Transcript What does IT do? - Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Lessons Learned
in a
Multicultural,
Globally Distributed
Company
Robert Stewart
Product Development Manager
7/18/2015
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In other words…
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Who is this guy?
Leaving on a jet plane… then what?
Lessons learned (often, the hard way)
South Africa: just World Cup and wild animals?
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BACKGROUND
“You talk funny. Where are you from?”
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Background – work experiences
• NMMU (formerly “UPE”)
– Junior Lecturer (1994-1998)
• General Motors South Africa (formerly “Delta Motor Corp.”)
– System Support Supervisor (1998 – 2001)
• Workhorse Custom Chassis & Uptime Parts (“<$500M”)
– System Analyst (2001 – 2003)
– Business Analyst (2003 – 2004)
– IT Director (2005 – 2008)
• Navistar ($14B – $16B)
– Senior Group Manager (2008 – 2010)
• Aculocity (“cashflow positive from day 1”)
– Product Development Manager (2010 – Present)
• And many other roles outside my job title…
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Background – Aculocity overview
• Formally established 2005, but started in 2001
– 40 people (12 current employees from NMMU)
– Wide range of skillsets and experience levels
• What does Aculocity do?
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Support (“keep the lights on”)
Business Analysis (“make business better”)
Coordinate (“putting it all together”)
Implement (“where the coding magic happens”)
• Use agile-ish development methodology
– Procedures, but no more than necessary
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Background - Aculocity skills
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ERP Development (and Support)
Information Architecture
Web (.NET) Development (and Support)
Technical Infrastructure Design (and Support)
Advanced Statistical Modeling & Prediction
Business Information Startup & Integration
Graphic Design
Usability Engineering
Mobile Technology Development
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Aculocity example projects & clients
• Automotive
– ERP (manufacturing, distribution, purchasing, finance)
– Engineering support
– Web-based dealer systems (Warranty Claims, Parts Catalog, Sales
Configurator)
• New business models
– GreenOhm.com (formerly ApplianceRebate.com)
– *School Scheduler and Communication tool
• Mobile
– Virtual Vuvuzela
– *By The Way
– *Truck Status Tracking
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Who makes up Aculocity?
• Locations
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Chicago (Headquarters, Analysis/Development)
Los Angeles (Sales and Client Support)
Hagerstown (Manufacturing)
Cape Town (Analysis/Development)
Chisinau, Moldova (Development)
• Languages/Cultures
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English (American, South African, Russian, Indian)
Afrikaans
Russian / Moldovan
Hindi (and several Indian regional “mother tongues”)
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COMING TO
AMERICA
“You talk funny. Are you from
Kentucky?”
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Adjusting to life in the USA…
• 0-4 months: the honeymoon
…“wow!”
• 4-6 months: disillusionment
…“this place has so many problems!”
• 3 years: settling in
…“this feels like home”
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Life in the USA…
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No such thing as “America is/does/thinks…”
Big city vs small town is important
Social aspects are important
It doesn’t always work out
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USA – initial observations
• People, generally, are the same everywhere
• Corporate life is a bit different
– Less formal
– Different work ethics, expectations
• Spelling in the USA is weird
• Police are strict, and people listen to them
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USA – initial observations
• America has some cultural “challenges”
• BUT…
– Very friendly people
– Customer service is important
– And… Internet speed at home is great!
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LESSONS LEARNED
“Yes. No. Not no. Definitely yes.”
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Overview
• Listen. Be patient. And be nice.
– Human beings have feelings
• Tools are improving
– The Internet is a wonderful thing!
– Global collaboration tools are getting better
• Challenges, misconceptions, benefits and
what works…
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Communication, she is complicated
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What date is 8/7/03?
…or…
“You wanted it when?!?”
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Challenges
• Language and cultural differences
• Conflict resolution is culturally dependent
– “Yes” and “No” don’t always mean what you think
– Especially when agreeing/disagreeing with
colleagues or manager
• Timezones
– Global technical support is tough (no down-time)
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“Rather what should you ask
would be disadvantage of
working in a single culture
company.”
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Benefits
• “In my country, we have no boxes to think
outside of…”
• Assumptions have bad consequences, but if
you learn from your mistakes…
• People like being exposed to new cultures and
experiences (and food, mostly)
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What works?
• Be aware of, and sensitive to, cultural
conventions
• Focus on improving listening skills
• Anticipate what the person INTENDED to say
• Face-to-face meetings (and onsite rotations)
• Use good technological tools
• Take great care in project planning
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What else works?
• Need strong local management at each
regional office
• Resource planning is critical
– Cross-train
• Shared after-hours cultural activities
– Sport (cricket, soccer, baseball)
– Food (international day)
• It takes time. It does get better…
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SOUTH AFRICANS
“What or who do they eat?”
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People are curious, but uninformed
• South Africa is a mystery…
– to Americans AND to Eastern Europeans
– but not for Indian people – thanks to cricket!
• Things I have been asked:
– “But you’re white?!?”
– “What religion is South Africa?”
– “What kind of food do you eat?”
– “Is the crime really that bad?”
– “I would love to see the tigers…”
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How are South Africans perceived?
• Well-respected for skills, work ethic and
civic/community involvement
– Language helps
– Familiar with weird accents and global influence
– But it is important to speak English clearly
• SA has entrepreneurial mindset
• Skills (that are very useful in the IT industry)
– Critical thinking
– Conflict resolution
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How do students compare?
• Tertiary education in the United States
– US 4-year degree vs good 2nd year student?
– However, South African degrees are evaluated by
“time spent” (Honours degree = US 4 year degree)
– Education is a for-profit industry in the US
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Why NMMU students?
• Aculocity continues to actively recruit NMMU
graduates
– Broad background
– Active collaboration with industry prepares
students
– High level of skill
– Socially well adjusted
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and finally…
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“They call them
‘horns’
here in America, son”
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