Global project management: Communication, collaboration and management across borders Drawing inspiration from the 17th-century samurai Miyamoto Musashi who developed the Nitoryu style of handling two swords at the same time, this workshop will address the challenge of being assertive, quick, and to the point in one culture, while succeeding in being unassertive, patient, and somewhat indirect in another. Learning outcomes • Understand the framework for effective cross-cultural project management • Discover tools and techniques in  Trust building, conflict resolution, influencing, negotiating  Communication channels management  Project meetings organization  Use of the English language  Selection of Human Resources  Knowledge sharing for a project team that spans different locations, time zones, cultures and languages. Topics • Cultural dimensions analysis • Global project leadership • Communication • Project structure • Collaborative tools

1.
Global Project Management
Communication, Collaboration and
Management Across Borders
George Liakeas, PMP
Page 1

2. Preface
◘ Organizations are taking
advantage of geographically
distributed skills, round-the-clock
operations, and virtual teams
while struggling to obtain
acceptable levels of efficiency
and quality from global projects.
Page 2

3. Program Objectives (1 of 3)
◘ To journey into the world of
multiculturalism.
◘ To comprehend the global aspect of
interculturalism.
◘ To understand different cultures in this era
of global environment.
◘ To comprehend the challenges &
opportunities of intercultural negotiation.
Page 3

4. Program Objectives (2 of 3)
◘ Identify opportunities strategies in a diverse
workforce.
◘ Manage to interact fruitfully with people of
unique values & backgrounds.
◘ Enhance your competitive positioning
through understanding the different
values of people.
◘ Expatriates: tips for adaptation in an
intercultural environment.
Page 4

5. Program Objectives (3 of 3)
◘ Enrich your organizational strategies
& outcomes.
◘ Improve interactivity in a cross-cultural
environment.
◘ Understand the religious beliefs & practices that
shape behaviors.
◘ Underline stereotypes & prejudices that take
place into our understanding
of other cultures.
Page 5

6. Global Environment
 This is the era of global interactivity.
 Countries, businesses, institutions, organizations, &
individuals interact nationally & internationally.
 Organizational management no longer runs as usual.
 Businesses, organizations, & institutions are delineating their
management approach on global perspectives.
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7. Global Project challenges
◘ Distant Locations
◘ Number of different organizations
◘ Country cultures
◘ Different languages
◘ Time zones
Page 7

8. Perfect communication can result
in total misunderstanding
• A high context culture information is
either in the physical context or
internalized in the person with less
communicated in the explicit words
or message
• Leaders of global projects must be
bilingual
Page 8

9. Use of the English language
• Restrict the use of English words to their most common
meaning
• Select words with few alternate meanings (e.g. accurate
instead of right, 1 vs. 27 meanings)
• Become aware of alternate spellings (e.g. organization, centre)
• Conform to basic grammar rules more strictly
• Avoid terms borrowed form sports (“can’t get to first base”) or
literature (“catch-22”)
• When addressing someone you do not know well, keep the
tone formal while expressing personal interest or concern
Page 9

10. Build Intercultural Relations (1 of 9)
Consider This
■ Sense of Respect ■ Observation
■ Patience ■ Openness
■ Listening ■ Divergence
■ Silence ■ Minimize Antagonism
Page 10

11. “Culture Shock”
♦ This term was first introduced by Kalervo
Oberg in 1954.
♦ Culture shock includes anxiety & feelings
caused by surprise, uncertainty, confusion, &
disorientation.
♦ Anxiety caused when people have to operate
within a different & unknown cultural or
social environment.
Page 11

12. Trust Building
The belief or confidence in a person or
organization's integrity, fairness and
reliability (Lipnack & Stamps)
• Identify the level of trust required based on
the project complexity, project schedule,
number of different locations, number of
different cultures, number of different
organizations and number of new relations
Page 12

13. Diversity Activities and Ice-Breakers
• Who I Am
This activity allows the learners to share their
culture roots and to learn about each other.
• I Want You To Know
Share the experiences of various cultural
groups and listen to one another.
• Getting To Know You
To learn about each other.
• The Herman Grid
To discover that first impressions of people
are not always true.
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14. Diversity Activities and Ice-Breakers
Page 14

