Intercultural Management

Magdalena Kishizawa Intercultural Expert

Webinar: Charismatic Leadership of Virtual Teams

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Scenario

For the German-Polish Chamber of Commerce, we delivered a webinar about charismatic leadership in the time of Covid-19 pandemic.

Clients Challenge

Exceptional circumstances require unique resources … For many managers, virtual meetings and workshops are already part of everyday life. However, managing a virtual and distributed team is an even greater challenge. The webinar, which we conducted in cooperation with the Polish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, supported those managers who have had little experience in the management of dispersed teams so far. We showed methods and tricks for managing a virtual team. Managers often have a natural fear of working online. Especially when it comes to such personal and difficult topics as delegating, motivating, encouraging employees to accomplish and follow directions. The webinar aimed at the management style and how to adapt it to the conditions of virtual work. The target group were members companies of Polish-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which during a crisis (Covid-19 pandemic) faced the challenge of working from home and wanted to prepare for online work with a distributed team.

Our Scenario

Our webinar discussed which leadership styles work in virtual work. It also looked at how you can use personal attributes/personality traits to your advantage while having a limited impact due to the virtual environment. Also, it explained what elements of charisma work well online and translate into team effectiveness. Key concepts discussed: leadership styles, authentic leadership, charisma and leadership, exerting influence in a dispersed team. Magdalena Kishizawa led the webinar. She is a consultant with twenty years of international experience and ten years of experience in working with teams spread around the world (for companies such as Bombardier, Porsche and Perkin Elmer). She is a coach, trainer and also works during a Covid-19 pandemic as a crisis psychotherapist.

On-Boarding / Intercultural Training: “Living and Working in Poland”

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Scenario

The training participant was a German manager in Poland. The customer worked for a German car manufacturer and was transferred to the Polish location at the beginning of the year.

Clients Challenge

The German participant has already worked on several international projects and also participated in a training course on intercultural awareness as part of a corparate personnel development program. Our onboarding training aimed to prepare him specifically for employment in Poland.

Our Way

The training lasted one day and included the following topics: 1) Understanding Poland and the Poles 2) Polish business culture and Polish work practices: etiquette and hot spots from a German perspective. 3) Corporate culture: effective business communication, effective business communication (in writing and on the phone), Polish reality of life. 4) Effective team communication: direct and indirect communication patterns. 5) Leadership in Poland: leadership styles, setting goals and planning, team management and building cooperation within the Polish team.

The session was led by Magdalena Kishizawa, who delivered several intercultural awareness trainings for the managers from different cultures. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish.

Human Resource Management Across Cultures. Workshop Cultural Diversity (Life Science)

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Scenario

The client was a global corporation, specialising in diagnostics, life science research and environmental and industrial testing, operating in 150 countries.

Client Challenge

The client had several individual Human Resource departments based in different countries in Europe. They needed to develop strategies for cooperating and supporting a new Central Support Centre based in South Poland. In order for the Central Support Centre to be successful, they required an opportunity to increase cultural awareness and develop a strategy to support Centre in all HR-related matters.

Our Way

A one day workshop delivered in English for an international group of Human Resource professionals. The workshop started with a team-building exercise, then there was theoretical input including the impact of culture on our brain and cognition, cultural standards and their impact on behaviour and how we deal with cultural diversity. Finally, there was a World Cafe session (an opportunity to identify future action) which included discussions on the challenges of leading teams and working globally and resources for working with other locations and cultures.

The session was led by Magdalena Kishizawa, who not only worked with the client before but also delivered several intercultural awareness trainings for the managers of the Central Support Centre. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish.

Cross-Team and Cross-Cultural Collaboration. Series of Workshops (Aerospace)

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Scenario

The client was an expanding German production company with sites in Germany and Poland. They required a German and Polish speaking trainer to deliver training on working in a global environment.

Client Challenge

The two teams needed to work together, but remotely, on many projects. Not only did they need to overcome cultural differences, but they also needed to address the very different characteristics of each site. One was very traditional and experienced whilst the other was very young and dynamic. They needed to build a sense of team spirit and identify ways to collaborate and communicate effectively.

Our Way

10 two-day workshops were delivered in English, Polish and German. The workshops centred around cultural awareness and defining rules for successful intercultural communication and cooperation with each other. Additionally, participants participated in an exchange through a series of cultural events.

Series of workshops was led by a polish speaking consultant, Magdalena Kishizawa, who not only worked with the client before and knew all global company sites but also delivered international development program for high potentials. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish and during workshops she worked simultaneously (as required in this project) in all three languages.

Working in Portugal. Individual Training for Expat (Finance)

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Scenario

The client was working for a global bank operating in 77 countries with a new Shared Service Centre in Lisbon, Portugal. He was establishing a new team with a new reporting structure and it was his first experience of working with a Portuguese team.

Clients Challenge

He was a recently appointed manager with no prior experience of living and working in Portugal. He required specific cultural information to help him in his new leadership role, particularly how to lead a Portuguese team but also information that would help him manage his personal situation in a new country.

Our Way

6 hours individual session delivered in English. In this session we explored general information about living in Portugal and more theoretical cultural insights such as different communication and leadership styles in Portugal and low context versus high context in giving and receiving feedback. This was to help in how he communicated and managed business in a work and personal context.

The session was led in English by a consultant, Magdalena Kishizawa, who lives and works in Portugal since 8 years. Magdalena has 20 years experience in working globally and has worked with participants from more than 20 different cultures. She lived and worked in Germany, Irland, United Kingdom and Portugal and is very closely connected with Japanese culture via her family links. She studied at the University of Heidelberg in Germany (Diplom-Psychology), Catholic University of Lublin in Poland (Education Science) and School of Management of University of Bradford (Master of Business Administration). She works in English, German and Polish.