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Participate. Open up. Show respect and genuine interest in their culture and lives. Don’t be surprised
if you’re invited in for tea. Taste what they have to offer. Digest it over time.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Al Mayassa, S. (2012, February). Sheikha Al Mayassa: Globalizing the local, localizing the global
[Video file]. TED.
Mind Tools. (2013). Hofstede’s cultural dimensions: Understanding workplace values around the
world. Mind Tools.
Moran, G. (2013, April 10). How to avoid cultural missteps when doing business with other
countries. Entrepreneur.

7. Confused about complex issues? Practice reframing. There’s usually more going on than first
meets the eye. Systems involve multiple moving parts and interconnections. A cause doesn’t merely
have one effect. How do you figure complex things out without getting dizzy? Try applying Bolman
and Deal’s “four frame” model to better decipher complex issues and not leave out vital implications.
(For more information, visit www.leebolman.com or http://www.slideshare.net/PhilVincent1/fourframe-
model.) A global perspective includes awareness of the various factors in a system plus the ability to
synthesize and determine what matters.

8. Lacking international scope? Build know-how through global connections. When possible, take
a stretching international assignment or join a cross-border task force to boost knowledge. The next
best thing to experiencing something yourself is hearing from someone who’s been there. Ask those
who have worked overseas about their victories and cultural missteps. Invite speakers in to spark
dialogue on global issues affecting your company. Create a network of expats to share lessons
learned about operating in specific markets. Take part in virtual brainstorming sessions where
someone in Sydney might share an idea that could help a leader in Prague. Try to have meetings that
are normally held at headquarters moved to different foreign locations, and ask that tours of
manufacturing or distribution sites be put on the agenda so you can see things firsthand. Use social
media to connect with other employees and customers around the globe. Learning from global
colleagues will help push your thinking beyond your home base.

9. Too home-centric? Build a climate of global awareness. During staff meetings, spend time talking
about what it means to have a global perspective. Have a world map on display. Discuss international
news and how that may affect your business. Apply a global lens to key initiatives. How could existing
plans be adapted to play better in other countries? How would you handle government regulators not
responding to requests, or vendors who miss commitments? Discuss the balance of flexing to local
conditions while following ethical guidelines and delivering results. Let people know how your beliefs
and experiences on and off the job have shaped you. Encourage them to do the same. What does it
mean to be a woman whose parents escaped Vietnam? An Egyptian scientist now working in Buenos
Aires? What is true, and what is a stereotypical belief? Model the mindset that you want others to
adopt.

10. Unknown business landscape? Study your global customers and competitors. Find out what
customers in different countries or regions like or don’t like about your company’s products or
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