Doing business across cultures_14

BUSINESS ACROSS CULTURES • Maps for measuring cross-cultural competence. • Maps for leadership development. The more clear an organization is about what it needs to do, the clearer will be the list of maps it requires, and the elicitation of the dilemmas it faces. Leaving the organization self-sufficient in dilemma reconciliation The need for sharing the thinking about the different dilemmas after any consulting intervention is the point at which THT would plan to leave an organization. But to help our support live on after a formal contact may be complete (at the end of any assignment), we devel-oped our web-based ThroughWise™ system. Developed mainly to provide a way for participants to maintain a close dialogue after the series of workshop events, it was also realized that this could play a major part in providing a vehicle for participants to interact with other participants in an inter-workshop mode as well as intra-work-shop. Workshop 1 Workshop 2 Workshop 3 Workshop etc. Dilemma Group A Dilemma Group B Figure 10.8 Inter- and intra-workshop group interaction 344 THE RECONCILING ORGANIZATION As we have demonstrated, the real benefits of applying dilemma reconciliation methodology to transforming and enhancing business practices will actually be realized after the sessions as the partici-pants return to their business units. In order to leverage and entrench the learning, the ThroughWise™ software technology pro-vides networking between participants who have common dilemma interests (see Figure 10.9). Skill/knowledge to deal with complex dilemmas Seeking to apply and enhance learning though the “Throughwise” learning community WebCue Figure 10.9 Limited progress/learning achievable during a workshop Workshop Ensuring that learning from the workshop is continued and applied ThroughWise™ is a closed network for a given client group which provides a number of tools to facilitate the elicitation, capturing, and structuring of dilemmas and thereby codifying the components of dilemmas and action points for their reconciliation so that it can be developed, shared, and exchanged between group members. Thus the approach is to start developing a learning community as soon as possible. In the first instance, we seed the dilemma database with the output of the dilemma reconciliation exercise at recent ses-sions. We immediately start to involve the members of each sub-group in 345 BUSINESS ACROSS CULTURES the ThroughWise™ network. This process works in a similar way to WebCue™, but is automated. Members of other sub-groups can also monitor progress of the range of dilemmas in which they might have or develop an interest. Once the ThroughWise™ web-based learning community reposi-tory is in place, the interactive discussion forum is activated. This discussion forum is structured so as to enable continued comments, together with the formulation and reconciliation of dilemmas. Par-ticipants are able to enter comments, strategies for implementing steps to reconcile dilemmas, and to report progress, obstacles, and successes. They are also able to view all discussions and comments through both a structured tree or search facility. They can opt to automatically receive e-mail comments from other participants to the questions they have posted in the forum. It is critical to the success of this type of learning community that it should be supported by a dedicated ThroughWise™ facilitator, especially during the early stages. Given the competing demands placed on top leaders, offering a solution based solely on them being invited to use web communication technology is insufficient. We often, therefore, suggest that a team of two such facilitators – one from the client, and one from our consulting group – would jointly execute this crucial role. They work together to assume the following responsibilities: • To steer the initiation and development of the learning com-munity, especially in the early stages, and thereby act as the overall project “champion.” • To capture and formulate an initial series of dilemmas to seed the learning community to ensure a rapid take up, particularly 346 THE RECONCILING ORGANIZATION using the dilemmas identified in the previous sessions, and linking these to other client documents and reports. • To organize and mobilize membership of sub-groups in the learning community based on common interests (dilemmas), inviting them to join the process. • To consolidate and collate comments and inputs from mem-bers of sub-groups. • To monitor and report on progress made. THE FINAL DILEMMA We have identified many dilemmas throughout our work and cited the important ones in this book. We have sought to show the need for the Reconciling Organization and how this can be developed. So with whom does the ultimate responsibility lie to seek out and elicit dilemmas and reconcile them? Should they be considered from the perspective of the organization or from the perspective of the indi-vidual leader? If you have followed us in our journey you will have noticed that the previous sentence contains the word “or” and is – of course – a dilemma. In other words, how can we reconcile the dilemmas of the organiza-tion and the dilemmas of the individual in today’s world of work? We’ll leave that one for you as an exercise! 347 ... - tailieumienphi.vn