Australian chief executives and found only 9 per cent had dealings with our closest Asian neighbours. In the year since the report, McCarthy says little has changed. “Australians have been inde- pendent for too long and they’ve become complacent,” she says. The Melbourne-based con- sultant says many business own- ers are unaware of how Australians are perceived and can be too relaxed and informal when dealing with international busi- nesses where protocols, hierarch- ies and relationship building are essential. The “she’ll be right” atti- tude can also be damaging. “People assume the Australian reputation for being laid-back is what everybody likes, but not everybody does; when you’re dealing with a hierarchical coun- try, they don’t like being called by their first names. Some cultures don’t want to be treated as friends.” In many Asian countries Mc- Carthy says chief executives are often figureheads and prefer to be addressed before referring inquir- ies to a junior colleague. In other countries manage- ment can be more hands-on and staff are rewarded for doing what they are told, rather than using in- itiative, as in Australia. In some countries senior man- agement will ensure their Austra- lian counterparts are entertained in the evenings, but in Australia McCarthy says managers will often go home and leave their counterparts to their own devices — which may be insulting. Courtesy and cultural under- standing can be the difference be- tween signing a deal or watching it fall through because of ignorance. “If there were two people sell- ing the same widget and one of them sold it to you in the way that you like and one doesn’t, you’re going to buy from the person who understands you,” she says. “If you want to sell your widg- ets you have to think about how they want to buy them, not just how you want to sell them.” Michel van Maanen, who is the performance director at the inter- national transport services com- pany Transdev, moved to Australia from Europe 18 months ago and struggled to adapt to cul- tural differences. Van Maanen, 46, was born in Holland and has worked in Portu- gal, Belgium and Germany. He has found the Australian way of doing business and the cultural differences significant, noting an alignment to Britain rather than Europe. “If you go around Europe there’s more of a standard work ethic, there are standard ap- proaches on how you run a busi- ness,” van Maanen says. “Maybe there are differences between countries in education and the politics might be different, but the approach to contracts and IT and modernisation and im- plementation are mostly alike. “Australia is quite different to Europe and it’s isolated and doesn’t have a lot of business harmony and synchronisation.” Van Maanen regrets not undertaking cultural training in his first six months in Australia and found it quite difficult and lonely at times because he did not understand why people acted cer- tain ways. “It’s different, the way of thinking, the way of talking, it’s more superficial when you ask how someone is, but you don’t re- ally care,” he says. “We’re Dutch, we say what we think, but you don’t do that in Australia; you be nice. You have to adapt to the way of the people.” He says the business culture is also more hierarchical, and he is trying to ensure his company catches up to Europe and South- east Asia by innovating and im- proving IT processes. Van Maanen now ensures all recruits from overseas have cul- tural training before arriving. It can be as simple as failing to offer a gift, not seating a visiting international guest at the head of the table, or handing over a busi- ness card without bowing, with cross-cultural faux pas detrimen- tal when establishing relation- ships and signing deals. Cultural Chemistry founder Patti McCarthy says Australian businesses and white-collar em- ployees who move overseas for work — or those who relocate to Australia — most often fail to pre- pare staff for what lies ahead and it can have significant consequen- ces. “When you have cross-cul- tural training you’re three to four times more likely to have a suc- cessful outcome,” McCarthy says. “When you’re getting a $300,000 or $400,000 salary package in Singapore including private school fees and accommo- dation, why are people putting up with a 40 per cent chance of fail- ure? It doesn’t make sense.” McCarthy has been worked in cultural training for more than a decade and knows what it can be like to move to a different country after having relocated to Australia with her husband 20 years ago. She is certified to deliver the Cultural Intelligence Assessment program, which was developed in Avoiding cultural pitfalls Trainer Patti McCarthy has tips to make you tick VERITY EDWARDS the US and is used to assess the cultural intelligence of individuals and teams and identify gaps. The tool is widely used at Google, Uni- lever and Coca-Cola Amatil. It may seem like moving be- tween English-speaking countries would be easy, but McCarthy says there are few support networks compared to those established for French or German speakers, or even asylum-seekers, leading to a sense of isolation. She estimates the expat failure rate at between 39 and 42 per cent, and the divorce rate among expats to be 50 per cent higher than nor- mal, particularly for couples where one person is not working. When one partner stays home it can lead to low self-esteem, loneliness and loss of confidence. It can place unprecedented strain on a relationship, and McCarthy says it can be pronounced if one partner cannot find a job. “People have no idea. They think once they get to their new house it’s all going to be lovely, but unless you’ve got connections and friends to come to your house, you