15. Long-term trust
Depending on the level of PM
maturity, either
• Organize a lessons-learned session to
identify aspects that contributed to
increasing the level of trust, or
reduced it.
• Organize an informal event and
identify the comments that relate to
trust.
Page 15

16. Conflict
• The unitary perspective sees consensus as the ideal state,
and conflict as a malfunction with harmful effects on
projects. Resolution consists of identifying and eliminating
the root causes of conflict
• People from individualist societies are educated under the
pluralist perspective and see conflict as positive . Resolution
consists of reconciliation of different parties interests, using
plan, objectives and strategies
• The interactionist perspective sees group cohesion as bad,
and encourages both conflict stimulation and management
of conflict
(Buchanan and Huczynski)
Page 16

17. Definition: Culture
‘Culture is what is left if you
‘Culture is what is left if you
forgot all else’
forgot all else’
Eduard Herriot
Eduard Herriot
Page 17

18. Definition: Culture
Collective programming of the mind
Collective programming of the mind
which distinguishes the members of
which distinguishes the members of
one group or category of people from
one group or category of people from
another(…)The mind stands for the
another(…)The mind stands for the
head, heart and hands -- that is, for
head, heart and hands that is, for
thinking, feeling, and acting, with
thinking, feeling, and acting, with
consequences for beliefs, attitudes and
consequences for beliefs, attitudes and
skills(…) Culture in this sense
skills(…) Culture in this sense
includes values (Hofstede, 2001)
includes values (Hofstede, 2001)
Page 18

19. Definition: Culture
Our own culture is like water to
Our own culture is like water to
a fish. It sustains us. We live and
a fish. It sustains us. We live and
breathe through it (Trompenaars,
breathe through it (Trompenaars,
2005)
2005)
Page 19

20. Cultural aspects basic model
• Sense of self
• Communicational language
• Dress and appearance
• Food and eating habits
• Time and time-consciousness
• Relationships
• Values and norms
• Beliefs and attitude
• Mental process and learning
• Work habits and practices
Page 20

21. Culture and project management
• Symbols
• Heroes
• Rituals
• Values: Tendencies and preferences
over different aspects of social or
professional life.
Page 21

22. Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede)
• Power distance
– How individuals from different cultures
handle the fact that people are unequal.
• Individualism and collectivism
– Classifies countries according to their
relationship between individuals and
societies.
• Masculinity and femininity
– Degree of gender differentiation. Ideals are
economic growth, progress, material
success and performance.
Page 22

23. Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede)
• Uncertainty Avoidance
– Reflects the resistance to change and
the attitude to taking risks
• Long-term Orientation
– People from short-term oriented
cultures tend to give high importance to
values such as quick results and give
more attention to personal stability.
Page 23

24. Cultural dimensions matrix
Page 24

25. Page 25

26. Dilemmas
"Imagine you're in a car driven by a close
friend of yours. He's speeding - going
50mph where you're allowed to go
30mph - and he hits a pedestrian. It
comes to court and the lawyer of your
friend says, 'Don't worry, you're the only
witness.' Two questions: first of all, what
is the right of your friend to expect you
to testify to the lower figure? And,
secondly, should you lie?"
Page 26

27. Cultural Dimensions (Trompenaars)
• Universalism vs. Particularism
– Defines how people judge the behavior of
their colleagues.
• Individualism and Communitarianism
• Achievement vs. Ascription
• Neutral vs. Affective
• Specific vs. Diffuse
• Human-Nature relationship (internal vs.
external control)
• Human-Time relationship
Page 27

28. Page 28

29. Cultural framework
Page 29

30. Cultural framework
• Low Context: Be quick & to the point, Be prepared for rational
arguments
• High Context: There are many ways to get things done, respect a
person’s title, age, background connections
• Predictability-oriented: Be specific and precise
• Uncertainty-tolerant: Be prepared for vagueness, recognize that it
may take longer to make decisions
• Monochronic: One activity at a time, schedule in advance, be
prompt, relationships are subordinate to schedules, follow initial
plans
• Polychronic: Do more than one activity at a time, appointments are
approximate, schedules are subordinate to relationships
Page 30

