Manage in a Foreign Land

Selection of team members

In order for the company to achieve success in the expansion into the South American market, there is a need to consider the various potential candidates for the assignments of the various duties and responsibilities associated with the operations. To attain this, the selection of the right team members will be based on the evaluation of the potential members. The selection process will involve the evaluation of technical skills, leadership skills, personal competence and the succession plan. The team members will have to possess the required areas of competence to ensure their skills match the tasks at hand. The team members should portray leadership skills and competences based on the kind of business the company will be involved and must align with the company’s organizational culture (Borstorff, Harris, Field, Giles, 1997). The individual should, therefore, possess the ability to team work and manage change in a new business environment. Personal competences will involve determining personal characteristics which have been proved to be very essential in the transition to overseas markets. This will enable to determine ones emotional stability, flexibility, sociability and even personal autonomy (Borstorff et.al 1997). The succession plan involves personal development and the selection criteria will target those individuals with a need to gain broader experience that will provide an opportunity for senior-level advancement.

Teamwork organization

 To have a well organized team for the accomplishment of the overseas assignment, there will be a set mission and goals which will provide an overall direction towards which efforts will be focused to succeed in foreign markets. The goals will be narrowed to specific tasks which will be assigned to the team members. Team leadership will also be an important aspect so that functions are performed effectively. The leaders or supervisors will coordinate and direct activities of members assess their performance and motivate members. This will ensure that there is good organization and the establishment of a positive working atmosphere. An important step in the process is providing adequate communication to members and especially in a different country where there is a need to learn what others believe about new brands. Effective communication enables the clarification and acknowledgement of information and hence improves understanding in the teamwork. In addition, the decision making process will involve the identification of a problem, determining the decision criteria and alternatives will be weighed against it to arrive at the right choice. To manage personal and task conflict, the decision making process will have to be consultative especially in the allocation of resources, while developing and implementing policies and applying various procedures determined. Frequent meetings will be necessary in the facilitation of communication in the decision making process. The need for self-management will be emphasized so that individual team members can become effective self-managers. Self-management skills are very essential part of personal competences that enable one to fulfill their assigned obligations in a team and corporate with others so as to succeed in a new business and market environment (Harries, 2008).

The challenges expected to be experienced in the Southern America borders on the mobility barriers, the talent environment, compliance environment and a new business environment. These challenges are expected to impact on employees’ performance and expectations and to deal with them there is need for viewing this as a strategic opportunity and learning experience.  As a strategic opportunity, the plan will involve selecting managers who are conversant with the Southern American environment in terms of business or general regulations. The strategy will also involve development of mobility programs that will offer support for strategic opportunities in the development of the company’s means of adapting to the new environment. This will go hand in hand with learning experience where the assignments will majorly involve focusing on the long-term development of employees. The employees will be provided with an opportunity to develop new capabilities in achieving their goals. In so doing the various challenges that they may face in a new environment will be overcome. Tailoring of talent management programs will cater for the different needs of every member in the teamwork. This will be more important in helping employees develop a career path long before they are assigned any foreign responsibilities. 

To address the cultural differences that may affect the achievement of team objectives and goals, the plan will involve being sensitive culturally and promotion motivation and creativity through a flexible leadership (Anbari, 2003). The flexible leadership will involve recognizing the cultural aspects of all the team members and accommodating the attitudes of all the team members taking part in business operations. The team members may be required to carry out their tasks while making value judgments on what to do on the basis of information not related to their own cultures.

Translation completion timelines

Communicating with team members during the selection process – 2 weeks

Meeting with the selected employees who will be transferred – 1 week

Completion of the recruitment plan and initiation of role assignments – 2 weeks

Completion of staffing of the newly formed team – 1 week

Identifying the essentials for the selected staff mobility – 1 week

References