Project: Training on Indian business culture delivered by live interactive video hookup
Background:
The EVP for U.S. Operations of a Canadian Financial Services Company had extensive prior experience in India. When the company leadership in Canada decided on a strategy of setting up back office operations in India, he volunteered his business unit to be the first to get involved in this initiative. His group was already working globally with teams in the U.S., Canada and Ireland, and he saw this as an opportunity to access talent more broadly and increase the length of the work day through hand-offs around the clock. To support the success of this initiative, he asked his HR department to locate first-rate cross-cultural training on India for the North American and European team members.
Assignment:
Customize and develop half-day interactive training sessions on “Working with India” for employees with no prior experience with India, and deliver them by live interactive video hookup between the U.S. and Canada and Ireland.
Intervention:
CMCT assisted the HR department in defining the learning objectives, developed customized “Working with India” sessions, and adapted the delivery to the live interactive video hookup. In addition to the training, CMCT organized and moderated a “town hall” forum between sessions at which the EVP and other company leaders involved with the India initiatives discussed their vision, expectations and experiences with the employees.
Result:
The employees received up-front orientation and setting of expectations that helped them be more effective and experience less stress in implementing the India initiative. In addition, realization took place that cross-cultural differences also existed among the U.S., Canada and Ireland, and the decision was made to expand the training process to include the four major cultures involved in the company’s global operations.
Key Disciplines:
Training Needs Assessment, Cross-Cultural Consulting, Cross-Cultural Training, Group Process Facilitation.