Greetings, Highroaders!
I had the honor of being a guest blogger recently at Cultural Detective, where I will also be hosting a free webinar on designing training for global teams. Currently the event is wait-listed, but be sure to check back to see if any slots have opened up. Please enjoy my guest post, featured on the Cultural Detective blog.
“I once heard a Zen Buddhist monk say that the definition of suffering is the gap between what is and what we think should be. The wider that gap, the more we experience stress. Today’s global virtual team, without the right tools, might end up spending a lot of time in that gap. Most teams want to becoming high-performing units with all individuals feeling valued, all cultures being respected, and all tasks getting completed on time. The reality can look quite different, however. In today’s taxing environment, many teams find themselves reacting to fires, completing their tasks but without the benefit of time for intentional reflection or action.
As an intercultural practitioner I’ve had the privilege of working with a variety of global teams in industries from manufacturing to finance. Many of them display similar characteristics. They are often comprised of talented individuals who appreciate cultural diversity and want to collaborate effectively. But why do few teams achieve that vision? What causes the gap between that desire to collaborate and the reality of division or confusion?”
To read the rest of the post, please click here:
http://blog.culturaldetective.com/2013/02/19/global-teams-in-theory-and-in-practice/
