By André Alphonso
I have been asked to travel from India to Australia to deliver a client workshop to an audience of Australian senior managers who want to become more effective in leading their remote teams based in India. Leading geographically dispersed and culturally diverse teams is an emerging challenge for many global organizations operating in a “flat world.” Here in India I am often asked about how best to deal with Australian, U.S, or U.K. managers who fly in for a whistle-stop tour of their local operations. Australian, U.S, or U.K. leaders often ask me for advice on how to deal with people in their Asia-based operations. Their challenges and anxieties are real ones, and certain strategies can be employed to overcome them. I often say, “First examine your mind-set before diving into these strategies.”
Let me explain: As global leaders, we sometimes get caught up in the anxiety and anguish involved in leading people in different geographies, with different economic, language, and cultural backgrounds—people who we may never meet in person. We sometimes forget to see the promise that leading these people offers us. In other words, we focus on the walls that surround us rather than the bridges that connect us. As I was reflecting on these issues recently, I came across a music video that seems to be a metaphor for this promise. For those of us who are working with a global organization, with teams across multiple countries and multiple cultures, this video might be a shot of inspiration. Click on this link and enjoy the music while you think about the promise:
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes/7/Chanda_Mama
Largely unknown, these vocalists and musicians hail from four different continents and speak very different languages. Though they’ve never met one another, they are singing and playing an Indian folk song together. There are many parallels in this video to leading a virtual team: the magic only happens because of the diversity. Global warming at its best don’t you think?
