Over the last decade, much has been said about an evolving global workforce.  In particular, the debate has surrounded generational differences, the aging “baby boom” population, and the projected talent shortage.  Additionally, there has been a recent focus on ‘global inclusion’, which often has different interpretations depending on the audience.  But how well do we really know “our people”?

Based on my experience, we, as HR professionals, have missed the mark and have overlooked a vital piece of the equation—cultural understanding.  How can we value our human capital if we don’t really know the individuals we recruit, manage and interact with because we aren’t familiar with or understand their cultures?  The bottom line-- if organizations want to compete for talent on a global level, it is essential for HR professionals and leaders to understand the essence of those assets, namely the attributes of our people and interact with the insight of a cultural lens.    Who are our internal customers?  How do our cultural differences affect our interactions and our decision making process?  What is important to new recruits and how can we culturally connect with new global talent?  What are the cultural norms and expectations of incoming talent and how can we create a more comprehensively diverse environment to better support them and our teams? 

Most of us have a broad understanding of “our people” from a generational perspective, but our cultural understanding and insight is typically limited.   Gaining that knowledge is key to success and evolving our organizations.  After all, we are talking about attracting the best in an increasingly diverse and global workforce.  And those new dynamics require a detailed knowledge about a variety of cultural traits, religions, beliefs, values, behaviors, and communication styles.  Cultural knowledge impacts every aspect of our business -- talent, clients, vendors, negotiations, relationships, productivity, and revenue potential.  It’s so logical—how did we overlook this crucial element?

In addition, without cultural knowledge, we are at a distinct disadvantage—even at the most basic communication levels.  For example, what is acceptable in one culture is often misinterpreted as rude or derogatory in another.  These simple mistakes can easily derail interviews, discussions, negotiations or relationships.  And one can clearly see how miscommunication can become a more prevalent issue during detailed and intense meetings.   

And we, as Americans, have not progressed down the cross-cultural experience curve as quickly as many of our peers in other countries.  There are many reasons, (including the fact that we are geographically isolated), that contribute to our lack of cross-cultural insights.  But a glaring American reality-- our way is often the only way—does not bode well in the global marketplace.   Our lack of exposure and awareness to different cultural approaches tends to make us ethnocentric in our business interactions, not open to other cultural approaches and, quite simply, not always the best of team players.   

The following areas of focus will help executives and leaders begin to recognize and better understand the importance of cross-cultural intelligence:

Ø    Understanding the Perception of Hierarchies

Ø    Communication ~ direct vs. indirect

Ø    The Role of Language Fluency

Ø    Interpretation of Body Language ~ hand motions, facial expressions, direct vs. indirect eye contact, etc.

Ø    Time  Orientation ~ how time is valued – meetings, deadlines, sense of urgency, etc.

Ø    Social Norms, Customs, Traditions

In order to create and sustain a global competitive advantage, increase shareholder value and employee engagement levels (especially in today’s economic climate), organizations must value and implement cultural ‘awareness’ and ‘knowledge’ initiatives that continually move the organization towards a competent environment of ‘cultural intelligence’.  Goals and actions must be aligned, and accountability for results must be owned, top down.   We, as organizational leaders and HR professionals, have an opportunity to develop culturally savvy business practices and strategies that maximize the value and potential of our human capital.  

The data shows we are falling short of the mark.  A recent survey by the Institute for Corporate Productivity reported that 57.3% of leaders are NOT held accountable for driving diversity within their organization and that only 22.7% of CEO’s conduct annual diversity reviews. 

By creating an organizational level of ‘cultural awareness and knowledge’, we can better understand the norms and values of our talent.  This allows us to recognize, appreciate and understand different cultural perspectives and behaviors, and as a result-- improve communications, increase productivity (through awareness rather than less productivity through assumptions), and develop environments that promote and encourage creativity, ingenuity and innovation. 

Make no mistake.  This is not a ‘feel good’ initiative or a one and done training program.   It is a pioneering business practice and imperative in today’s environment—complete with a tangible return on investment. 

So I ask you once again…DO YOU KNOW ME?

