Bernd Deutscher about emphatic, intercultural competences in a global working world
In the morning, video conference on the topic of production capacities with our supplier from Asia, lunch with our colleagues from India, and in the afternoon coordination of project topics with our colleagues from Turkey. This is what Bernd Deutscher’s working days look like. Today he gives us a little insight into what it means to lead intercultural teams and tells us how he prepares our employees for the challenges that may await them.
In the course of globalization, competencies such as intercultural leadership are becoming increasingly important. In my daily business as Director Global Product Sourcing & Buying, I am confronted with the need to deal with differences in leadership, communication, and working behaviors within my teams that are due to national cultures.
Culture is highly complex and, in combination with our dynamic group processes and organizational influence, anything but easy to decipher. As a leader, I am committed to ensuring that everyone in my team can (re)act appropriately in this environment.
How does this work?
By putting together diversified teams, i.e. with people from a wide variety of cultures on site at our company in Rottendorf. This means that we already have the opportunity to develop intercultural skills within our teams. Internationally staffed project teams that collaborate (virtually) offer our employees a protected framework to venture into the multicultural arena. This approach helps all team members, above all, to become familiar with national cultural characteristics and value systems, to reflect on them accordingly, and to derive appropriate explanatory and action patterns from them. Because without these competencies, the procurement of goods and global sourcing are not possible. In addition, we support our colleagues across the Group with a wide range of training opportunities.
Within these trainings, special forms of leadership and collaboration are tested in an intercultural context, e.g. negotiating procurement prices on a global stage - not only in Asia, but also in our so-called nearshoring procurement markets in and around Europe, where we are producing more and more. We are sharpening our communication and behavior so that digital collaboration and face-to-face meetings run as smoothly and appreciatively as possible.
My personal insider tip in today's global working world?
Empathy and intercultural sensitivity. It's better to ask your business partner, colleague, or manager once too often how something is meant than to assume you know how it was meant. Through open communication, I have been able to solve every misunderstanding.
Not a single day is like another, and that is exactly why I enjoy working in my colorful team. In a curious, open team there is still room for empathetic comrades-in-arms. If you want to be part of it, then apply online now: s.Oliver - Stellen (soliver-group.com)