Benefits

“In complex environments the need for learning and developing of skills is ever–lasting. Hence education and training are necessary,” says Paul Melessen, Amsterdam–based international strategy consultant and coach of multinational teams. “However, in particular for managers, they are not sufficient,” continues Melessen. “Managers continuously transfer knowledge and sell ideas learned. You cannot learn this from a book or in a classroom. Managers need to be aware of their behaviour and its consequences. Otherwise their messages won’t land. A personal coach is perfect as a mirror. He or she helps you to bridge the gap between the knowledge and ideas in your head and what you accomplish in practice. It is all about effectiveness. In particular in multicultural environments this is true — the knowledge gap is often so wide there.” Utilising coaching effectively in an organization, by Stephanie Ward, in Expatica,
January 24, 2004

When you partner with Esprit Global Learning, you achieve your business goals while growing yourself and your people. Our clients experience individual and organizational benefits, as the following case studies illustrate.

Success Story One — Manufacturing Transition

Background — A very fast-growing fiber optics division of a global telecommunications corporation during the dot-com boom in Silicon Valley was undergoing the arduous process of shifting from Taiwanese ownership to becoming an American multinational corporation under new management. Taiwanese supervisors in manufacturing were now required to speak English and follow American principles of leadership to work more closely with their increasingly multicultural teams and meet quality standards. At the same time, organizational problems of production backlogs, poor hiring practices, lack of cooperation, lots of blaming, favoritism, low loyalty and trust at all levels, and cross-cultural communication issues were mounting.

Action — The company was not willing to settle for mediocrity nor chaos, and senior management decided to transform the challenging situation. Esprit Global Learning partnered with this company to create a customized learning program for supervisors, engineers, and mid-level managers in collaborative leadership. It combined customized training reinforced by individual coaching for the mostly foreign-born participants to understand the leadership roles of supervisors in American high tech manufacturing and develop vital interpersonal skills required to perform in the new work environment. This action-learning program helped participants learn such essentials as giving feedback, leading change, conflict resolution, and leading meetings, and it simultaneously helped improve their English.

Outcomes —

Communication and cooperation improved in manufacturing.
Policies were written to make hiring practices clear to everyone; favoritism decreased.
Supervisors used their new skills to help their teams follow safety and quality regulations.
Managers reinforced the learning with supervisors and engineers who had taken the training, who in turn were encouraged to stay in the company because they felt more engaged.

These outcomes led to increased production within a few weeks.

Success Story Two — Becoming a Culturally Competent Leader

Background &mdash Jeff H. took a three-year international assignment to Ho Chi Minh City when he was promoted as the Director of Southeast Asia Operations for an American petroleum company as it expanded oil explorations off the coast of Vietnam. He had never set foot in Asia, let alone lead an operation there and move his family to what was for them an unknown part of the world. Just one short visit prior to moving told him how challenging this foreign assignment was going to be.

Action — Thanks to the cross-cultural training and coaching Jeff received before his sojourn in Vietnam, he began to understand what it would take to communicate and relate well so as to build trust and cooperation. He found that speaking more slowly and with no jargon really went a long way toward cross-cultural understanding and building relationships. He also saw that if he kept local managers informed of what was going on at headquarters and of decisions that impacted Vietnamese operations, they appreciated being included and were more willing to express themselves and present problems to him. He learned the cultural reasons for his American perspective as well as the Vietnamese perspective, thus developing a more global mindset.

Outcome &mdash Jeff credited the training and coaching for helping him to increase his cross-cultural awareness and for successfully transitioning to life in Vietnam. He attributed the cross-cultural preparation for his success in his global leadership role &mdash for being able to readily carry out his new responsibilities due to cultural competence in a radically different environment.

Organizational Benefits of Our Services

Develop leaders with global savvy and intercultural understanding who can bring out the motivation and contributions of their diverse people.
Reduce time, costs, stress and frustration through better communication across all company sites.
Help your organization increase the success rate of international assignments &mdash thereby reducing the cost of failed international assignments &mdash and increase retention of international assignees on their return.
Increase new-hire integration and employee retention; reduce recruiting and new-hire on-boarding costs.
Create a compelling and meaningful vision with your team, infusing significance into their work life.
Reduce customer complaints by increasing knowledge of customers' expectations, building relationships and knowing how to communicate effectively wherever you do business.

Benefits for the Individual

Build a versatile leadership style that allows you to work effectively in a variety of multicultural contexts.
Renew yourself and your leadership.
Get clarity on your goals. Expand your capacity to identify and let go of unconscious limiting beliefs. Set priorities accordingly.
Increase performance and fulfillment by aligning your goals with your values and mission in life, by learning to reframe problems and by solving complex problems with a fresh approach.
Stretch, grow into the person you are committed to being and make desired changes with encouragement and support rather than by sheer will power.
Increase awareness of your own communication style and learn how to accommodate other styles to interact effectively in international settings for mutual understanding and positive outcomes.

Whether you engage in coaching as a stand-alone service or as a means of learning transfer following one of our training programs, you are obtaining a service unlike any other. You are establishing a relationship with a certified professional coach who is totally committed to your success and well-being. It also means you are ready to engage your unique gifts to achieve a new level of professional and personal excellence and fulfillment.

Learn more about our company.