• I have a grasp of the global issues we currently face as a planet.
• I have studied other languages
• I have traveled abroad
• I have strong opinions on many topics
• I vote
• I interact with people from different cultures often
• I watch independent and foreign films
• I question media information
• I value personal growth and development
• I follow music, movies, or sports in another part of the world

• They are people who have interesting stories to tell at parties and get together.
• They have sought adventures and experiences in every nook and cranny of life.
• They have opinions and can back them with well-founded thought.
• They question general media and think things through.  
• They are the ones that dare to care about the world.
• They aren’t deterred by labels of idealism or wooed by the ease of apathy.
• They think.
• They act.
• They vote.
• They see people for who they are.
• They know they’ve got stereotypes, and they work to undo their assumptions.
• They realize they make mistakes communicating and working with other people, and they learn from these mistakes.
• They grow.
• They are making a difference.
• They are awake. They are aware.  
• They’re busy.
• They’ve got the world to explore. People to meet. Adventures to undertake.Things to understand. And they’ve got experiences to bring back and share with the rest of the U.S.

GLOBAL MINDSET 101: GET ON BOARD

To become a citizen of the world, it's helpful if you understand how it feels to not belong. Initially, that statement may sound illogical. Doesn't being a world citizen connote a comfort level in most, if not all, global locales?

However, the key to becoming a world citizen is to understand the essence of what it feels like to be an outsider. That distinct feeling of being different and sense of alienation often pressures outsiders to connect with the mainstream.  The fallout from the experience-- outsiders often learn how to fit in, acclimate and connect not only with the mainstream, but with people from all backgrounds. Most minority members will relate to my logic. For mainstream readers who are majority members or the powerbase, keep an open mind and my point will become clearer as you read on.

The minority knows more about the majority than the majority knows about itself. For example, women know more about operating in a man's world than most men ever consider. And, in the US, blacks, latinos and asians know more about conforming to caucasian norms than most fair skinned Americans ever think or thought about. Additionally, homosexuals around the world know more about fitting into a predominantly straight world than most heterosexuals ever contemplated. Quite simply, the majority sets the rules that frame society and assume others see the established rules as the standard or the norm.  Now follow me as we take this tried and true adage to a global level.

People around the globe know more about the United States than Americans know about themselves. Let's look at an illustrative example.  A 2008 BBC survey showed that more Japanese (over 80%) followed the 2008 US Presidential election than Americans (76%). Conversely, I wonder how many Americans know Japan's current leader (Prime Minister Hatoyama) or which political party he represents (DPJ- Democratic Party of Japan).  Furthermore, I wonder what percentage of the American population knows the name of Japan's recently ousted politcal party or the ramifictions of the election (Liberal Democratic, which had been in power since 1955, signifying a major shift in Japanese politics and public opinion).  It seems logical that individuals who want to operate in the global marketplace would be aware of these developments.  Aren't these kinds of political changes and trends key to understanding important markets?

The sad reality-- like most powerbases, many Americans, including executives, are uninformed about other parts of the world.  And the facts back up the observation.  On the corporate front, only one in five CEO's (heding the largest American multinational corporations) speaks a language other than English.  On a national level, a mere 11% of Americans can identify Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

In light of an increasingly interactive global marketplace and shifting powerbases, including an economic crisis in the US, how will America's ethnocentric approach serve the country in the future?  The bottom line-- the US can no longer afford to be self-consumed and must look ahead and invest in cultural and global education.

Corporate leaders can set the pace by embracing an open mind and adopting a global mindset--which includes language classes and cultural awareness seminars. Managers should be enrolled in programs like "How to Manage Multicultural Teams" and "Identifying and Overcoming Cross-Cultural Communiction Hurdles".

Acknowledging the attributes of various cultural approaches and respectfully tapping into the best your diverse workforce has to offer will evolved your organization and make you the established industry leader.  Get on Board-- the time is now.

William Sinunu is a multi-lingual citizen of the world who has lived in or traveled to over 100 countries on six continents. As the co- founder of Globally Hip, he conducts workshops, seminars and conferences for universities and corporations in the U.S. and overseas. A University of Chicago-trained Master Facilitator, who was born and raised abroad, Sinunu's background as part of a prominent political family gives him a unique understanding of both the world's strengths and struggles. His energetic, warm style lends to captivating presentations garnering kudos from the likes of Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear and Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD. Sinunu, a former JetBlue Airways executive, was instrumental in developing and supporting the airline's innovative customer focused culture. In addition, he has worked as a multi-lingual interpreter for the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs and as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Human Services. He is also the best-selling author of "Life Could Be Sweeter" (2005) and "The Sweet Life" (2007).