Global Dexterity: How to Adapt Your Behavior Across Cultures without Losing Yourself in the Process

by Andy Molinsky

Overview

“I wrote this book because I believe that there is a serious gap in what has been written and communicated about cross-cultural management and what people actually struggle with on the ground.”—From the Introduction

What does it mean to be a global worker and a true “citizen of the world” today? It goes beyond merely acknowledging cultural differences. In reality, it means you are able to adapt your behavior to conform to new cultural contexts without losing your authentic self in the process. Not only is this difficult, it’s a frightening prospect for most people and something completely outside their comfort zone.

But managing and communicating with people from other cultures is an essential skill today. Most of us collaborate with teams across borders and cultures on a regular basis, whether we spend our time in the office or out on the road. What’s needed now is a critical new skill, something author Andy Molinsky calls global dexterity.

In this book Molinsky offers the tools needed to simultaneously adapt behavior to new cultural contexts while staying authentic and grounded in your own natural style. Based on more than a decade of research, teaching, and consulting with managers and executives around the world, this book reveals an approach to adapting while feeling comfortable—an essential skill that enables you to switch behaviors and overcome the emotional and psychological challenges of doing so.

From identifying and overcoming challenges to integrating what you learn into your everyday environment, Molinsky provides a guidebook—and mentoring—to raise your confidence and your profile. Practical, engaging, and refreshing, Global Dexterity will help you reach across cultures—and succeed in today’s global business environment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781422187272
Publisher:	Harvard Business Review Press
Publication date:	03/12/2013
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	956,813
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Andy Molinsky is an associate professor at Brandeis University’s International Business School. He specializes in cross-cultural interaction in business settings and has created a popular MBA course focused on cross-cultural adaptation. He has published widely on the topic of cultural adaptation; his work has been featured by a range of media outlets including the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, NPR, and Voice of America.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Part 1 Why Global Dexterity Matters

1 Introduction to Global Dexterity 5

2 Psychological Challenges of Developing Global Dexterity 23

Part 2 How to Develop Your Own Global Dexterity

3 Diagnose the New Cultural Code 47

4 Identify Your Own Challenges with the New Cultural Code 71

5 Overcome Challenges by Customizing Your Cultural Behavior 85

6 Integrate What You Have Learned Through Rehearsal and Evaluation 109

Part 3 Fine-Tuning Your Global Dexterity

7 Charting Your Progress over Time 129

8 Getting Others to Forgive Your Cultural Mistakes 139

9 Finding a Cultural Mentor 153

10 Choosing Whether or Not to Adapt Your Behavior 163

Conclusion: The Myth and Reality of Adapting Behavior across Cultures 173

Notes 183

Index 187

About the Author 199

Editorial Reviews

"Global Dexterity by Andy Molinsky is the best book I’ve come across for providing practical, research-based suggestions for adapting (and not adapting) behavior." — David Livermore, PhD as seen on Cultural Intelligence Center

“A resolutely practical approach, supported by numerous examples that make this book lively, useful and interesting to read.” — Manageris

“It's a book I recommend highly, particularly to people who are put in non-U.S. cultural situations but have not yet put much thought into the implications.” — Federal Computer Week

“Global Dexterity is an easy read and one that is accessible to people from all cultural backgrounds…” — International Higher Education Consulting

“…an important book with wide application to the field of international education.” — NAFSA’s International Educator

“When it comes to cultural competence, there are some big gaps between knowing about, knowing how to, and actually developing and applying the skills to manage self in real situations. Andy Molinsky has provided us with a methodology for bridging into the third and most critical of these steps, and his choice of the word "dexterity" in the title of the book is well chosen... The book is well written and an easy read.” — George Simons—SIETAR France (Society of Intercultural Education Training and Research)

“This book is a quick and easy-to-understand resource for anyone who might find himself in a remotely foreign culture. It might simply save you some unneeded embarrassment, or it might go as far as saving your job.” — 800 CEO READ

“Molinsky presents a succinct method for figuring out how to adapt to new cultural events, such as delivering feedback to Japanese colleagues, interviewing for a job in an overseas country, or participating more successfully in a meeting with foreign executives.” — Global Business and Organizational Excellence

“a very readable and enjoyable primer with helpful tips for cross cultural behavior.” — The International Admissions Officer Bookshelf - Summer 2013, Intead (International Education Advantage)

“This is a one-of-a-kind book on developing cross-cultural insight. Like most subjects, you cannot learn it in one reading. Practice is essential. But Andy Molinsky provides you an excellent start.” — BIZ INDIA

ADVANCE PRAISE for Global Dexterity:

Ted Manley, VP, Total Rewards and HR Operations, Dunkin’ Brands Inc.—
“Global Dexterity truly resonates. As an HR executive with over thirty years of experience in global companies, I can see a real advantage in using the book’s tips and techniques to help manage and communicate with people from around the world!”

Steven A. Rochlin, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Global Advisory Services, AccountAbility; coauthor, Beyond Good Company and Untapped—
“Andy Molinsky shows us that successful leaders crack the code of foreign cultures and adjust their behavior accordingly. Then he explains how it’s done. Global Dexterity is an indispensable guide for managing a globalizing world.”

Adam Weinberg, President and CEO, World Learning—
“The future will be shaped by people who can effectively live and work across cultural differences. Andy Molinsky provides a series of simple and effective tools for helping people understand where cultural differences come from and for helping us, as individuals, develop our own capacity to bridge those differences effectively. Global dexterity is an important concept, and this is an important book.”

Mansi Madan Tripathy, Chief Marketing Officer, Shell India—
“Global Dexterity provides a clear road map to conquer the quest for cultural diversity, which is critical in today’s flat world. The self-assessments on identifying cultural gaps and working on a personal mind-set to overcome them will prove handy to anyone working in a new cultural environment.”

Matthias Kempf, Director, HR Talent Europe, adidas Group—
“Andy Molinsky does a masterful job of demystifying the challenges one faces working in or with other cultures. His book is as insightful as it is practical. In a world in which you need to both understand and adapt to cultural differences, this is the book to read.”

From the Publisher