Why Care About Global Mindset?

If you’re a middle level executive in the U.S. you might say, “My revenue right now is not dependent on global sales, so why should I care?” The truth is, power has shifted in the world and we’re all encouraged to recognize the need for a global mindset . We can’t continue to use old models . Hanging onto old models could spell failure.

As Chinese move more toward global minset, Chinese traditions of respect for authority will begin to blend with the Western sense of entitlement and their tradition of questioning authority. Chinese value a sense of patience and oral contracts, and Western cultures value deadlines and depend on legal documents signed before any work begins. A Chinese organization’s Chairman explained to Gary, “I don’t understand the Western way of thinking. With all of these rules, where to park or not , how to use a toothbrush in the right way, labels on cords that warn against dropping the appliance into the bathtub, how people are to be treated…it looks to me like a society of leaders who don’t trust their population.”

 An investment banker in New York City told us,”The Chinese don’t understand how to play our game. They tell us they want to acquire a company. We tell them the rules of how to get involved in mergers and acquistions, but then they don’t play by our rules. They don’t understand that U.S. companies may not be able to do the deal without getting the necessary paperwork signed by the deadline, and many deals fall apart as a result. This is a disappointment to both sides, because both sides were really ready to make the deal.”As more power shifts to China ,our rules may gradually become less effective, and we’ll have more success as Western executives by finding ways to work more effectively with Eastern way of doing things.

The profitable , marginal opportunities are more costly because they’re more sophisticated, but they’re more available because people haven’t gotten to them yet. Opportunities within existing markets can become the new revenue producing centers. Young professionals and new wealth bring new demand for luxury and trending products. For instance, Starbucks and iPhones have become staples in Chinese professional circles. Luxury eyeglass manufactures have realized their frame design didn’t allow proper placement for where the Chinese eye is located, so new designs have been created for China. Red has replaced other product colors bound for the Chinese market. Another trend showing up in some industries is similarity in product design across cultures. Ford is moving toward only a few basic models globally which they ‘ll customize to the local market.

The United States is not the only country being drawn from an insular experience into the larger global arena. China is taking advantage of the opportunity to become proficient in working with a wider variety of cultures regarding their products and services  ,and how people want to be managed. There will be emerging entrepreneurs who rival larger corporations for market share. Even large conglomerates will have to grow and adapt.

As a company whose products involved interavtion between people ,Hallmark was ahead of its time as they began to think of their base as a ‘social expression business’. They would look into their local market to determine the unique characteristics of this market. They would develop unique products within their core line of greeting cards, party goods, candles,and gifts that reflected a keen sensitivity to the local culture.

Other corporations who products that more easily crossed international cultures could simply set up a sales office in a new country ,and the people who wanted that product just needed tobe informed they were there . So much of early U.S. success was simply creating awareness of the product, consumer benefits and how to use it. For instance ,the company would advertise disposal tissues instead of handkerchiefs that needed to be washed ,and blenders were shown to make work in the kitchen much easier.Innovations coming from the United States were welcomed and sales were good.

 Over the years Gary has noticed that many U.S. leaders, even those with international responsibility , are very U.S. centric. It’s been possible as Americans for us to think of ourselves as having the right answers, that we have the highest evolution of systems and ours is, of course ,the best way. Europeans have become more accustomed to the fat there are other ways of doing things . They’ve grown up in close proximity to a variety of other cultures ,and cultural awareness is just part of their reality.

Historically in the United States we’ve been allowed, and even encouraged ,to be quite insular. It’s not on our radar to really regard others within their own context. Rather than valuing and understanding the other culture, we’ve often merely seen then as an opportunity to expand distribution of our products and services. Because of the forcefulness of our nature we’ve been successful selling concepts and products to the world ,however it’s not always been with sensitivity to the local culture.

 摘录于：《Global Mindset Leadership》

作者：Dr.Gary Ranker    Donny Huang   Marilyn Mcleod