RW3 CultureWizard

Here is the relevant excerpt:

Newell Rubbermaid, which has employees in more than 70 countries, requires its vice presidents and above to go through its Working in a Global Matrix program to help those leaders build skills they need to be successful in a global environment.

‘The program allows leaders to learn how conflict can be used to reinforce relationships within the organizational structure,’ Hults said. ‘[It] helps them understand their personal leadership style and how that can both help them and hinder them when working internationally. They can then use these insights to help them make adjustments in how they lead to be more effective outside of their home country.’

Further, every employee can access free of charge the CultureWizard, an online tool that provides an array of information about a country’s population, culture, economy and other stats. ‘It gives them an opportunity to learn a bit about the culture and the people that they’re seeing before they go into a country,’ he said…

By taking proactive steps to identify and develop the next generation of global executives, organizations can march boldly into today’s uber-competitive business battlefield.

Click here to read the full article. Thanks, Brian!

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Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s recent arrest stirs up a glaring concern: Should U.S. employers be on the lookout for troublesome — and possibly criminal — behaviors of managers coming from overseas to work for their organizations? Absolutely, experts say.

Schell offers specific advice to foreign-born and foreign-trained managers working in the US.

The workplace structure at foreign companies tends to be more hierarchical than in the United States, says Michael Schell, CEO of RW3 CultureWizard, a consulting firm in New York, and author of Managing Across Cultures: The Seven Keys to Doing Business with a Global Mindset. This hierarchy can result in foreign managers feeling entitled to treat subordinates more or less how they wish, he says.

‘When foreign managers come to the United States, they need to learn what the culture of the U.S. workplace is and the rules here; otherwise, people will get sued,’ says Schell.

What is your perspective on this issue? We welcome any comments or questions.

RW3 CultureWizard

The Middle East is a vast region encompassing a multitude of distinct cultures, dialects, and attitudes toward business with the West. Dubberke addresses those issues and examines important elements of Middle Eastern cultures: communication, relationships, and rules, as well as how these cultural characteristics affect business practices. He also examines how to successfully interact with Middle Easterners.

RW3 CultureWizard