With projects scattered around the world, organizations are immersing employees in innovative training programs to build cross-cultural business savvy.
The world is indeed flat. As the economic crisis so vividly demonstrates, what happens in one country can dramatically alter the project landscape in another one halfway around the globe.
To remain competitive, many organizations are launching specialized training programs aimed at creating a new generation of project leaders wise in the ways of the world.
Here we spotlight three innovative programs from companies around the globe.
Organization: Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Looking to conquer new markets, oil giant Saudi Aramco has its sights set on Asia, including Korea, China and Japan. So when it comes to training project managers who will be working in the region, the company relies on an intense program that lasts about three and a half months, says Patrick Carmichael, business line talent manager for Saudi Aramco’s refining, marketing and international organization.
The first step is a global assessment designed to help determine if a project manager is likely to succeed in an overseas role.
Next, trainees are instructed on the cultural and business norms of the market, along with its history and geography.
From there, the company takes 15 to 17 top-tier project managers on a country-by-country tour of Asia’s emerging markets. While in each country, Saudi Aramco partners with a number of senior experts to offer participants an in-depth look at the dynamics of local business models, economics and politics.
The goal of the program is to not only improve the career of the project manager, but also the status of Saudi Aramco.
Organization:Globant, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Over the past seven years, software company Globant has expanded to include 1,200 employees around the world.
Mariela Rodriguez, quality assurance manager, credits the company’s growth to the way employees are able to adapt to global markets. And that usually comes down to how they are trained, she says. The company relies on a variety of teamwork activities for leaders, including off-site outings, but the focus is on training global leaders to be effective communicators.
“If we don’t learn how to communicate efficiently in our business, we will not be successful,” she says. Part of that comes down to learning the local culture, including language, of course. As part of its training, Globant teaches projects managers about differences in language and cultures.
“As standard, we will have a British teacher teaching project managers British English and an American teaching them American English,” says Paula Vaquero, career and talent development, Globant. The company also makes sure its project managers are aware of even small cultural differences—such as greetings, personal space and punctuality—that can make or break projects.
To make sure those cultural cues are being absorbed, Globant sends project leaders on site to any new client’s offices for two or three weeks. “This experience sometimes includes sharing not only some meals, but also the home with the client employees,” Ms. Vaquero says.
Organization: IBM, Armonk, New York, USA
Modeled after the U.S. Peace Corps, IBM Corporate Service Corps is a leadership and developmental training program that allows the company’s top talent to delve into the economics of emerging markets through hands-on experiences.
The goal is not only for IBM to expand into a select market, but for each participant to gain a better understanding of how to lead on a global scale, says Kevin Thompson, senior program manager for IBM Corporate Service Corps.
IBM is selective about who gets into the program, however. In the first year there were nearly 5,500 employees vying for 300 spots, that grew to nearly 10,000 applicants vying for 500 spots the second year.
Once accepted, participants must complete 50 hours of preparatory course work in the first three months. “Everyone has a standard curriculum that we feel is the first step in becoming a global citizen,” Mr. Thompson says. “That includes cultural awareness, skills training, global adaptability, how emerging and growth markets do business, and the role of corporate social responsibility and international development.”
Teams then meet in their designated country. One team may spend its days overhauling the financial management system of the African Wildlife Foundation in Tanzania, while another may be working with an Asian Pacific electricity company on an open source software development strategy.
When they return to their own countries, team members engage in two months of post-service work designed to push them to connect their experiences back to business and ultimately to how they can grow the company’s market share.
