When you consider distances, time zones, language differences and cultural nuances, leading a global workforce can be challenging. First, leadership needs to create a common culture within the global organization, so that no matter the distances or differences, everyone understands the mission, vision, values and role of teams and individual contributors. That shared understanding and sense of identity – while also allowing for local corporate cultures and identities to exist – makes the day-to-day business of communication that much easier. But how to best communicate with employees all over the world? Consider these three best practices:
- Speak their language. While this may seem obvious, you’d be surprised how many companies are guilty of sending communications from an HQ-centric point of view. Translating important communications to the employees’ local languages ensures they will understand and act on the information you’re sending and makes all employees feel valued and included in the company culture. This doesn’t only apply to the copy of the communication — consider also the images and colors used. For example, in China black symbolically means evil, corrupted, or illegal. So, it’s best not to overuse black in your content. Plus, a photo of a person with a black border typically means that person is dead. If you include such a photo in a newsletter to your employees in Shanghai, they may interpret the person as being memorialized rather than celebrated for their promotion!
- Understand cultural differences. With employee all around the world, it’s important to familiarize yourself with each of the cultures where they work. This knowledge is critical to communicating with employees in a respectful way and helps you manage projects and workforces effectively and efficiently. Consider a project that’s in trouble and needs immediate alternative solutions. While a U.S. supervisor might expect employees to voice concerns and provide solutions, employees in your Tokyo office, where the culture ranks high in conflict avoidance, may be reluctant to share the bad news that something’s wrong with the project. Or, maybe you have a company-wide announcement that requires action from employees. Employees in your low-context cultures, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, typically require little or no explanation of orders or requests and will likely begin work with no questions or discussion. However, in high-context cultures, like France, Spain and Brazil, employees want more explanation, so it would be worth sharing an FAQ for employees to learn more about the background behind the announcement and order.
- Foster dialogue. Communication should always be a two-way street. Set up a process to ensure employee feedback is captured, considered and acted upon, particularly from employees outside the headquarters country. This not only makes you a better employer, which helps attract and retain top talent, but it has a positive impact on your organization by allowing ideas and improvements to surface. Plus, consider setting up a system for employees to share feedback anonymously, as that may create a more comfortable atmosphere. This is especially true for employees in countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia and Turkey, which are more hierarchical and defer to authority – meaning they may not be comfortable providing feedback to their managers or senior leadership.
If you’re expanding your company internationally or are struggling to communicate with employees in another country, I’m here to help. Reach out to me at shughes@linhartpr.com to discuss your communications and leadership strategy.
