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By Kim
Bedier, CFE
Arena managers should note with
great enthusiasm the progress being made on the international front by IAAM
- after all, that “I” does stand for “International.” The highlight of this
international focus is of course the newly created District 8, which
consists of Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland. However, were you aware
that the existing seven districts already had an international flavor (or
should that be “flavour”)? District One has encompassed all the sports,
entertainment and public assembly venues in Africa as well as New Jersey,
and District Seven has seen operators in Asia and Australia rubbing
shoulders with Californians and folks from Utah, among others.
Even though these “international” districts have been in existence for some
time, it is today more important than ever that IAAM membership should fully
embrace the WORLD in our organization. Although sports and entertainment
venues as we know it are mostly a product of the western world, more and
more venues are popping up in places like Beijing, China and Dubai, United
Arab Emirates. Facility management companies based in North America are even
taking on management contracts in these foreign countries. The common
phrases we hear are that horizons are shrinking and the world is getting
smaller. This should encourage us to believe that we will have an easier
time communicating with our peers in venues in other countries. However, to
the contrary, as the world becomes smaller and the opportunities to
communicate greater, the challenges become greater also.
Comment ca va?
When dealing with venues and clients in another country you really cannot
count on even the simple things you take for granted in your own market. In
fact, those of us who move across the country, let alone a continent, can
testify to local idiosyncrasies of language and culture. Key contacts, “how
things are done,” and language barriers all add to the mix. It is important
to do your homework and plan ahead to appreciate and work with different
cultures. Take Europe as an example. In spite of having one common currency,
Europe is not a single entity when it comes to doing business. Northern
Europeans and the British are familiar with the modern American-style
business approach, but elsewhere in Europe things are still quite different.
The host of this year’s Winter Olympic Games, Italy, holds to a bureaucratic
and patriarchal way of doing business, with a “papa” often running the show.
Europeans who strongly believe that quality service is more important than
deadlines or driving a bargain describe the American way as “pushy,” when
Americans think they are just being businesslike.
O genki desu ka?
“Culture” refers to the way in which you view that part of the world in
which you live. It is a combination of what you see, how you make sense of
what you see, and how you express yourself. It is also the root of many
communication challenges. Become more aware of cultural differences before
you set out to do business overseas. For example, something as simple as the
“ok” sign you make with your fingers is easily understood in England as
“okay,” but in Russia it means “zero,” in Japan, “money” and in Brazil it’s
quite simply an insult.
Wie tun sie?
When you go to work at your venue in Indonesia, be careful not to shout at
your employees. An American oil rig supervisor did not follow this advice.
Since it is not proper to berate an Indonesian in public, a mob of outraged
workers chased the supervisor with axes.
When Lee Iacocca led a group of business people and politicians to Japan,
the group made explicit and direct demands of the Japanese business leaders.
In Japan, this is considered rude and a violation of etiquette. It served to
confirm to the Japanese that the Americans were barbarians.
Negotiating your deal in England will be challenging if you “table” key
points. In the US, tabling a motion means to discuss it later, while this
phrase in the United Kingdom means “bring it to the table for discussion.”
Como es usted que hace?
Sometimes things truly do get lost in the translation. Consider this valiant
effort by a hotel operator in Belgrade to assist English speaking guests in
his elevator: “To move the cabin, push the button for the wishing floor. If
the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of
wishing floor.
Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.” Driving can be yet
another challenge of doing business elsewhere in the world. Not everyone
drives on the right (correct?) side of the road. Your drivers license may
not even be acceptable in some countries. When I came to work in the United
States from the far away country of Canada, THE most terrifying (and
mystifying) aspect of the move was having to take a driving test – road
test, parallel parking, and all – and we DO drive on the same side of the
road! Watch out for those detour signs in Japan that tell you to “Stop.
Drive sideways.” Try practicing THAT in your North American vehicle. I don’t
think that is what they mean by fourwheel drive.
Ni hao ma?
When Pepsi advertised in Taiwan with the ad “Come Alive With Pepsi” they had
no idea that it would be translated into Chinese as “Pepsi brings your
ancestors back from the dead.”
Even your PowerPoint presentation needs some thought and review before you
take it on a plane across the international dateline. Using a green
background for a humorous quote can be considered offensive in some Islamic
countries. Purple is strongly associated with death and mourning in Brazil
and Mexico.
Hoe u bent die doen?
Try a lighthearted and educational way to learn about other cultures before
you and your colleagues set out to do business on foreign soil. Host an
“international day” at your worksite from morning until night:
Start with a “Continental” breakfast briefing: enjoy French croissants and
Danish pastries washed down with coffees from around the world. Determine
one or more languages that may be used in your foreign working environment,
and conduct the briefing at least partially in that language, even if it is
just a “bonjour.”
Practice your Chinese over a take-out lunch. Speak a few words of Chinese
when you order at the restaurant. Who knows, you may have just found your
cultural consultant. Discuss Chinese business culture, balance your
chopsticks, and learn to correctly pronounce key words like “please” and
“thank you” over your Prawns with Dragons Body and Moo Shu Pork.
Move on to an Italian wine tasting. Have staff taste a variety of wines and
learn some Italian phrases.
What foreign cultural experience would be complete without karaoke? And who
are you to miss an opportunity to torture your colleagues? If physical
exercise is more your style, hire a Spanish dance teacher to deliver salsa
lessons – in Spanish.
Above all, take the opportunity to share international experiences and
cultural backgrounds. You may be surprised to discover that amongst your
part-time ranks exists a veritable United Nations of world travelers and
folks with skills in a variety of foreign languages. Keep a compendium of
cultural ambassadors and get their advice before you buy your plane ticket.
How You Doin?
The key phrase from Global Spectrum’s customer service approach is “How You
Doin?” It has its roots in Philadelphia, but as you can see by the
translations above, it works in many languages and denotes a worldwide
friendliness. The good news is that people everywhere are more alike than
they are different, and all cultures respect business and promote fair and
honest dealing, even though at times it may not be apparent simply because
of a different approach. When doing business with our international
counterparts and all else fails, remember the words of William Arthur Ward:
“A warm smile is the universal language.” And all us arena managers
everywhere be doin’ just fine.
Kim Bedier, CFE, is general
manager of the Everett Events Center/Global Spectrum in Everett, Washington. |
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