Cultural Integration and Facilitation

International Integration Processes

What I do and where I focus

I integrate.
More precisely, I accompany and facilitate you through your integration process.

Successful integration requires recognition of a few fundamental facts:

1. The business and organisational world is littered with buzzwords. A selection: M&A, merger, synergy, human capital, economies, economies of scale, efficiency, among others. Buzzwords are intended to make a positive impression. They are rarely related to reality.
2. "M&A" and "Merger" are fictitious concepts in today's business world. There is very rarely, if ever, a "merger", notwithstanding the statements issued for the consumption of the media and employees. These events are ACQUISITIONS, nothing more. If this fact is recognised and accepted openly, it creates a focus for the stakeholders in their new situation, making the integration challenges much easier to deal with.
3. "Human capital" as a term is a construct that, in my view, relegates human beings to the level of things. I work with PEOPLE.
4. "Synergy, economies, economies of scale, efficiency" are concepts that remain theoretical unless there is integration of perspective and activity. This is where I work with you. I FOCUS ON INTEGRATING PEOPLE, always with a specific business purpose.

It's all about people.
The people in any organisation are the drivers.
HOW they drive is critical.
Therefore, first and foremost, it is the people who need to integrate in any new venture.
Business integration derives from the people.

In today's world, where acquisitions and joint-ventures tend to be decided upon relatively quickly, the focus for business decisions is generally on market factors. All too often the "people factor" is overlooked, leading frequently to significant difficulties and even failure to achieve the hoped for results and goals. The "people factor" is, however, the key to success.

A new organisation needs to build/evolve a new culture. A successful process appreciates and recognises the old cultures.
A holistic approach to integration of different cultures (national, corporate, professional), with the focus on the "new common interests", provides the foundation for successful cooperation and therefore, successful business.

I guide the process: I support.	I ask the critical questions and work out solutions together with you, the client.
You, the client are the process owner:	You set the goals.You make the decisions.

International Projects

Project Consulting
Design and Facilitation of Meetings, Kick-off Events, Project Workshops, Large Group Events

All too frequently, international project meetings, consist of a series of technically oriented presentations to a passively listening audience, followed by a few questions. This approach is particularly common for kick-off events.

During the breaks, some of the group members may meet each other.

Afterwards, having been "given" all the information they need, they are expected to return to their offices and work on the project – cooperating across continents.

Good luck!

Our experience shows that this is where the problems start:

• work does not get done because people do not understand what their roles are
• tasks are not completed because the group leaders do not understand members expectations of them
• tasks take a low priority because there is no sense of commitment to the project
• cooperation does not occur because people are unaware how to communicate with each other
• technical development is not integrated because people are not communicating with each other
• ...............
• ...............
• There is no FOCUS ...

and costs keep rising while the deadline gets closer. At this stage, I can and am more than willing to intervene with consultation in the ……

… Design and Facilitation of Problem Solving Workshops

However, I strongly recommend addressing these issues during the initial stage of a project in order to avoid potential problems. Prevention is always preferable to cure.

All interventions are process oriented. With a variety of impulses and measures, the group is encouraged to re-focus on the original goals, gain clarity on their direction and to initiate a new commitment to the now necessary agreements and action plan.

International Team Development Processes

"Team" is an oft misused term: it is frequently used when the meaning is really "group". Furthermore, the term is understood differently by people from different cultures. When international teams need to work together, a common understanding of the concept, the tasks, the goals, the focus and the approach are essential.

Basically, the questions facing teams, whoever they are and wherever they work are very similar:

• What do we want / need to do together?
• What do we want / need to achieve together?
• How are we going to achieve it, together?

Additional issues include:

• A balance of roles in the team
• Selection of appropriate team members for specific roles and tasks
• Integrating different working styles of team members
• Benefiting from the diversity in the team
• Establishing common working principles
• Developing commitment
• Establishing responsibilities
• Developing trust
• Communication culture
• Team leadership
• Creating processes
• Action planning
• …………………

I work with real teams that need to work together. I provide the team members with the opportunity to come together and decide on all the key questions in an open space with clear agreed goals and a clear focus.

Mediation

On occasions, people (and organisations) involved in a conflict simply get … stuck. Nothing moves. There is stagnation, frequently frustration, mutual blame, accusations: lack of constructiveness and … rising costs for the individuals and the organisation(s).

Generally, when a problem becomes deadlocked, an external mediator is more likely to be able to get the parties talking constructively with each other again than someone from within the organisation, simply because they are...external: i.e. they have no agenda, no intrinsic interest in any one party gaining an advantage and can normally be perceived by all parties as unbiased. This makes it easier to establish trust and hence re-establish focus on the true issues to be solved.

My role:

• Research the issue
• Establish the framework and agree the guidelines
• Agree the objectives
• Work equally and confidentially with all the parties concerned
• Focus on a solution

Change Processes

Three truths (and paradoxes) about change:

• Change occurs continuously.
• Change involves risk.
• If we try to avoid change due to the risk, it will still occur anyway.

The two critical questions about change processes:

1. How can we manage the change towards a desired goal?
2. How can we reduce the feeling of insecurity that accompanies the risk?

Characteristics and Risks of Change Processes

All change involves risk and may appear frightening to those affected. Moving from the known to the unknown creates uncertainty. Results may initially appear insubstantial; they become clear and substantial during the process. Periods of downturn in the process which provide the energy for a substantial upturn, are common. Instability is normal: this provides the space for innovation. So-called "soft" issues automatically become "hard" issues.
Because people run the business, people issues are business issues: i.e. there are no "soft" issues.


Approach

Your challenge as an organisation leader is to successfully drive the change towards your desired goal.
For the organisation to survive, a desired goal must be sustainable.
To achieve sustainability, the stakeholders must not only be involved, they need to embrace the change, the goal and be actively engaged in driving the process.
This is where I support.

I work with change as a positive concept, recognising, appreciating and valuing the achievements of the past and the organisation members responsible for these achievements. You are encouraged to confront issues openly, an approach requiring people to build and nurture a high level of trust. The leadership culture should promote this openness, leading in turn, to the development of a learning organisation.

The approach is holistic, viewing the organisation as a system subject to continuous evolution. A change initiative injects new impetus and possibly new direction into the system.

A question frequently asked by many organisations is: "What can we do with our people?" If we ask a different question, the scope for development and progress becomes unlimited.

I am interested in your success. Therefore, before embarking on facilitating any change process, I insist on one condition:

This diagram illustrates an example of a change process designed for a client:

Shaping and Implementing Visions

A clear vision enables people and organisations to see where they are going and why they are going there. It provides a means of identification, orientation and direction.
But, a vision alone is not enough … it must be lived.

Vision finding processes enable:

• The creation of a vision
• Clarification of the implementation process

You are led from the past, through the present, to the future.
At each stage, together, we assess the learning and re-establish direction.

Four critical questions remain in focus throughout:

1. "Where are we now?" (Current situation)
2. "What do we want?" (Vision)
3. "Why do we want it?" (Purpose)
4. "Where is this journey leading us?" (Direction)

We appreciate the past.
We recognise the present.
We take the first steps to building the future …