mcchristianm

When I founded MAM Educational & Consulting Services, I did so with a clear conviction: global leadership must be built upon a foundation of cultural intelligence and conflict management. Without the ability to effectively foster these two capabilities, little else truly matters. Technical expertise, strategic insight, and operational excellence are all valuable skills—but in a global environment, they are insufficient on their own. All the technical skills in the world will not matter if...

In my 20+ years living and working in overseas environments, I have always taken the time to learn at least a few key phrases in the native language of the country where I was working. Learning the language of the host country you are doing business in serves a multitude of purposes, but one facet that is not often spoken about is the cultural intelligence aspect of adjusting to the environment. Although I do not consider myself fluent in any of the languages I have studied over the years,...

While working in a country in Africa, I once found myself in conversation with a manager who was increasingly frustrated with a local staff member’s inability to complete assigned tasks without constant follow-up. The manager explained that when he asked for something to be done, the employee would always respond with “yes.” Yet days later, the task would remain incomplete. Over time, the manager became convinced that without persistent follow-up, work simply would not get done in that...