SUCCESS IN ACTION
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deliverable? What are their goals and how do I give them the tools to achieve them? We set some clear-cut business goals having to do with things like the number of new products, new artisans and sales. From an operations standpoint, we may set goals having to do with logistics or product quality. And we are transparent: there’s a quarterly company contest that measures all the metrics everybody is evaluated on. We call it our World Cup of Arts and Crafts. We also ask regional directors to come up with three goals each year that are specific to their region. For example, Mexico may want to open a satellite office in Oaxaca. Coming up with these goals helps directors take ownership. We make sure our global offices have all the technology tools they need. For example, regional directors can show local artisans real-time rankings and ratings of their products. In the past, an artisan might have had 75 products at his market stand, and his or her feedback loop was limited to whatever tourists came by. Now they are empowered to make judgment calls about product based on what people are clicking on and purchasing. Many people in our company are multilingual, which is a benefit. That said, we primarily use English, so it’s important that regional directors be able to communicate in English. We have a constant flow of management visiting the various regions, so that’s one of the fun parts. We do group calls via Skype all the time because you can count on it a little more than you can count on the phone lines in many of our countries.
Educate Yourself on Cultural Differences. Understanding the local culture and
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norms is crucial to managing a global workforce. For example, in Latin America and Africa, there’s a high value placed on having a cheerful demeanor, to giving of yourself in terms of personal details, and to asking people personal questions that you wouldn’t ask in a typical American workplace. On the flip side, in Asia you have to be very careful about asking too many questions. And whereas a hug would be an appropriate greeting in Brazil, it’s definitely not appropriate when meeting a new colleague in Thailand. You can do an Internet search 30 minutes before you leave for a trip, then practice a little bit on the plane. It really can be that easy. Also, when you’re in the country, use every interaction as an opportunity to learn more about it. Ask your taxi driver about his favorite restaurants, or sports, or what’s going on in the country right now. It’s great preparation for small talk during meetings and business meals.
Make Life Balance a Priority. When you have offices around the world in different time zones, there’s a nonstop flow of action items. I’m the father of four young children, and trying to stay healthy and fit, and trying to grow NOVICA in a major way, so balance has become one of the central issues in my life. In our family, we have what we call our “sacred time.” That’s from seven to nine each evening, and I don’t let anything interrupt it. I try my hardest to be very present, and not on my phone but doing things with the kids—playing, going outside—and then reading and telling stories at bedtime. If someone is truly in balance with family, hobbies and work life, or at least attempting to be, I think he or she can be a better leader.
DANIEL LUBETZKY, KIND CREATING A HEALTHY CULTURE
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purred by his own inability to find healthy, tasty food during his global business travels, Daniel Lubetzky created KIND Healthy Snacks in 2003. Its goal: to provide products with “ingredients you can see and pronounce.” Today KIND makes 5 of the top 10 products in the nutritional-bar category, new product lines are being introduced, and sales have increased sixfold over the last six years. Lubetzky is also the founder of PeaceWorks, Inc., an organization that brings together neighbors on opposing sides of political conflicts to create healthy, profitable foods. KIND, too, has a strong social mission, with robust programs that encourage customers to do kind acts, and fundraising help for worthy causes. “What turns me on is finding creative ways to impact the world in a sustainable and profitable way,” says Lubetzky, the Mexico Cityraised son of a Holocaust survivor. “I feel a very deep sense of trying to prevent what happened to my dad from happening to others. That’s why I do what I do.”
Fall 2014
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