might not want to stay,” she says. “People are not prepared emo- tionally and professionally and that naivety is very expensive.” McCarthy says people need to be prepared for the existence they will lead, and not just excited about moving. Training also in- cludes work expectations, how of- fices operate in different countries, and how to work with colleagues, particularly in South- east Asia. In 2014 PwC interviewed 1000 Action plan to ensure you’re meeting needs of 21st century business Is there one feature of your com- pany’s meetings that frustrates you the most? Perhaps you’ll find it among this top five list compiled at an off- site conference by one of Austra- lia’s largest infrastructure companies. The top five frustrat- ions included people being poorly organised, meetings held back-to- back, going for too long, people sending emails and texts, and no outcomes. When presented with this list the facilitator of the offsite asked a provocative question — Do you control these meetings or do they control you? Fortunately the chief executive was attending and encouraged a robust conversation that led to commitment by all the leaders to a 90-day action learning project that has transformed the meeting culture. If any of those top five frustrat- ions are alive and well in your meetings, then the lessons from those 90 days, particularly the three root causes, might be rel- evant. The leaders identified the first cause of poorly organised and ineffective meetings was lack of ownership and accountability. For some reason the usual cul- ture of individual accountability — which worked well on financial and operational issues — just didn’t extend to the way that meetings were planned and exe- cuted. The first action in the 90-day project was therefore to give every meeting an owner with account- ability to spend the investment of time and resources wisely. The impact was immediate and profound because the accountable leader created the sense of pur- pose and structure that had been missing. The second cause was the lack of a disciplined and consistent approach to meetings that meant that agendas, decision-making processes and action planning were often done on the run. A small cross-functional team volunteered to create a meeting toolkit with a set of simple rules and protocols. Examples of the simple rules included circulating the purpose and agenda in advance; no email- ing or texting; starting on time; and finishing with a three-minute debrief of meetings. The three-minute debriefing using a simple online tool revealed a 35 per cent improvement in meeting process and outcomes across the company, which equat- ed to an amazing $3 million-plus lift in productivity based on hourly rates of attendees. The third root cause was silo thinking, which emerged as two separate issues. The first was the lack of breakthrough ideas from meetings. The culture didn’t encourage people to challenge the thinking of experts and that needed ad- dressing, along with the habit of only inviting people with similar perspectives. Senior leaders committed to inviting people into meetings to bring fresh perspectives and this, together with human resources introducing constructive conver- sation techniques, created better quality discussions and decisions. The second issue involved waiting for a meeting before mak- ing decisions. In a business going through transformation this was too slow, so an online collaboration space was configured to enable issues to be explored and resolved without face-to-face meetings. People no longer waited for a meeting to discuss ideas and get approval. Issues were actioned weeks faster than had happened previously. The world is going too fast and the opportunities too abundant to rely on 20th century meeting methods and practices. This case shows a nice combin- ation of common sense, disci- plines-without-bureaucracy and leveraging the link between peo- ple and technology. Perhaps it’s time to purge a few million dollars of wasted money from your meetings. Graham Winter is the author of Think One Team. Are you in control of your meetings, or do they control you? GRAHAM WINTER MORE THAN 22,752 JOBS ACROSS AUSTRALIA JANUARY 23-24, 2016 P32 WORKOUT Curious facts A survey by cloud-based information technology outfit Rackspace has found not enough companies are placing suitable emphasis on curiosity in the workplace. Rackspace questioned 1368 Australian and New Zealand white-collar workers and found 44 per cent of respondents agreed their organisation was curious and 84 per cent agreed curiosity played an important role in driving revenue. In organisations that valued curiosity and inquisitiveness, 84 per cent of workers agreed they were more satisfied with their job, compared with 45 per cent in non-curious organisations, the survey found. Rackspace director Angus Dorney says Australian businesses need to focus on what people and companies might do to disrupt the business, rather than what they have done previously, and that inquisitiveness is central to that. “We need to focus on the potential to adapt, to change and to be curious,” Dorney says. “Our study sets a benchmark for Australian businesses to understand their corporate possibility and the role curiosity can play in helping to increase revenue and job satisfaction.” The company ranked 11 human values, including a personal sense of curiosity in daily life, professional contexts and how workers feel their organisation would prioritise values. An MBA first The University of South Australia’s Business School will this year collaborate with the Australian Institute of Company Directors to see the AICD Company Directors Course embedded in the curriculum of the university’s Masters of Business