31. Cultural framework
• Group focused: Show patience for time taken to consent,
negotiators agree tentatively & then consult with superiors,
Importance is on lasting relationships
• Individual focused: Prepare for quick decisions, negotiators
can commit, importance is on meeting the objective
• Equalitarian culture: Respect knowledge and information of
the counterparts even if they are short of influence, use the
title that reflects your competency
• Hierarchical culture: Respect the status and influence of the
counterpart, even if they are shirt of knowledge, use the title
that reflects your degree of influence in the organization.
Page 31

32. Corporate cultures
• The incubator is both person oriented and egalitarian. It is
highly creative, incubating new ideas.
Sharing excitement with fellow innovators
• The guided Missile : equalitarian, task oriented culture =>
there is a multidisciplinary project, and the team work aims
at bringing it to a successful end.
Meeting team objectives and group goals
• The family : the oldest form. It is hierarchical: the gap
between “parents” = owners and “children” = employees is
wide.
Fulfilling your obligations to colleagues
• The Eiffel Tower : It does precise, detailed and routine tasks
without errors.
Fulfilling your job description as specified in advance
Page 32

33. Cultural framework
Miyamoto Musashi & Nitoryu
Page 33

34. How to integrate
• Always use culture in the context of business
• Start with the business issue and then look into its cultural
aspect
• Frame issues into dilemmas.
– Chart the dilemma so that the line can be cracked
– Make the dilemma as specific as possible
– Stretch the dilemma (positives & negatives)
– Reconcile the dilemma (How can value X give more of
value Y)
• Look into all levels and not only national
• Create the process for constructive dialog
• Celebrate the similarities while working on the differences
• Work on key-issues and not all issues
Page 34

35. How to integrate
• Be sensitive to other ways of :
– thinking
– feeling
– acting
• To be able to deal effectively with:
– customers
– suppliers
– clients
– bosses
– employees
Page 35

36. Stakeholders
• Persons and organizations whose interests
may be positively or negatively affected by
execution or completion of the project
(PMI)
• People or groups who are interested on
the performance and/or success of the
project, or who are constrained by the
project (ICB)
Page 36

37. Stakeholders commitment framework
• From ignorance to awareness
• Understanding
• Support
• Involvement
• Commitment
Page 37

38. Project Knowledge base
Page 38

39. Communication templates
• Colors
• Drop-down menus
• Automated filtering
• Include legends and explanations
• Allow identification of location
Page 39

40. Communication requirements matrix
Stakeholder Sponsor Steering PM Project Members Customers Partners
Information committee Coordinators
Project
Status
WP status
Org
Logistics
Standards
Templates
Plan
Page 40

41. Stakeholders communication channels
Page 41

42. Communication techniques
• Project virtual room divided to levels
with hyperlinks
• Status meetings
– Stakeholders (changes on the register and their impact)
– Communication plan
– Validity of assumptions
– Schedule
– Issues & Corrective actions
– Risks
– Changes
– Quality
– Procurement
– Minutes
Page 42

43. Global Project structure
• Centralised
• Distributed with local
Coordinators
• Distributed with functional
Coordinators
• Round-the-clock project
management
Page 43

44. Global team member’s skills
• Global communication
• Global experience
• Global thinking
• Culture awareness
• Technical capabilities in the communication tools
• Self-discipline
• Personal Confidence
• Tolerance for ambiguity
• Self-motivation
• Self-efficacy
• Organization
• Concentration
• Reduced social interaction
• Openness and flexibility
Page 44

45. Global Collaborative networks
• Interests
• Corporate cultures
• Maturity levels on project
management
• Maturity levels on processes and
procedures
• Collaborative tools and
communication techniques
Page 45

46. Global Collaborative networks
• Establish the purpose of the program/project
• Prepare team charter
• Define roles and responsibilities
• Agree on common systems, structures, policies,t ools and
methods
• Define a shared goal
• Understand the different values and styles
• Identify training an coaching needs
• Organize social activities that allow relationship building and
the creation of informal networks
• Monitor the effectiveness of the above
Page 46

