Our Client Work
Financial
Services - Leadership Program
In 2001 one of our clients in the Financial Market organized a Leadership
Program. The program consisted of 8 2-day events, being arranged in New
York, Tokyo, Hong Kong and London, with approximately 120 participants
each. We were being asked to do part of the program at all 8 the events.
Results
Our role within the Leadership Program was to assist the company's Managing
Directors in preserving and expanding the company culture amidst its growth
by presenting a 2 hour program that deals with relevant cross-cultural
issues and dilemmas specific to their company. Prior to the sessions we
interviewed approximately 20 managers from across the world. Out of these
interviews, a preliminary report was written, in which the most relevant
company-dilemmas were described. Also, five internal managers were trained
to co/facilitate the sessions.
Manufacturing
- Intercultural Change Management for Globalization
This company has been executing a strategy of aligning itself to a single
set of global processes in order to support the Project Management areas
of one of its divisions. The strategy, referred to as the Global Business
Management (GBM) program, will also establish a business management platform.
The goal of this functional platform is to implement continuous performance
improvement through process standardization and timely presentation of
accurate data throughout the division.
As the new business management platform represents a change of business model, roles and responsibilities, THT was brought in to focus on change management within the GBM program, with an emphasize on cross-cultural issues. KPMG US supports the GBM program as the main contractor. THT became involved as a subcontractor of KPMG US.
The scope of our project was to work with a representation of the 9 countries in Europe, where Honeywell is represented, and the US. In a later stage of the GBM program the new business platform would be implemented in all 9 European countries.
Results
THT delivered the following solutions in the area of Change Management:
- Support of project director on change management issues, including personal coaching on, for example, steering Team Meetings
- Team Building sessions, including practical exercises
- Assessment of the 'state-of-mind' of stakeholders
- Presentations and workshops about Change Management, Cultural Awareness and Dilemma Reconciliation
- First version Communication Plan
- Developed the 'People' focus area as part of the plateau planning in the GBM Maturity Model
Technology
This automation company is a global company, employing 23,000 people at
approximately 450 locations. In 1999, it had set aggressive goals based
on customer success, global market success, employee success and financial
performance. To achieve these goals, it followed a Growth Strategy (Complete
Automation) to focus on customer and market success, and a Performance
Strategy (Integrated Independence) to focus on employee success and financial
performance in a globalizing market. This strategy raised questions such
as to what extent the organization should integrate processes and activities
to best meet business needs of locations separated by geography, language,
government, tradition and culture.
Results
We gave insight on its corporate culture and suggested possible approaches
for addressing some important issues. We developed for that purpose a
Globalization Index Survey. In practice, the major origin of cultural
differences between you and others may lie in two or three dimensions.
By reconciling the differences on the dimensions you have identified,
you can begin to reconcile your cultural orientation with the other party.
Telecommunications
– Leadership Development
When a large telecommunications company wanted to enter the Chinese market
it had to overcome, among others, the challenge presented by cultural
barriers for both local and expatriate managers. The company committed
itself to developing local leadership capabilities and its Chinese company’s
corporate culture through a Leadership Development Program. We were involved
in the design and delivery of this program, using our Seven Dimensions
of Culture Model and our Reconciliation Methodology.
Results
The managers that took part in the program have become change agents in
their respective units, resolving many on-going pressing business issues.
In addition, the joint learning process has created a tight network, which
tremendously stimulates cross-functional sharing and cooperation.
Integration
Information
Technology and Consulting - Improve dialog between individual leaders
with different backgrounds
Fons Trompenaars made a very successful presentation in late 2002 to the
top group of 1800 global directors of this major division of an Information
Technology company, employing 60,000 people. The integration of the consulting
organization had just started. Its CEO asked us to design a program to
introduce dilemma thinking as a way to improve the dialog
between individual leaders with different backgrounds - such as a product
vs. a customer focus. We worked closely with the internal change management
team, as well as with the leadership development team. We have recently
been asked to assist the company in incorporating the dilemma reconciliation
approach as part of its standard leadership development curriculum for
its high-potentials.
