, traveling by train across England, Scotland, and Wales. I had the motivation for a first international assignment, but meeting and teaching new people each day, dragging luggage around a new country, and planning food, transportation, and lodging before GPS and cell phones all proved to be too much. It started as an exciting adventure but ended with frustration, stress, and illness. Completely exhausted, I wept openly on a train leaving London’s Paddington Station during rush hour. Be sure to try that maneuver if you need to empty out a train in England, where public displays of emotion are not culturally acceptable. I wish I could tell you the trip was a complete success, but it was not.

Having the drive to do international work is not enough. It takes more.

CQ Knowledge: Understanding Intercultural Norms and Differences

CQ knowledge is the extent to which an individual understands the role culture plays in influencing how people think and behave. Culture is the deeply rooted patterns of values, customs, attitudes, and beliefs that distinguish one group from another. Having a familiarity and awareness of how cultures are similar or different is CQ knowledge. Gaining the knowledge needed to function with someone from a different culture enhances global mindset.

CQ Strategy: Being Aware of Culturally Diverse Situations and Planning Accordingly

It is great to have the drive and desire to work cross-culturally, and it makes sense to gain knowledge and understanding of another culture to be aware of the similarities and differences. However, we must be able to use our drive and knowledge to manage expected and unexpected situations adeptly. CQ strategy is about planning, when the needs assessment and thorough design outline become essential. Many international projects require us to work in different workspaces, at an inconsistent pace, and maybe in a different time zone. Very often we do not have time for reflection and to adjust our behaviors. Having a plan going into a new situation is important. Reflecting and tweaking our plan as we become immersed in the new experiences is demonstrating a global mindset.

When Kedar Vashi, from India, was invited to work in China for a second time, he had the drive and cultural knowledge from his first trip, so he was feeling confident. To Kedar’s surprise, the new group was a close one, comfortable working with one another, who spoke only a little English. Kedar became reserved and formal and maintained his distance from the group. Participants offered polite smiles in response to his awkwardness. They chatted away in a language of which he understood not a word. Each time they giggled, he suspected that they’d made some snide remarks about him.

That night Kedar reflected on his experiences. He needed a strategy. Between formal and informal communication, there is a huge space called normal. So while he would still not feel comfortable being informal with them, he could at least try to be normal, like how he would be with someone new in his own office.

The next day, as people walked in, Kedar gave them a big smile, extended his hand, and said hello. At first, participants were surprised and a bit awkward. By lunchtime, Kedar decided to be a bit adventurous and join them for a Chinese lunch instead of a separate vegetarian continental lunch. When one of the participants offered Kedar a Coke, he knew his strategy was working. (Read more about his experiences in chapter 6.)

CQ Action: Using Verbal and Nonverbal Actions Correctly

CQ action is about selecting the proper measures in a culturally diverse situation. A person with a global mindset learns which actions will, and will not, improve effectiveness. Being self-aware, knowledgeable yet flexible, and able to adjust behavior quickly when the reality of the specific cultural contexts changes is important.

When Bahaa Hussein, from Egypt, was asked to teach a program in Pakistan, he was cautious to ask the right audience needs assessment questions. His first questions were about the English proficiency of the learners, because Pakistanis mainly speak Urdu. He was told that his participants understood English, which was good news.

Training with the first group on day one went fine. But there was a big surprise on day two—the second group of participants was passive, with very limited response to the engagement questions and almost zero interaction. About an hour into the presentation, Bahaa realized that the learners weren’t shy. The problem was that they could not understand him, so he had to adjust his plan. He called for a break and invited an attendee from day one, who spoke both languages, to be his translator and co-facilitator. Instantly, the engagement level peaked. The pace of the session slowed down. Bahaa had selected the correct actions to improve the effectiveness of his training for this culturally diverse situation. (Read more about Bahaa’s experiences in chapter 10.)

Dan DeRoche, a trainer from Canada, had a similar situation, but chose different actions. He went to China on his first international assignment. Dan’s Canadian co-facilitator had done the audience needs assessment and learned that participants were fluent in English. Unfortunately, it turned out that the participants were not fluent. With no translator available, Dan called for a break. His team quickly simplified the language on their slides, thought of analogies to use for some of the more complex issues, agreed to slow down their speech, and incorporated more table group discussions. The session was slowed down, but participants recognized and appreciated the adjustments. (Read more about Dan’s experiences in chapter 4.)