47. Focus in communication infrastructure
• Ease of use and quality of
telephones , email, audio and
video conferencing, instant
messaging, web conferencing.
• Documentation and procedures
of technologies used.
Page 47

48. Communication recommendations
• Consider constant travelling, local holidays and vacations as
possible reasons for delays
• Try to reply the important messages on the same day or provide an
estimate on the reply date
• Remember to enable the ‘out of office’ message
• Avoid acronyms, sarcasm, slang
• Always state the time zone, date format you are referring to
• Wait overnight to send emotional responses
• Be careful when replying to messages sent to a large group of
people
• Always include a short signature with contact details
• Always keep the original text intact when forwarding a message
• “Be conservative in what you send and liberal in what you receive”
(Hambridge)
Page 48

49. Communication recommendations
Avoid
• E-mail for urgent information or requests
• Adopting e-mails as the main communication tools, instead of
meetings, knowledge sharing tools and collaborative project
management systems
• E-mail as a file transfer tool
• Call after the e-mail
• Create as many informal events as possible, especially in difusse,
low context cultures
Page 49

50. Communication recommendations
Audio conferencing
• Issue the meeting request in advance along with the telephone number
details
• Limit the duration to two hours by dividing the meeting into logical sections
(3h for video)
• Commence the conference facilities prior to the starting time
• Confirm that every invitee has joined
• Speak slowly and clearly
• Use mute when not talking
• Proactively engage participants, note who is not participating , and invite
them by name to confirm their agreement, or voice their opinion
• Capture all action points, confirm their ownership, and expected completion
date
• When the time allocated is not enough, ask all if all participants are able to
continue.
• Take special care for video conferencing (Conference room telephone
number, participants mobile numbers, allow time for technical issues)
Page 50

51. Project management software
• Network diagramming
• Detailed schedule with colored indications
• Milestone schedule
• Risk log with automted warnings to owners
• Issues log
• Change control system
• Progress report
• Resources allocation
• Integration with timesheet
• Integration with financial systems
• Schedule network analysis
Page 51

52. Seven sins
in a multicultural world
• Unawareness
• Ethnocentrism
• Amnesia
• Professional myopia
• Conceptual mix-up
• Academic polemics
• Level confusion
Page 52

53. Project management fundamentals
 Be clear on the Business strategy including corporate
objectives, business unit objectives, mission statements and
vision
 Have a concise elevator speech ready at all times
 Don’t waste time. It is the most precious resource
 Treat key projects as a portfolio of investments
 Clearly communicate key project deliverables and dates
 Clearly communicate and challenge key project assumptions.
They might be risks
Page 53

54. Project management fundamentals
 Understand the project constraints
 Begin detailed project planning with clear formulation of
what has to be accomplished (product scope) and what has
to be done (project scope)
 Remember the triple constraint of scope, schedule and
budget
 Spend some extra time to turn unknown unknowns into
known unknowns
 Ask the tough EV analysis questions to determine if we are
within budget and on schedule
Page 54

55. References
• Buchanan D. and Huczynski, A. (1997) Organizational Behavior : An
introductory Text – third edition (Prentice Hall Europe, UK)
• Hambridge, S. (1995) Netiquette Guidelines (IETF)
• Hofstede G. (2001) Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors,
institutions and Organizations across nations (Sage Publications, UK)
• Lipnack J. and Stamps J, (1997) Virtual teams: reaching across space, time,
and organizations with technology (John Wiley and sons, USA)
• Somers M. (2007) Coaching at work: Powering your team with awareness ,
responsibility and trust (John Wiley and sons, UK).
• Trompenaars F. and Hampden-Turner C. (2005) Riding the waves of culture:
understanding cultural diversity in Business (Nicholas Brealey, UK)
• Trompenaars F and Wooliams P. (2003) Business across cultures (Capstone,
UK)
• Kerzner H (2004) Advanced project management: Best practices on
implementation (John Wiley & sons, USA)
• Morrell M, and Capparell, Shackleton’s way (Penguin Books, 2001)
• The world is flat, Friedman, T. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006
• Managing cultural differences, Moran R. Harris P. and moran S. 2006
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