Coaching Topics Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Global Mindset Strategies Group

Globalization of Business and Developing a Global Mindset

As you probably have experienced, the world today is not the one most of us grew up in. Radical changes have occurred, the biggest drivers include global economic opportunities, trade liberalization and the communications revolution. This has strategic advantages and challenges.

Globalization of business is nothing new. In fact, it started much, much earlier, with the early trading empires. The Silk Road between China and Europe, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Romans and Greeks among others.

In today’s economy, businesses want to sell more, stay competitive, increase their revenue thus they are looking to diversify their presence and their products across the world. Their biggest challenge is preparing leaders to thrive on the global stage. Unfortunately, there is not a way to minimize this, if companies want to successfully globalize, they must develop leaders with a Global Mindset.

Global executives need the same knowledge and capabilities as domestic executives, as well as unique attributes and skills to work in often radically different cultures, political systems, and environments. They need to develop a Global Mindset.

The most common assumption I have seen is that global leadership is developed only through experience. I truly believe that experience is not sufficient for the development of an effective global leader.

If experience alone is insufficient to develop an effective global leader, what do executives need to learn to be effective?

They need to develop and embrace a Global Mindset, in fact I see it as a requirement for success in the globalization of business going forward. Only by being truly open to new ideas and new ways of relating to each other, leaders will be able to capture the opportunities available on the new, fast-changing global stage.

Interested in learning more about Global Mindset or the globalization of business, please visit this page.

Globalization of Business and Developing a Global MindsetMelonie Walter2019-07-09T22:38:13+00:00

What is Global Mindset?

I first started to use this phrase in the 1990s to describe myself. It has become popular in the US and abroad, but what does this mean? When I talk about having a global mindset, I’m indicating my personal belief that I can get beyond my base culture. It refers to the cultural perspective that involves awareness of self, knowledge of many cultural values and an understanding of other people’s practices based on these values. In my view, when people make decisions more broadly rather than influenced by a single cultural perspective they are much more capable leaders, they able to deal with cultural diversity and lead global teams more efficiently.

As an American, having a global mindset means getting beyond my base culture and proactively learning about the differences and utilizing those differences to achieve my professional goals and those of my clients. In my global coaching practice, I have defined four beliefs that are at the bedrock of my Global Mindset Coaching.

Global Mindset: There is no one universal correct way, but rather leadership is situational. We need to examine what is most appropriate, look to the individual people, and see the unique characteristics of a particular culture. If our goal is to have the other person agree with us, purchase what we’re selling or be involved in discussion with us, then we should use the most appropriate method to get that agreement. You understand local markets and take advantage of business opportunities

Global Mindset: Cultural differences and similarities aren’t positive or negative. This is opposite than ethnocentricity, it is the recognition of the multitude of choices about how to interact, and indicates that we make conscious decisions based on that sensitivity and considerations for others. It recognizes that your culture is not better than any other culture. You understand the potential regardless of the package in which it comes.

Global Mindset: Developing An Active Openness to learning – Learning about a new culture beyond being tolerant. Global mindset goes beyond tolerance; it is proactively learning and utilizing the values learned to further personal, and organizational goals. To put it simply, imitating a foreigner can be viewed as tolerance and acceptance, knowing what you do and why you do it is having a global mindset. It is the ability to be effective in interpersonal relations

Global Mindset: Awareness is a very useful map. This map comes with three different views, Awareness of self- This is understanding you at a deep level. The more you know about yourself, the better you are at adapting life changes that come your way. Awareness of Social Context -This level of awareness gives you the ability to understand and respond to the needs and wants people. When you respond to those needs and wants, you gain their trust. Awareness of Perceptions – Do you know what other people really feel about you? If the people you interact with daily were to be completely honest with you and tell you how they think of you, would you like what they say?

Many of us know people that seem to be successful working effectively across cultures, we all have that friend that moves from country to country and thriving wherever he goes. They seem to be able to address situations with a cultural knowledge and sensitivity without sacrificing their personal values and types. They are consistent with others’ expectations of the way they will behave. Those leaders have a global mindset. Do you?

What is Global Mindset?Gary Ranker2019-07-09T22:47:55+00:00

Understanding Global Mindset

Gary Ranker defines global mindset as the ability to step outside one’s base culture, and to understand there is no universally correct way to do things. He asks his clients to realize that persons in other parts of the world have different beliefs than they do, and different ways of doing things that work for them. To be effective as a global leader, we need to take this into consideration when we do business with others.

Developing a global mindset means accepting that our values and our ways of doing business don’t have the same meaning, or perhaps even work, for our counterparts in other cultures. To have a global mindset is to get beyond the trap of believing that what has worked for us and our organization in our country, will work to the same degree in another country. It may or may not.

But it won’t work to start with the assumption that we will be successful forcing our ways onto the other culture.

Understanding Global MindsetGary Ranker2018-01-26T00:47:51+00:00

Taking Global Executives to Next level

Global Mindset Coaching with CEOs differs greatly from other types of executive coaching. However, it carries executive coaching’s general goal: helping people be their best selves by improving their behavior. And, like other coaches, Gary believes that having passion for one’s industry is crucial to success. For example, Gary has always had a passion to help people from different cultures understand each other, hence his philosophy of global mindset coaching.

Global Mindset Coaching: Gary’s specialized approach:

Working with fewer clients, but more in-depth with each client.
Working with one company/client for many years to understand their agenda and culture.
Working with the CEO and their direct reports to better understand group expectations.
Coaching only CEOs or CEOs in training. Coaching CEOs is unique because CEOs:

Have to care about the media.
Have to satisfy the board of directors.
Have to satisfy shareholders. Recently, shareholders have pressured CEOs for more power, in a trend called “shareholder activism.”
Have a high turnover rate; outside factors usually cause CEO replacement every two to three years.

Examples from Gary’s work:

Traveling with a coachee CEO to Iraq to build empathy for the challenges the CEO faced doing business in that country
Serving as an in-house counselor to many employees at a company after 9/11, thanks to the trust he had built after coaching at the company for many years
Helping Japanese and American SONY executives navigate work culture differences to understand that neither culture is superior; there are multiple ways to conduct business.
Helping Beijing based CEO use more flexibility when working with two dominating companies in a joint venture.

Global Mindset Coaching Key Takeaways:

Understand that there are multiple correct ways to reach the universal goal: profit. Therefore, one should study and consider other cultures’ differing business strategies.
Remember that sometimes, especially during international business, things happen that are outside of one’s control.

General Executive Coaching Takeaways:

To business executives: Give fewer, clearer messages/objectives. Reinforce the objectives with consistent rewards to promote employee alignment with the objectives.
To coaches: remember that criticism is sometimes difficult to hear and accept. Be considerate of your clients while giving them feedback.

Taking Global Executives to Next levelGary Ranker2018-01-26T00:53:35+00:00