Implementing Change: The Conflict of Global vs. Local
When implementing changes to a global mobility program it is important to recognize and address global vs. local issues prior to finalizing and implementing program changes. Conflict can occur and is harder to address when there are differences in culture, language, time zones and business practices. Culturally-based assumptions about employee needs, infrastructure, etc. make it more difficult to find common ground. Policies/practices in one country/region may not hold true in other locations and the strengths that it has in its home location/ headquarters may not easily be transferred to other locations.
To successfully implement new global initiatives regarding policies, programs, services, etc, there are key elements that should be taken into account before moving forward:
- Stakeholders
- Local nuances
- Policy and controls
- Cost
Stakeholders
You will need to identify who your stakeholders are and how you can influence and include them in the decision making process. Establishing a collaborative partnership with stakeholders is critical to building trust and open communication to successfully move the process forward.
It is natural for a company to consider its home location/headquarters and or its largest population when planning changes. However, the voice from these sources can easily overtake the needs of those organizations in distant locations. By partnering with all stakeholders from the beginning you are more likely to gain their buy-in and support in rolling out the initiative to their organization in other locations. It is helpful to meet with the key change agents (those that will help implement the change) early in the process, to begin building working relationships, listen to their concerns, have the opportunity to address areas of resistance, and help to ensure everyone is committed to the project goal and objectives.
Developing a comprehensive communication plan is important to successfully gaining acceptance for the new initiative. The plan should detail and include the message(s), audiences, method and schedule for delivery. Communication should not be a single memorandum, but be ongoing throughout the implementation process and in various formats. The messages should set forth the changes, expected benefits, and timeline/milestones and ongoing progress. As part of the roll out of the initiative, the plan should engage employees in forums to build consensus and commitment to initiative. The personal connection is essential to building trust, which makes it easier for employees to embrace change.
Local Nuances
When implementing global change it is important to identify and understand the local nuances in a given location. It is easy to assume greater similarities and difference between locations than actually exist. In many instances it is common to project solutions suitable for one location on other locations or to assume the organizations abroad are anxious to adopt the practices of the headquarters when this may or may not be true. To make matters more complicated, policy components or services may be interpreted and delivered differently in some locations due to local needs. Strategies for implementing change should solicit input from the local organization and take into consideration cultural and political sensitivities before finalizing new initiatives.
When assembling the team, it is suggested that organizations take advantage of intercultural tools/training (Cultural Wizard powered by RW3) to enable the stakeholders to effectively work together in a way that is respectful of the local concerns, perspectives, and gain an understanding of how the change will impact all.
Policy and Controls
Be sure to ask all of your stakeholders to participate from the beginning so that they may fully understand the objectives to be accomplished with the new initiative and have the opportunity to share their knowledge and input prior to finalizing any changes. The process should also include in-depth research and analysis of information obtained from various resources such as benchmark studies, roundtables and professional organizations. Examining independent data will both validate and help build the case for the proposed changes or highlight that further study may be required.
Evaluate and ensure that proposed changes are in compliance from a global and regional perspective. Identify and manage risk factors and accountability. It is difficult to establish accountability at the local level when employees lack a sense of ownership for the new initiative. Global change initiatives must take into account these kinds of issues and plan to address them in advance. In doing so, they will be far more likely to avoid change-related pitfalls, achieve their objectives and build business partnership characterized by mutual learning, partnership and successful business results.
Cost
Implementing new initiatives will have cost implications both for the global and local organization. There may be push back from the local organization that implementing new policy elements are costly and not needed for their location, or that they can secure service from a local vendors cheaper than utilizing global contracts. When analyzing the cost of a new initiative and being confronted with the argument that local practice or vendors are less costly, it is important to conduct a detailed comparison of the scope. Additionally, it is necessary to substantiate how compliance, risk , reporting and global costs are managed at the local level as they may be less comprehensive than needed by the global organization. A global cost benefit analysis (CBA) could be useful in demonstrating the financial benefits of a global program, when asking local management to support the global initiative, in spite of the perceived local drawbacks.
In Summary:
- Identify all stakeholders, and bring them into the process as early as possible.
- Build a comprehensive communication plan that highlights the benefits to the company overall – and to the local population (some of the work is shifting to a global provider, freeing up time for the local HR person to focus on other work).
- Gather information up front (personally speak with key stakeholders in advance) – to better strategize how to present information, engage the change managers and respond to expected concerns.
- Conduct detailed analysis of the policies and services as delivered locally and globally so there is an accurate comparison when discussing costs.
- Take advantage of intercultural tools/training to improve understanding and sensitivity to the cultural norms thus allowing a more effective, successful integration.
- Be respectful of the local concerns, perspectives and how the change will impact them.
- Acknowledge the local concerns and talk through how to minimize negative impacts.
- Emphasize the need to work together to effect successful change.