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ISSUE 2: COMMUNICATION
how to communicate, influence and negotiate in a global environment
OUR EXPERIENCE
Specific challenges include:
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Persuade others to cooperate with them in matrix or network organisations
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Communicate sensitively across local contexts while focusing on global goals
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Ensure the use of email and other communication technology enables rather than disables cross-cultural relationships
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Present ideas and proposals with clarity, sensitivity and impact in a multicultural setting
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Understand the needs, preferences and contexts of international negotiating opponents
ONE CLIENT’S CHALLENGE
We are a global consumer product company which depends on cross-functional product teams when launching new products. The marketing managers who run these teams need excellent communication skills to co-ordinate the work of their colleagues in packaging, production and R&D without having any hierarchical power over them. Without the ability to build commitment, our marketing managers find that projects run behind schedule and are delivered late.
So how can we develop the necessary communication skills among this group?
THE TCO RESPONSE
We created a three-day training programme entitled
Communicating and convincing in international teams
, to build the skills required to influence partners from different cultures and functions without recourse to positional power. The course is centred on a task-based case study which we wrote for the company in order to bring out the varied challenges that the managers face. These range from organisational issues such as culture, history and brand development through to difficult personal communication issues such as handling kick-off meetings, dealing with aggressive emails, giving feedback and handling conflict. Role play exercises based on the case study serve as a basis for feedback and reflection on the key skills involved.
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