Both trainers incorporated the CQ competencies and demonstrated a global mindset. They had the drive for cross-cultural training, gained knowledge of the culture they were working in, created a training design plan based on a thorough needs analysis, and adjusted their actions to accommodate their learners.

Benefits of a Global Mindset

Multinational corporations employ millions of people around the world. Fortune 500 companies expect their growth to come not from domestic markets but from emerging markets. The potential talent pool of workers will come from there as well (Livermore and Van Dyne 2015). In today’s environment, people are required to work with colleagues from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, making the workplace more complex, vibrant, and competitive. Understanding other cultures helps shape communication effectiveness in the workplace and influences how we handle conflict and make team decisions. The confluence of customer diversity and workplace diversity requires a culturally intelligent approach to talent development. And yet, a recent study done by the Economist Intelligence Unit (2014) found that 70 percent of international operations fail because of cultural differences.

Organizations need talent development professionals who can design and adapt learning content to meet the needs of increasingly diverse workforces. A diverse staff provides local insights into the intentions and concerns of a broad customer base. In today’s globalized world, a global mindset is a necessary tool for every talent development professional who deals with diverse teams of employees, customers, partners, or government regulations.

The more someone demonstrates a global mindset, the more likely they are to outperform others, gain new opportunities, and experience success working in a global context. One reason for this is because individuals with a global mindset are less likely to experience burnout from their intercultural work, so they can maintain higher energy while presenting. They adjust more easily to shifting expectations and demands when working with culturally diverse colleagues face-to-face or virtually.

A global mindset allows talent development professionals to be role models. Whether they are designing an internal workshop on leading with cultural intelligence or facilitating a webinar on how to work with global teams, their global mindset will be evident. With a global mindset, talent development professionals understand the perspectives and priorities of training requesters from other regions and can develop mutually acceptable, tailored training solutions.

Deniz Şenelt Kalelioğlu, from Turkey, is an example of someone who decided to develop her global mindset. She always had a curiosity about new people and new places; “go for it” has been a long-standing career motto for her. In the last 12 years, Deniz has traveled to 80 regions of the world, delivering training in nearly 30 countries and reaching more than 100 nationalities. Deniz says that when she puts a country or international conference on her goal list, she learns as much as she can about that region’s culture. She then creates a strategy for using social media and her global network to meet decision makers from that area. Then the real assessing and planning begin as Deniz creates just the right training program for her client. Deniz’s career has soared with this strategy. She has a worldwide network of friends and colleagues. More important are the participant’s lives she has touched with the wisdom she shares. (Read more about her experiences in chapter 14.)

Claudia Salazar, a trainer from Colombia, realized she committed a nonverbal gaffe during a train-the-trainer class she attended as a participant. Claudia describes the workshop as like the International Space Center, with 14 participants from eight countries. The learners bonded and shared meals. The final day of class ended with a pair-share walkabout. In Claudia’s Latin style, she started the walk with a warm cheek-kiss greeting, hung on the arm of her Asian partner, and expressed sincere regards. Her Asian partner stiffened up and became quiet and nervous. Fortunately, both people had high CQ. When Claudia noticed his nonverbal responses, she asked him to explain the cultural differences. Both made nonverbal adjustments and remain friends to this day. (Read more about her experiences in chapter 9.)

Apply Global Mindset to the Classroom

When a talent development professional develops a global mindset, it becomes easier to demonstrate respect while navigating the global classroom. Here is a taste of some tips for applying a global mindset to the classroom:

Use International English when designing and delivering training. International English is free from slang, idioms, and references that only people from one country might understand. Include photos and images that are familiar to the audience. Explain all acronyms. Don’t assume that because you all work for the same organization that all participants understand the abbreviations. Cultural self-awareness will enable you to be alert to your vernacular. Consider having your materials and delivery reviewed by a local expert.

