| The key question though is, 'How does an organisation | | | | say the USA, may find it very difficult to work in |
| identify and develop its international managers for the | | | | another, say Germany or Venezuela. |
| future?' | | | | Avoiding over-reaction |
| This article looks at some of the issues involved in the | | | | This assessment process should not be left until a |
| selection & development of the global manager | | | | vacancy arises. It should be ongoing and one through |
| Whether working in a 'Global' or 'Transnational' | | | | which people who are considered as high performers |
| organisation, or simply one that exports to its | | | | with international potential are identified as early as |
| customers from its home country, the successful | | | | possible in their careers and then given the appropriate |
| international manager needs to have developed the | | | | opportunities to develop their experience and skills in |
| competencies and personal attributes necessary to | | | | that direction. These should include opportunities to |
| allow him or her to work effectively in an international | | | | develop their experience and skills in that direction |
| and cross-cultural environment. | | | | including the opportunity to regularly discuss their |
| An environment in which they will be expected to | | | | aspirations for an international career and, if |
| interact, manage, negotiate, live and work effectively | | | | appropriate, their family's level of support. |
| as individuals and in teams with people whose values, | | | | Consideration should also be given to planned |
| beliefs, languages, customs and business practices are | | | | exposure to the international side of the business |
| different from their own, and in relationships where | | | | through projects that require them to visit and work for |
| misunderstandings can lead to costly mistakes and | | | | short periods in the organisation's overseas operations, |
| even business failures. | | | | or with its customers. This would allow in-market senior |
| Increasingly, organisations are looking for ways to | | | | managers to assess and provide feedback on how |
| develop their managers to handle this important | | | | effectively, or otherwise, the person is able to work |
| dimension, and many are attempting to fill Board and | | | | with the local team and in the different cultural |
| other senior appointments with people who have a | | | | environment. |
| proven track record in successfully managing an | | | | Allow an informed decision |
| international business. | | | | A further part of the process should be to give |
| The considerable costs that can be incurred when an | | | | individuals the opportunity, with their partners if this is |
| international assignment fails means that organisations | | | | appropriate, to attend relevant country briefings and |
| do need to develop professional and focused | | | | cross-cultural awareness workshops. This can help |
| processes for ensuring that only the best people are | | | | them more fully appreciate the opportunities and |
| selected and developed for such roles. Seldom is it | | | | challenges of an international career and allow them to |
| possible to find a perfect match. A professional | | | | take an informed and objective view of what they |
| approach to the selection and development of | | | | might be letting themselves in for. In this way, there can |
| international managers, however, can help avoid the | | | | be a process of self-selection which helps ensure that |
| problems that invariably arise from appointing people | | | | the people who eventually are offered and accept an |
| who subsequently become the 'Missionaries', | | | | international assignment, and their families are fully |
| 'Mercenaries' and 'Misfits' amongst international | | | | committed to it. Once committed in principle, the |
| assignees, and who can do so much harm to the | | | | process might then include the use of international |
| business. | | | | focused development assessment centres in which |
| The first step in this process should be to identify not | | | | the in-company assessors themselves have a proven |
| the people but the competencies, motivation and | | | | international track record and who can become |
| personal attributes required for success. International | | | | mentors to people once they take up an assignment. |
| assignments are so often filled as a 'knee-jerk reaction' | | | | Having identified people with potential as international |
| with the most 'technically' competent and readily | | | | managers, and who are able and willing to take up |
| available person, and frequently someone who, until | | | | international assignments, appropriate formal training |
| that point in time, had never really considered an | | | | should become an integral part of the process. Ideally |
| overseas assignment as part of their career. | | | | this will include advanced management and functional |
| Experience shows, however, that 'technical' | | | | skills training, and country briefings covering in some |
| competence, whilst important, does not of itself | | | | detail the historical, political, economic, social and |
| produce an effective international manager. | | | | business environments of the market(s) the individual |
| There is also the danger that, in their eagerness to | | | | will visit or be asked to move to. Also required will be |
| take an international assignment or perhaps the fear of | | | | cross-cultural awareness training to help them |
| possible harm to their careers of being seen to refuse | | | | appreciate the values, beliefs and practices of the |
| one, people will not think through the personal | | | | other cultures and how their own culture may be seen |
| implications for themselves or for their partners or | | | | by people from the host culture. |
| families. To compound this problem, organisations | | | | Where appropriate, language training is also very |
| frequently offer inflated international remuneration and | | | | important and should not be left until the person has to |
| benefits packages to help 'convince' the individual that | | | | take up their appointment. Experience in this area |
| this is the right career move for them and leave them | | | | shows that most people become so deeply involved |
| to sort out any 'personal difficulties'. | | | | with the operational task from the outset of the |
| Planned process | | | | assignment that they can seldom find the time to |
| What needs to be done, therefore, is for the | | | | acquire more than a basic social vocabulary in the |
| organisation to clearly define their criteria for success | | | | other language. |
| at international, managerial, functional and personal | | | | In summary, a key strategic imperative in managing an |
| levels and then select and develop potential | | | | international business must be to develop effective |
| international managers against these. | | | | international managers. People who have the |
| Whilst there are international competency models that | | | | knowledge, skills, experience, motivation, personal |
| have been developed to help in the selection and | | | | attributes and cultural sensitivity that will allow them to |
| assessment process, it is essential that the one which | | | | create a sustainable competitive advantage through |
| is eventually used by the organisation reflects both the | | | | the ways in which they are able to interact and |
| specific or various cultural needs of its markets and | | | | operate with people from other cultures. |
| the organisation's culture, which sometimes can be in | | | | The bottom line for any organisation, therefore, must |
| conflict. In identifying the personal attributes needed, it is | | | | be to identify, assess, select, develop and train their |
| also important not to assume that there is a single | | | | international managers against clearly defined criteria |
| attribute (or personality) profile for all markets. For | | | | that reflect their markets and which fully support the |
| example, the person who is ideally suited, in terms of | | | | international management needs of their overall |
| their motivation and personality, to work in one market, | | | | business vision and strategy. |