Building on Chapter 4's theme Short on Feedback....
Withholding
Amid growing tensions between a joint U.S
and Korean launch team in a US-based facility, the first US venture for the
Korean company, I was asked to conduct a series of cross-cultural coaching
sessions. Polite consensus by the leadership was that the problem was
“cultural”—Koreans not understanding Americans and visa-versa.
Most of the American team were well
seasoned —handpicked because they had been top performers in their previous
jobs. Likewise, the Korean team members were highly experienced—but this was
their first overseas’ assignment.
What surfaced during our discussions was
that the new American management had been searching for documented policies and
procedures to guide them in decision-making and day-to-day work. For example,
those who had been former Toyota staff looked for a model similar to the Toyota Way, while others who had worked
for Ford Motor Company sought manuals of standard operation procedures (SOPs). As
a result of not finding guidelines, some of the Westerners were concerned that the
Koreans were deliberately withholding vital information as a form of control
and power even though the Korean and Americans were to be considered equals in
decision making and project oversight.
Probing deeper, I found that the Korean
managers, although limited in their overseas experience, were sincere in
sharing responsibility and relied heavily on the American staff. What also surfaced was that there were, in
fact, no formalized procedures or processes. In part this was rooted in the
Korean mindset discussed in Chapter 2; Korean projects remain flexible and continually
change. This, of course, was a stark contrast to the American teams who were
groomed in a western production model.
What I also uncovered and shared with the
Western management was that the Korean management actually respected the
Western production model. In fact, there
was an expectation that over time and based on know-how the American teams
would fine tune the transplanted process and standardize procedure for the US
operation.
One
way
Several years ago during a group workshop
which I hosted for Korean and Western senior managers, the discussion quickly focused
on one-way communications. The local American teams voiced puzzlement over receiving
little or no feedback on any reports or studies they provided to the
headquarters in Korea. For example, at the direction of HQ the local team devoted
considerable effort to the benchmarking of competitors and compliance testing but
received no feedback. This, of course, led to considerable frustration, because
in their previous employment the Westerners had been actively involved in high profile
projects with considerable feedback and follow-up.
Summing up their frustration, they felt
that information flowed only one way.
Korea would request, and their job was to simply fulfill.
Collecting his thoughts, a senior Korean
participant pointed out that local input was respected, but he, too, rarely
received direct feedback for the work performed in the local office. In fact,
what comments he did receive centered on achieving deadlines or were questions
and requests.
Continuing, the Korean manager explained that
despite what might seem to be an endless flow of reporting back to the HQ, he
personally felt that senior management reviewed those options and took them
into consideration. In fact, Korean leadership placed high levels of trust in the
local teams and their judgment.
Listening attentively, I added that in
Korea the formal communication channel was usually top down. The role of staff
in the ranks was to execute, not question, and then report their findings to
leadership. Seeking to change that model
would be a challenge. Instead I
suggested another option-- both teams meet weekly for a joint lunch meeting. The
local Korean team could share news as it surfaced and add their perspective. In
turn, the American team could use the opportunity to present new ideas and approaches
to ongoing projects. Over time they would at least improve inter-team
communications, leading to better understanding.
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