Vary the timing of training delivery. Unfortunately, one time does not fit all globally. With online programs, there will be inconvenient times for the participants or instructor. Be flexible with delivery times to be fair. Consider delivering the same online class twice. Also, keep in mind holidays, break times, and even what constitutes a “weekend” across the globe. The website www.worldtimeserver.com can help.

Conduct a thorough audience needs analysis. When working with a globally diverse group, be sure to ask many questions about the audience, including English competency. Also, increase CQ knowledge by learning as much as you can about the cultures of the people who will be attending training.

Include opening icebreakers to get to know participants. Participants will want to get to know you too, but it’s not just about background information. They’ll also want to become familiar with the pace and cadence of your speaking voice. CQ strategy involves our ability to be self-aware, adjust to feedback, and flex our actions. It’s important to establish trust early in training—that way, participants are comfortable with giving feedback so we can modify our behavior.

Recently, I trained in Argentina. Suggesting that participants provide feedback about my speaking pace did not guarantee they would be comfortable offering feedback. Our icebreaker involved everyone standing with their eyes closed and holding a piece of colorful paper. The instructions told participants to tear off pieces of paper to make matching snowflakes. The communication used included talking too fast, using fake words, being vague, and even whispering. We all laughed at the end as we saw our unique creations. The debrief was to create a list of all the communication errors, including participants not asking questions. Our colorful snowflakes became a tool throughout the four-day course. When they needed the pace slowed, something explained further, or just to take a break, they waved the snowflake.

How to Use This Book

Destination Facilitation is set up like a travel guide. You will find “packing tips” for bringing along a global mindset to help you prepare for the adventure ahead. Each chapter is written by an author who represents an excellent example of how to pack a global mindset. Collectively, these writers—from 15 nations—have taught in 150 countries and speak 33 languages. These talent development professionals include e-learning and technical experts, coaches, consultants, instructional designers, professors, and training directors.

There are two specific traits shared among this group of bold international collaborators. First, they are each driven by a passion for helping their organizations grow through helping others learn. Second, they have a global mindset, as demonstrated by their ability to foster connections with colleagues from around the globe in a way that transcends cultural differences and builds trust.

Review best practices in chapter 1 as you traverse the training landscape. We have found that these techniques work around the globe if you simply apply a little “local flair.” Enjoy the hidden gems that only locals know about how to use humor, body language, and activities to engage learners so that they can apply knowledge and skills back on the job.

The individual country chapters all follow a similar model:

• People and Culture: Get to Know Your Audience

• Getting Started: Conduct a Needs Assessment

• Itineraries: Plan the Learning Journey

• Packing Lists: Logistics, Technology, and Resources

• Customs: Body Language Dos and Don’ts

• Climate: Create a Warm Learning Environment

• Things to Consider: Handle Classroom Challenges

• Tips and Warnings: Advice for Nonnative Trainers.

In chapter 15, you’ll find techniques for designing and delivering global virtual instructor-led training, and learn the language of technology training. You’ll also become familiar with detours to avoid, like poor needs assessments, introductions that fall flat, or presentation skills that don’t work.

Chapter 16 wraps up with a review of global learning trends to consider in the future, including content areas, self-paced learning, gamification, mobile learning, and business simulations.

Enjoy the trip through learning trends and insights you can use to create incredible training victories with learners from around the globe. Then carry those souvenirs of success throughout your career.

About the Author

Donna Steffey is an international trainer, author, facilitator of the ATD Master Trainer Program, and adjunct faculty member at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.

References

Ang, S., and L. Van Dyne. 2008. “Conceptualization of Cultural Intelligence.” In Handbook of Cultural Intelligence: Theory, Measurement, and Applications, edited by S. Ang and L. Van Dyne, 3. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

The Economist Intelligence Unit. 2014. Values-Based Diversity Report: The Challenges and Strengths of Many. London: The Economist.

Livermore, D. 2011. The Cultural Intelligence Difference: Master the One Skill You Can’t Do Without in Today’s Global Economy. New York: AMACOM.

Livermore, D., and L. Van Dyne. 2015. Cultural Intelligence: The Essential Intelligence for the 21st Century. Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management. www.shrm.org/foundation/news/Documents/Cultural%20Intelligence.pdf.

Paul, H. 2000. “Creating a Global Mindset.” Thunderbird International Business Review 42(2): 187-200.

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