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IT Leaders: International IT Teams

IT Leaders has worked internationally for many years in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. We have a good knowledge of the practicalities and difficulties of working across borders. This programme is designed to help teams develop a common identity and to work more effectively across country, language, cultural and time boundaries. This is a 2-day programme was originally developed for technology organizations, but is now available as a generic international team building programme.

Leadership in international business

This module develops key leadership skills for senior professionals. We start by introducing an emotional intelligence based framework to understand and develop the individual key skills of leadership. As with all modules, the skills are further developed using role play and case studies.

Programme topics

  1. The difference in ‘language’
  2. Developing the elements of leadership in an international environment
  3. How different leadership styles operate in different cultures

The difference between people and culture

In order to survive, our instincts have developed a way to quickly assess any new situation that we might find ourselves in. These pre-formed images or prejudices are often the basis of stereotypes.

Stereotypes can quickly help us to understand the general environment but they can also inhibit us by presuming too much. This module looks at how different groups behave in similar but different ways.

Programme topics

  1. How do we form stereotypes?
  2. Looking for common ground
  3. The key skills of international leadership – integrity, humility and empathy

High performing international teams

This module takes the leadership characteristics of the first day and applies them to team situations, enabling the team to work better as an international unit.

Programme topics

  1. Measuring the effectiveness of an international team
  2. High performance multinational and multicultural teams (‘the four elements’)
  3. The role of leadership
  4. Understanding the team and working together

Developing a common language

Successful organizations develop strong cultures. The fourth module discusses how this culture is applied across the different global business units and examines new and innovative ways of working more effectively in the international environment.

Programme topics

  1. Review of vision and objectives
  2. Reviewing the culture and understanding the regional differences
  3. Developing the “ground rules” to improve team performance and your common language
  4. Closing role plays and case studies