Personal technology company Lenovo believes “our culture defines us … it’s our DNA. We call it the Lenovo Way, and it’s the values we share and the business practices we deploy. It’s how we address our day-to-day commitments. The Lenovo Way is embodied in the statement: We do what we say and we own what we do.” The excerpt below comes from Chapter 8, “Sharpen Global Leadership Skills,” of the book, The Lenovo Way: Managing a Diverse Global Company for Optimal Performance,” and reflects The Lenovo Way Principle #7: “Commit on a personal level for true cultural integration.”
Despite the inherent challenges of adapting to life in a new country, long-term international assignments, as well as shorter-term postings, were considered perks at Lenovo. We, therefore, encouraged such movement to advance critical business needs and personal development.
Living and doing business in another country is key to better understanding its culture. We were encouraged to get out of our comfort zone and experience global diversity firsthand. Since we first acquired IBM PC, hundreds of Lenovo employees have been on assignment from Europe to Singapore; from Canada to the Slovak Republic; from the United States to Beijing; from Beijing to the United States; from Beijing to São Paulo, Brazil; and many other places, as well. Not only do they learn from doing business in a new country, but they are able to help their teams gain a better understanding of the many regional differences and similarities that make up the diverse tapestry of the Lenovo DNA.
Beyond the personal and professional growth enabled by international assignments (IAs), they are also good for business. Lenovo leaders live, sell, manage, and work all over the world. Our customers also live everywhere, work everywhere, and shop everywhere. We respond to their individual needs with a diverse range of products and services, meeting customers where they live, and it’s the wide range of cultures working together cohesively and seamlessly that enables us to be in every home, office, and school around the globe. So having our employees learn all they can about another culture is much more than paying lip service to fashionable concepts of multiculturalism and inclusion. It’s good global business practice.
Sandra Wellet, VP and current leader of x86 global integration, spent two years in London heading up the supply chain for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. By the time she returned to our Raleigh offices in March 2014, our market share in the region had almost doubled—something that cannot happen without great supply chain operations.
Her tenure wasn’t easy. It can be surprising how profound, even in a country with a common language, some cultural differences can be.
Little things, such as driving on the other side of the road, setting up utilities, or figuring out local regulations, were hard to adjust to because Sandra was always traveling, leaving her husband behind to cope. We did not have a large presence in London, and all those absences made it hard for the two of them to build a social life, as well.
Professionally, however, the benefits outweighed the challenges. When Sandra got there, we had about 50 managers spread across several offices throughout the region, many of whom had never met face-to-face before. She brought them in for a two-day workshop, where they openly shared business issues and discussed leadership gaps, and Sandra helped them develop a set of leadership principles that meshed with their particular business function yet were consistent with the Lenovo Way:
- Customers first
- Act with integrity
- Deliver results
- Make it simple
- People make the difference
The division had been splintered, but through her actions, the managers were able to build a sense of unity as a team and drive for greater efficiency, building more value into the supply chain. When she left, her colleagues in the region thanked her for “giving them a seat at the table.” Sandra also grew so much from the experience, learning to listen and be more open-minded, that she now is leading the entire transition and integration project for the IBM x86 server business that we are in the process of acquiring.
Put simply, the IA experience works. We’ve found that nothing quite compares to a complete cultural immersion for gaining an understanding of the complexities and nuances of another market. Not traveling for tourism or making a quick business trip, where one conference room or hotel suite looks pretty much like another, but living, working, and playing among the people who grew up there. Many of our executives, both Eastern and Western, have formed lifelong connections with their colleagues, as well as with the many other local people they encounter when they spend a significant amount of time in other markets.
Admittedly, not many of our colleagues have spent time on long-term assignments, and it is not the only solution. Our colleagues have found that even short trips have had a huge impact on their perceptions and understanding, because they are putting human faces to those voices on the phone.”
Excerpt from Chapter 8 of “The Lenovo Way: Managing a Diverse Global Company for Optimal Performance” by Gina Qiao and Yolanda Conyers. For additional information, visit www.thelenovoway.com
Gina Qiao is SVP of Global HR, and Yolanda Conyers is VP of Global HR Operations and Chief Diversity Officer at personal technology company Lenovo (http://www.lenovo.com/lenovo/us/en).