Technology
– Cultural Integration process
In January 2002, this Norwegian company acquired a US-based satellite-mobile
operator. Both companies were relatively equal in size and operations,
and have been competition for a long time. The new management team was
primarily composed of Norwegian and American nationals. The success of
the newly formed company was being expected to highly depend on the ability
of this management team to work together.
Our role was to support the cultural aspects of the integration process
between the two organizations. This support consisted of the following:
- Analysis of differences between national cultures and the corporate cultures of both organizations.
- To raise the awareness of the management team with regards to cultural differences, and the impact they may have when operating as a (new) management team, in particular in an integration process, and with particular attention to Norwegian-American differences (and similarities).
- To help clarify issues which the management team will confront in the near future, and to illustrate how dilemma reconciliation techniques may be helpful to address these.
- To initiate a process of identifying which values the managers have in common, as a way to (re-) define the company’s future core values.
Results
We conducted interviews and a cultural survey, the analysis of which resulted
in a report that formed the basis of a workshop. There, the top management
group discussed concrete action points to include as part of their integration
process, focusing on the cultural aspects of this process.
Natural
resources - Merger Integration Advice
This company was formed as a merger between the petrochemical and polyolefin
businesses of a Norwegian company and a Finnish company. A new head office
was opened in a 'neutral' third country: Denmark. Later, the company did
an acquisition of an Austrian company. Right after these mergers, the
company established a set of common principles and objectives: The Four
Founding Values, which helped to give the new company direction. It was
however difficult to map the present culture, because it was still evolving.
Furthermore, the company wanted to do research on the possibilities of
an organizational integration process with a Dutch company.
Results
The role of THT was making a comparison between the two business cultures,
based on the results of research (new and existing) in combination with
our theory of the 7 dimensions of culture, our corporate culture model,
the theory on reconciliation as well as giving opportunities for possible
synergies.
The knowledge that had been gained through several presentations and
training sessions with the company during the period of October 1997 -
November 2000 was based on the mapping of their own corporate culture.
The sketch of the Dutch business culture was grounded on our work with
many Dutch multinational companies and on collected country specific information,
gathered on our e-learning instrument "Culture Compass Online".
Transportation
– Cultural Diagnosis of merging parties
A Canadian company, operating in the field of transportation, acquired
a former East German state-owned company. The client was much aware of
the need to pay attention to cultural differences between the two companies
that could be the cause of potential problems. We were, therefore, asked
to help create awareness on their cultures (German and Canadian) and of
the differences between them and the implications in business.
Result(s)
We produced a report, containing the analyses of a cultural survey and
ca. 20 interviews of key people within both organizations. The results
were presented at a kick-off meeting of management and key players of
both companies.
Telecommunications
– Leadership Development Program
When a large telecommunications company wanted to enter the Chinese market
it had to overcome, among others, the challenge presented by cultural
barriers for both local and expatriate managers. The company committed
itself to developing local leadership capabilities and its Chinese company’s
corporate culture through a Leadership Development Program. We were involved
in the design and delivery of this program, using our Seven Dimensions
of Culture Model and our Reconciliation Methodology.
Result(s)
The managers that took part in the program have become change agents in
their respective units, resolving many on-going pressing business issues.
In addition, the joint learning process has created a tight network, which
tremendously stimulates cross-functional sharing and cooperation.
Insurance
- Facilitation of cultural integration process
A German, privately-owned insurance company merged with a Dutch insurance
company, thereby becoming the second largest credit insurer worldwide.
Our client had identified cultural integration as a key success factor
to realize the anticipated synergy of the newly merged company and asked
us to consult on this topic. Our role was to facilitate the cultural integration
process, in which we distinguished 3 phases. Our involvement was limited
to the first 2 phases: pre-integration (creating awareness and vision
within the Integration Team) and “Designing the bridge” (developing
a cultural integration plan, identifying additional issues and preparing
resources within the organization).
