Get in Touch

Culture and local practices are big factors for global initiatives.

 

When international companies undergo a large transformation or technological change, they need change management. But multiple cultures mean more complexity. Culture is a big factor when creating a change strategy for multiple countries.

Why do international organizations have trouble with change management?

It’s common for large organizations to create a single strategy for everyone to follow. Consistency and simplicity are good, right? If everyone aligns with organizational processes, norms, and language, you get predictable results. That’s the hope, but global companies find just the opposite.

Even within the same company, there are distinct and intractable local differences. Each country has its own working culture, communication style, and way of approaching or interpreting terms, topics, and events. What might go well at home might not be well-received – or even possible — elsewhere.

What should international organizations do differently?

Do local impact analysis.

Often, regions aren’t all starting in the same place when they set out on the change journey. Maybe they have different processes, terms, technologies, or practices. So when you say, “Today you do this; after the change you will do that.” If the “this” is wrong, you’ve already failed.

For example, one of my clients had a branch in Latam. This branch had its own internal processes and procedures on how to handle information so they could produce their reports manually. Employees in the US weren’t doing these steps; the change for them included where to get their numbers and how to calculate their results. When the Latam team started getting communications that included formulas and step-by-step instructions, they felt they were being talked down to. The project team assumed the change was the same everywhere. No one had bothered to document the actual impacts for the Latam branch.

Use the right communication channels and styles.

Here are some examples.

  • Some regions work well with a “softer” voice while others are fine with a straightforward approach.
  • Some countries are fine with impersonal mail, and some need an email that comes from a known source.
  • Also, there are places where there is no substitute for an in-person meeting or a direct message from a supervisor about the change; otherwise, people will disregard the message.
  • Some organizations chronically neglect certain regions. Stakeholders in these countries might not think the change applies to them until they have someone address them specifically.

How do you follow these two steps?

You need people who think and act locally. Incorporate people from each region or country into the project team; they will give their perspective on what works and doesn’t work for local stakeholders.