In a global, multicultural transformation, translating the same plan into several languages is not enough.
This year, together with 19 other change experts working in international environments, I took part in research organised by the Change Management Institute and Birkbeck, University of London, focused on managing change in multicultural settings.
Many of the findings confirmed exactly what I experience in practice.
A one-size-fits-all approach does not work.
The global strategy can remain the same. The way it is implemented, however, needs to be adapted to the local context.
Communication, stakeholder engagement, work with managers, workshop formats, the pace of decision-making, and the level of autonomy given to local teams may all need to differ.
This does not weaken the global direction.
It creates the conditions in which the change can genuinely work within a specific context.
The research also reinforced something else for me: a change practitioner cannot enter every country as the expert who already has all the answers.
They need to be ready to challenge their own assumptions.
Listen before explaining.
Ask before proposing a solution.
Understand the context before applying a methodology.
What stood out to me most in the research findings?
1. A multicultural environment is not only a source of complexity
“Cultural differences and constraints” can support creativity. Different perspectives can reveal weaknesses in the original design. Local teams can significantly improve the change, provided we do not treat them merely as recipients of a global decision.
2. Not everything we label as “national culture” is actually national culture
Corporate culture, organisational history, leadership style, or the habits of a particular team can influence people’s behaviour just as much, and sometimes even more.
So where should we begin when managing change in a multicultural environment?
By setting aside assumptions and automatic judgements.
By listening actively.
By communicating without imposing.
And by being genuinely willing to accept that a different approach is not necessarily worse.
It may simply be better suited to that particular context.