Changing Fences to Bridges: Five ways of "Fitting In"
to Global Citizenship

     The poet Robert Frost wrote “Fences make good neighbors.” Today, fences no longer establish firm boundaries because of the increasing interconnectivity of people, places and processes. Whether we endorse or reject globalization no long matters—we no longer have a choice. Globalization and interconnectivity of business are happening as a result of competitive pressures.

     To succeed in business you must be able understand and work with many people and processes—both inside and outside your own company, and inside and outside your own country. In other words, you must think in terms of bridges, not fences.

     To fit in and stand out in this new environment, leaders must be able to transcend national boundaries. They don’t necessarily have to abandon their own national perspective, but they must not be bound by it. That is, they attempt to understand their own national biases, assumptions, and cultural constraints while comparing them to other nations’ biases, assumptions and cultural constraints. They strive to become global citizens with a global perspective.

     Americans must work harder to become global citizens to compete in the business environment of the twenty-first century. The National Geographic Roper Geographic Literacy Survey of young adults (18 to 24 years old) is alarming. The results show: “Six in ten (63%) cannot find Iraq on a map of the Middle East….Three-quarters cannot find Indonesia on a map—even after images of the tsunami and the damage it caused….Three-quarters (75%) of young men and women do not know that a majority of Indonesia’s population is Muslim, despite the prominence of this religion in global news today.… Three quarters (74%) believe English is the most commonly spoken native language in the world, rather than Mandarin Chinese. Although 73% know the U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of oil, nearly as many (71%) do not know the U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of goods and services—half think it’s China.”

    Today's young adults do not have enough global awareness to succeed in tomorrow’s business world. I am often asked how to develop better global citizens, and I have come up with two simple lists that will help aspiring leaders use the FISO Factor to become better global citizens. This newsletter will address five ways of “fitting in” as a global citizen, and the next newsletter will address five ways to “stand out” as a global citizen.

Global Citizenship: Fitting In

1. Learn and survey the economic, culture, history, philosophy and literature of a country in which you do business.

2. Travel out of your home country at least once per year, even if only for a vacation. Meet people from the country to get a sense of the place. If you hear words that are used differently, learn to understand their subtle meaning. For example, French business people will say “to take a decision” which means that the subject has been fully vetted, but may not mean that the group is ready for action.

3. Learn the facts and figures of the country. For example, with the internet, you can quickly learn about the population, the GDP, the literacy rate, the income per capita, etc.—and think about the implications.

4. How can you better understand a foreigner's perspective? Read stories that reveal the habits and manners of a country’s people. For Europe, Luigi Barzini wrote The Italians and the classic The Europeans, two books as relevant today as when they were first published. Theodore Zeldin's The French gives you a sense of the “je ne sais quoi” of the people, the culture, and the way French business operates.

5. Even if you do not learn the language of the country, learn some key phrases. Just as everyone likes to hear his or her name, people appreciate it when you learn their language.
   

© 2007 Blythe McGarvie
1-757-345-3595
bmcgarvie@LIFgroup.com