Voices from the Front Lines

Reprint: R1409E

Executives on the front lines of managing across borders share their insights:

Luc Minguet, of France’s Michelin, talks about the importance of cultural training not just for managers taking on assignments abroad but also for local employees who work with colleagues from around the world. He describes how his own experience learning to communicate across cultures reflects the tire-maker’s broader practices.

Eduardo Caride, of Madrid-based Telefónica, explains how the relatively young multinational is investing in a diverse talent mix as it strives to become a truly global company. Whereas early on, leaders relied on exporting Spanish managers abroad, he notes, the street now runs both ways.

Takeo Yamaguchi, of Japan’s Hitachi, details his efforts to create standardized global HR systems and processes across the conglomerate’s 948 separate companies. “Three years ago, we had no systematic way of tracking employees, evaluating performance, or identifying future leaders,” Yamaguchi says. “Today we do.”

And Shane Tedjarati, from the United States’ Honeywell, talks about how the industrial powerhouse is shifting its strategy toward new regions, such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. “We call these markets ‘high-growth regions’ instead of emerging markets,” says Tedjarati, “because they now account for more than half of Honeywell’s total growth.”