Administration. In an Australian first, UniSA MBA graduates who complete the AICD course as part of their MBA will be recognised by the AICD. Pro vice-chancellor Marie Wilson says the partnership will enable MBA students to gain an insight into the role of boards and the elements of finance, strategy and decision-making that ensures a board is operating according to high standards. Leading question A Hudson study of more than 100 human resource leaders has uncovered a gap between intention and action in leadership development among Australia and New Zealand companies. The recruitment company found 92 per cent of HR leaders found leadership to be important, although only 54 per cent of companies had a clearly articulated leadership strategy in place. Head of talent management Simon Moylan says the lack of leadership planning is inhibiting companies’ ability to develop efficient business strategies. “Every organisation needs a process for assessing the leadership team’s strengths, weaknesses and skills gaps, which then maps to the business strategy,” Moylan says. “It’s impossible to do this successfully without a plan — it’s like heading off on a road trip without a map.” The survey also discovered a lack of established talent identification processes in Australian and New Zealand companies, with 46 per cent not having one in place and one- third without a process to recruit or promote potential leaders. Progress needed A Morgan McKinley survey of more than 1000 professionals has found the main reason people leave their jobs is out of frustration for not progressing up the ladder. The survey found more than 49 per cent cited lack of career progression as their main motivation for leaving a job. When it came to what was most important about career progression, 55 per cent were concerned about the overall package they would receive as the most important aspect, and only 23 per cent cited their need for a broader work remit. The research shows 53 per cent would consider a job opportunity overseas to gain more interesting experiences and progress their careers, and 30 per cent cited the US or Canada as their top destinations ahead of Singapore and Hong Kong. Joint managing director Louise Langridge says the survey shows professional Australians are highly sophisticated in their ambitions and at the same time, the Australian workforce is characterised by its talent shortages. Weekend Professional editor: Verity Edwards [email protected]; phone: 08 8206 2682 Rackspace’s Angus Dorney AARON FRANCIS Professional culture trainer Patti McCarthy with Transdev executive Michel van Maanen AUSE01Z60MA - V1 Executive Adviser to the Secretary for Health, National Department of Health (Port Moresby) The PNG National Department of Health is seeking an Executive Adviser to support the Secretary of Health to lead the government’s extended reform agenda. The adviser will provide both strategic advice and administrative support, including briefngs, attending to correspondence, provision of advice, following up priority matters, and other tasks as directed. • At least 10 years’ experience/education in health policy, legal frameworks, strategy development and management, preferably with PNG health sector experience. • Demonstrated experience producing accurate, timely and concise written products for senior government and non-government customers. • Degree in law, business/public/health administration, or similar (masters preferred). Closing date: Monday 1 February, 2016 Director of Corporate Services for Hela Provincial Hospital, Tari (Hela Province) The Hela Provincial Hospital requires an experienced Director of Corporate Services to provide strategic, fduciary and risk management leadership for the day-to-day operations of the hospital. • A minimum 7-10 years’ experience in a senior managerial position in a large organisation, preferably a hospital. • Preferably Masters in Business Administration, CPA or equivalent. • Ability to live in remote and challenging environment. Closing date: Friday 5 February, 2016 Long-term health leadership roles in Port Moresby and Tari, Papua New Guinea How to Apply Information for Applicants pack is available at: www.abtjta.com.au/ careers. For further information, please contact us on +61 7 3114 4631 or at [email protected]. OPPORTUNITY FOR LEADERS TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF HEALTH SERVICES IN PNG Great Southern Grammar (GSG) is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school, K-12. Our mission is to provide the young people of the Great Southern Region and beyond, a world class school incorporating a liberal education, the Christian faith and a maritime heritage. GSG seeks a Principal to replace Mr Stuart Marquardt who has led the School with distinction for eight years. Mr Marquardt joins Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School in NSW as Principal in 2016. The incoming GSG Principal will be a person of initiative and integrity with a demonstrated enthusiasm for 21st Century learning and a commitment to supporting the Great Southern community. Leading from the front, the Principal’s educational and personal philosophies will align with the mission and values of GSG. The Principal will be a role model in promoting the Christian life of the school. Download the information booklet for applicants from our website: www.gsg.wa.edu.au Enquiries to Mr Andrew Orr via (08) 9844 0304 or [email protected] Applications close at 5.00pm, Friday 26 February 2016. Applications are to be emailed to the Chair of School Council, Mrs Audrey Jackson AM via [email protected] T: (08) 9844 0300 E: [email protected] PO Box 1151 ALBANY WA 6331 www.gsg.wa.edu.au CRICOS Provider Code 03178E PRINCIPAL