Management Action Tips #3

• As a new manager, learn to “think globally.” Take

an interest in international people and issues.

Expand you thinking by reading and networking

broadly.

• Take out several items of clothing and look at the

labels (or get in a group and have everyone read

the label on the top back of the shirt in front of

them). Look for “Made in…” labels. How many

countries are there?

• If one day you can go to a developing country and

get outside of the foreigners’ living area to see how

average people live, you will be astounded at how

people manage to survive on so little.

• When you travel overseas, never buy foreign money

on the streets. In many placed this is illegal and you

can end up in jail, or you might end up with

counterfeit money. Use regular banks, legal money

changers, or ATMs.

• To understand, consider that Americans are much

more individualistic than Asian and Middle Eastern

countries. In those places, the person’s identity is

closely ties to his or her extended family and many

obligations result—coupled with deep ties of love.

And people are always helping one another, with a

strong steak of reciprocity.

• Remember that people from some Asian and

Middle Eastern countries have more obligations with

their families, while Americans have fewer family

obligations but more workplace obligations. It all

evens out.

• As a new manager, you must remember that

understanding national culture is as important as

paying attention to economic and political matters

when working in or with a foreign country.

• Start watching more foreign movies and notice how

people interact, what values are important to the

characters, and what outcomes are desired.

Watching foreign movies from a variety of countries

will help you manage cross-cultural situations.

• As a new manager, begin soon to develop cultural

intelligence so you can work effectively with people

from other countries.

• How many of your friends are a different ethnicity

than you, come from other countries, practice

other religions, or are from a different

socioeconomic class? How prepared are you to

work with them?

• When you return from an extended time

abroad, you experience reverse culture

shock, which mean adapting back to your own

culture, which is often more difficult than going

away.

• Don’t get frustrated with people in high-power

distance countries if they don’t take initiative or

want to make decisions. Just realize their culture is

different. They don’t have to be like you.

Remember the saying, When in Rome, do as the

Romans.”