Result(s)
We conducted a cultural survey of the newly merged company and identified
the most pressing issues of the integration process, on the basis of which
we facilitated the Integration Team during several sessions in their job
of guiding the integration process and preparing for the implementation
of the integration plan (phase 3).
Pharmaceutics
– Translating Values to Performance
In November 2003 we were asked by Research and Development of one of the
biggest sites of a major pharmaceutical company to carry out an analysis
of cultural barriers and current cultural enablers to improve productivity.
The ultimate goal of our work was to stimulate and facilitate R&D
in achieving a culture focused on high performance, where it may set the
standard for productivity for all the company’s Research and Development
activities.
Results
Our approach consisted of 3 different phases:
- Identification of the key issues, diagnosing Pfizer’s culture and recommendations for improving Pfizer’s culture
- Mobilization of the key people within Sandwich PGRD by involving them in Action Learning Programs
- Implementation of the culture change using Action Learning Programs
- Suggestions were made for the integration of culture change in systems
and procedures, and how to sustain the culture change
Technology
- Global Vision and Values
The last few years this client has integrated various cultures into its US origins. As the company grew, it became a more complex organization. Despite its success, the growth had some less desirable consequences: people became more individualistic and political in their behavior, and the sense of common values within the company decreased. The top executives identified the need for a possible shift in values within the global organization and decided to create a Value Structure for the organization that would rise to the challenges of the 21st century.
Our assistance consisted of 3 phases:
- Discovery of Core Ideology
- Mobilizing Management around Core Values
- Living and Applying Core Values
Objectives/Results:
- To build a renewed Values Framework of Leadership and Vision to the company's most senior management, leading to a more internationally coherent and cohesive organization.
- To assess, develop, and strengthen cross-cultural competencies in the leadership of this highly sophisticated and complex organization.
- To facilitate the worldwide rollout of the Values Framework by bringing it alive to their senior management, and aligning it with your strategy.
- To internalize a learning methodology that can successfully deal with management's strategic paradoxes and support problem solving across functional and national boundaries.
- To investigate, diagnose, and map the core dilemmas within the most senior team and with its second tier, and facilitate the process of solving these core dilemmas with senior management.
Financial
Services - Core values program (after integration)
In December 2001, two separate banks merged to become one Dutch bank.
In July 2001 the new Board invited us to give advice them on the cultural
aspects of the integration. Our role was to assist them with a Vision
and Values program. We conducted a research on the similarities and differences
between the corporate cultures of the separate companies and combined
these into a new set of image, core values and raison d'etre for the newly
formed Bank Nederland.
Results
We created a draft visionary framework by:
- Interviewing the 6 members of the Board of Directors on the subject of the existing corporate cultures and relevant dilemmas.
- Organizing a workshop focused on building cross-cultural competencies including dilemma reconciliation.
- Organizing a workshop focused on identifying the image of both companies and the desired image of the joint Dutch bank (using metaphors). Identification of shared values.
- The writing of the final report, based on the information gathered
through the first three phases. Giving a proposal for definition of
image, core values and raison d'etre of the new bank.
Financial
Services – Leadership Development
This bank is a leader in the Dutch market and a global player in wholesale,
retail and investment banking with major operations in the US as well
as in Brazil. Three years ago, it embarked on a strategy towards Managing
for Value. The purpose was to focus on significantly improved performance
within all the business units of the bank. Our firm was brought in to
help with the rollout of this strategy, primarily by engaging the Top
200 leaders of the bank, mostly during 2002.
Results
We introduced the concepts of dilemma reconciliation to help create a
dialogue within the bank around the difficulties encountered to execute
the stated strategy. Recently, we were asked to investigate a number of
success stories over the past year, and we could demonstrate how dilemma
thinking had played a positive role in their realization. Within the group
leadership development team, dilemma reconciliation is now considered
as a de facto core competence.
It was a pleasant surprise that the bank was even presenting dilemma thinking
on its website as a way to attract new staff, letting them compare how
they would react to a dilemma as compared to how staff at the bank would
respond.
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