TM - August 2008 - (Page 36)

recruitment & retention assessment & evaluation compensation & beneﬁts performance management learning & development succession planning [learning & development] by Deepak Desai The Global Workforce: Communication Across Cul tures F or organizations to succeed in a global market in which geography quickly is becoming irrelevant, a shift in perspective is necessary. In a knowledge economy where expertise, innovation, intellectual property and research and development have replaced land and natural resources as the most valuable assets, human capital drives business growth. It’s estimated more than 70 percent of workers in developed countries are information workers. To sustain a competitive edge, organizations must continually develop and enhance these knowledge-based resources. Particularly in a global enterprise, collaboration is critical to facilitate the ﬂow of information and optimize the exchange of expertise and ideas. In the new economy, effective communication is a fundamental imperative. As the Internet evolves from a static collection of data into a dynamic, interactive platform, Web 2.0 is connecting people like never before. The second generation of wikis, social networking sites, collaboration tools and the like let people interact in ways previously unimaginable. — necessary at all levels of the organization, present in an ever-growing number of job situations and required for both internal and external communications. As technology continues to connect people around the world in more innovative and dynamic ways, the need for business English proﬁciency is increasing dramatically. English proﬁciency is equally important for employee career development. English-speaking employees in nonEnglish-speaking countries have more opportunities for advancement than employees who don’t speak English. Further, the bar for proﬁciency is rising. Today an employee might need basic English skills to work on a global team or assist an English-speaking customer. As that same employee advances through the organization, he or she likely will need to develop more sophisticated skills to actively participate in business conversations, facilitate meetings or handle sensitive or unexpected matters with conﬁdence. It’s of great concern, then, that most employees of global corporations report their English proﬁciency is inadequate. GlobalEnglish research shows 9 percent of employees’ think their business English skills are sufﬁcient to do their jobs. This is a massive and costly skills gap. For global organizations, seamless communication and common understanding are not nice-to-haves; they are strategic imperatives. Without a common language, there is no way for global employees to communicate and collaborate. By the year 2011, it’s been projected the percentage of non-native speakers of English in Global 1000 companies will reach 70 percent. Successful talent management leaders recognize both the challenge and the opportunity to develop business English competence in their organizations. The focus of corporate learning and development initiatives worldwide is shifting in recognition of the critical need for communication training and that of other skills necessary for success in the knowledge economy — skills such as critical thinking, decision making, negotiation, emotional intelligence and conﬂict resolution. According to a report published in 2006 by Bostonbased consulting and training organization Novations Technology offers the possibility of instant integration of far-ﬂung ofﬁces into one united team. But the convergence of cultures and languages presents incredible communication challenges in the global enterprise. Today’s workers juggle time zones and cultural differences daily; employees preparing for international interactions must become familiar with the societal characteristics and professional etiquette of the countries with which they communicate. And they also have to face a critical challenge that likely will determine the limits of their career success: becoming proﬁcient in English. Mastering the Language of International Business Twenty-ﬁve percent of the world’s population speaks English; it’s the ofﬁcial language of more than 50 countries. One billion people are learning English today, and according to the British Council, that number will double by 2015. At global corporations, non-native speakers from different countries rely on English to speak with one another. The need for English is pervasive 36 August 2008 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - August 2008

TM - August 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Foundations Global Background Screening Does Global Assessment Work? Global Total Renumeration: Creat One Organization Border Insecurity: Immigration Reform and Talent Management The Global Workforce: Communication Across Cultures Around the World in How Many Days? Insight: Exelon: Performance Under Pressure Special Report: Perspectives on Managing People Application: Reinventing Sales Rewards at Motorola Dashboard: Mideast Meets West Dashboard: Mergers and Acquisitions 2008 - Don’t Leave Employees Behind Editorial Resources Advertisers' Index Full Potential

TM - August 2008

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