November of last year I returned from a trip to India with my head spinning as always. I have been traveling to this country for twelve years and I never leave without having my illusions challenged. When we work abroad, no matter how experienced, we each carry our own cultural lens through which we view interactions and routines. For example, I still have difficulty crossing the road in India. Why? Partially because of my mindset. How do I know this? When my husband accompanied me for a month-long trip to South India three years ago he sailed across the busy streets without blinking.
“It’s all in your perception,” he said. “Think of the streets like a river, and you are a rock with the cars flowing around you.”
A great image, but this did not prevent me from the fear of being crushed by a rickshaw. Nonetheless I keep trying, and I keep seeking new ways of approaching the same problem. Sometimes I wait for others who are crossing the street. Sometimes I run as fast as I can to the other side. That sense of willingness to modify one’s world view or operating system is critical in today’s global workplace.
Two days ago I observing a virtual class conducted by my colleague for a group of people from Latin America, North America, and Europe. The subject was best practices for Global Virtual Teams. I was only observing, but toward the end of the class one participant became upset. He said he couldn’t engage with his virtual team and that he felt isolated. Although the facilitator gave him a number of suggestions, he seemed to be fixed on the idea that a huge divide existed between collaborating virtually and collaborating face to face.
With the facilitator’s permission I jumped in. I asked the participant to be open to the idea that the divide is not as big as it appears sometimes. Personally I love working across time zones, staying up late to talk to a colleague in London, and sorting through accent differences. In my experience, engaging through empathy, frequent check-in’s, agreement on process, and using specific language all help both face to face and virtual teams. While global collaboration is not always easy, I challenge readers to look at the lenses that might be clouding our view. What small step can you take today that would increase trust between you and your virtual colleagues?
I will be headed back to India this Saturday to work with a new global team, co-located in Mumbai and Minnesota. Stay tuned for stories, videos, and global team best practices!
Your husband is both brave and wise. I’ve seen people being crushed by 18 wheelers in Mumbai and wouldn’t dare crossing the street in India without looking. My sense of security supercedes my sense of curiousy when it comes to busy streets in India.
How true, Peter! After all these years I still find crossing the street one of the only nerve-wracking things about India. Though it is somewhat thrilling when you actually make it across!