My mission is to convince companies in Brittany of the benefits of developing an international culture. It will improve performance and perhaps even the well-being of employees.
What is international culture?
Just imagine.... a company where most employees working with international customers/colleagues can exchange and collaborate easily and confidently in English. Accent and grammar worries are a thing of the past. They have also developed intercultural awareness to optimize communication with their international colleagues/customers, and have a greater awareness of how cultural prejudices can influence behavior and thinking. Employees can even take advantage of this awareness and learn from different cultural practices to improve their own working methods. This has been happening on a larger scale for years, as companies in Europe look to America for best practice in management and coaching. Just look at how the principles of Agile and Design Thinking, concepts which originated in the USA, are being widely adopted in France.
Adherence to an international culture then becomes another way of developing a mindset in which learning is continuous, which naturally pushes people out of their comfort zone and thus encourages creativity and ultimately performance.
A utopian vision of an international company? Yes, it is! But my argument is that, with the right will and the right support, it's a goal that can be achieved in any company.
How do you create an international culture?
Developing an international culture is nothing new. High schools and universities have already introduced "CLIL" (Content and Language Integrated Learning), where English becomes a tool rather than an object of study. Major international groups are already adopting a policy of internationalization when producing content (reports, minutes, strategy) and communications. The time has come for Breton companies to adopt their own version, to really strengthen their presence on the international scene.
Like any change, it can take time. For me, the best place to start is actually... start now! It doesn't have to be a radical change. It could be just one conversation after another.... choose a task, meeting, training where you/your team will speak English. Or perhaps organize a regular online brainstorming / co-development session with international colleagues to share and learn from each other's methods. Whatever you choose, make it a regular habit. Create a routine!
It's easy to lose sight of your goal and let this type of activity slip down your list of priorities. Remember that it takes at least 3 weeks to develop a new habit. Coaching can also help keep managers and teams on track over time.
Why an international culture?
I've already mentioned the great possibilities that arise when you have people willing to step out of their comfort zone. They're less afraid to use the phone (faster decisions, more effective relationships). They're more willing to try new methods, ask more questions about their own actions and make the environment more creative and empathetic. What's more, we think differently when we speak another language. There are studies on the subject, but for me, the evidence is clear, because most of my customers tell me so! We can approach problems differently, and the fact that we have less vocabulary means we tackle the problem directly. Thinking differently is an essential skill for all of us in the future.
Finally, I'm concentrating on Brittany because I live and work in this beautiful region. But it's not Paris. Companies here have to work harder to attract talent. In my opinion, the internationalization of a company's culture adds value to an "employer brand".
Do you have any experience (good or bad) of developing an international culture in your company? I'd love to hear from you!