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????日前，健贊公司（Genzyme）被法國制藥巨頭賽諾菲-安萬特集團(tuán)（Sanofi-Aventis）收購，而紐約泛歐交易所也將并入德國證券交易所（Deutsche B?rse）。好吧，也許你并不為健贊公司工作，也不是紐約泛歐交易所（NYSE Euronext）的員工。不過，隨著全球并購交易的加速，你任職的公司也可能成為下一家被收購的對(duì)象。在合并后的公司里，發(fā)號(hào)施令的人可能來自于一個(gè)不同的文化，你可能對(duì)他的文化背景知之甚少。你是否能在這樣一個(gè)環(huán)境里生存下來？ ????如果你能迅速邁出關(guān)鍵的幾步，那么你可能就會(huì)在新公司里站住腳。位于加州帕薩迪納市的Corporate Coaching International首席執(zhí)行官洛伊斯?弗蘭克爾指出：“一般來說，美國人在適應(yīng)其他國家的文化上做得很差。”弗蘭克爾在全球范圍內(nèi)為許多美國500強(qiáng)企業(yè)的高管進(jìn)行過培訓(xùn)。她表示：“在并購中，適者生存。你應(yīng)該勇敢地站出來，問問你可以做些什么，以幫助確保并購的成功。你的第一個(gè)問題應(yīng)該是：‘我們怎樣才能使它成功？’” ????弗蘭克爾觀察道：“人們常常會(huì)把它當(dāng)成‘拍馬屁’，因而產(chǎn)生抗拒心理。不過這一招的確很實(shí)用，因?yàn)槟憧梢越璐说玫侥闼枰男畔?。哪怕上司告訴你：‘做好手頭上的事就行了’，那你就算沒白問。上司會(huì)覺得你將成為公司的一項(xiàng)資產(chǎn)，而不是一塊絆腳石?！?/p> ????詹森?萊文指出，另一種讓你在并購中脫穎而出的方法，是要對(duì)收購方的文化保持好奇心。萊文是華盛頓的職業(yè)網(wǎng)站Vault.com的一位區(qū)域經(jīng)理，不過他也曾效力于巴黎的幾家法國公司，并曾在越南為百事可樂工作過，還曾在斯里蘭卡為聯(lián)合利華工作過。 ????萊文指出，美國的每座主要城市里都有許多外國的大使館或領(lǐng)事館，而且還有許多為外國公司服務(wù)的商會(huì)。這些機(jī)構(gòu)都會(huì)舉辦各種文化活動(dòng)、研討會(huì)和交際會(huì)。 ????萊文建議道：“給他們發(fā)電子郵件，然后去參加這些活動(dòng)。這是了解該國人士、學(xué)習(xí)該國社會(huì)風(fēng)俗的一個(gè)好辦法。參加這類活動(dòng)會(huì)使人們覺得你不僅具有專業(yè)技能，而且通曉外國文化。此外這也是種很有趣的體驗(yàn)?！?/p> ????在這里提醒紐約泛歐交易所的員工們：紐約市有一個(gè)德美商會(huì)，它有750家會(huì)員企業(yè)。最近該商會(huì)即將舉辦的活動(dòng)包括3月23日的一場社交媒體研討會(huì)，以及5月26日的蘆筍節(jié)活動(dòng)（asparagus festival）。 ????此外，你只需打開網(wǎng)頁，輸入“企業(yè)的文化差異”等短語，就可以搜索到大量信息，從中了解到你的新老板可能會(huì)如何運(yùn)營企業(yè)。比如你可以訪問worldbusinessculture.com，你可以在該網(wǎng)站上找到39個(gè)國家的會(huì)議禮儀、團(tuán)隊(duì)合作、交流風(fēng)格、著裝規(guī)范等信息，以及有關(guān)其它職場話題的信息。 ????“如果你對(duì)你的新同事們做事情的方式表示出了興趣，那么他們也會(huì)對(duì)你報(bào)以熱情。你一定要學(xué)會(huì)用對(duì)方的母語說‘請’、‘謝謝’和‘打擾了’。這是件小事，不過它能表現(xiàn)出你有溝通的意愿?！?萊文自己就是個(gè)例子。如果有人打了個(gè)噴嚏，他可以用6種語言說“祝你健康”。 ????當(dāng)然，有些并購帶來的文化沖突并不涉及不同的民族，但你還是要對(duì)它保持敏銳的關(guān)注。大約在10年前，英國石油公司（BP）收購了Arco石油公司。洛伊斯?弗蘭克爾曾培訓(xùn)過這兩家公司的管理人員。 ????“這兩家公司的企業(yè)文化有很大的不同，”她回憶道：“Arco公司很有家長式作風(fēng)，而且非常博愛，而英國石油公司則嚴(yán)格專注于企業(yè)的盈虧。” ????如果你的公司現(xiàn)在正處于并購的陣痛期，那么這個(gè)故事可以成為你的警世寓言。“有些原Arco公司的員工很關(guān)注這一點(diǎn)，他們理解了這種區(qū)別，并且適應(yīng)了英國石油公司的文化，這些人現(xiàn)在仍在并購后的公司里工作。而那些沒能適應(yīng)的人則未能保住飯碗。”弗蘭克爾說。 ????毋庸贅言了吧。 ????譯者：樸成奎 |
????Okay, so you probably don't work for Genzyme, which was snapped up by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis yesterday, or for NYSE Euronext, which is set to merge with its German counterpart Deutsche B?rse. Still, with the pace of global mergers and acquisitions accelerating, chances are your company could be next -- and that the people calling the shots in the new combined organization will hail from a culture you know nothing about. Can you survive? ????Probably, if you take a few essential steps quickly. "Americans in general are horrible at adapting to other countries' cultures," notes Lois Frankel, CEO of Pasadena-based Corporate Coaching International, who has counseled executives at Fortune 500 companies around the globe. "In a merger, it's survival of the fittest. Step forward right away and ask what you can do to help ensure the merger's success. Your first question should be, 'How can we make this work?'" ????Frankel observes that "often people see this as 'kissing up' and resist it. But it's just practical, because you get the information you need. Even if higher-ups tell you, 'Just keep doing what you're doing', you'll get points for having asked. The perception will be that you're going to be an asset, rather than an obstacle." ????Another way to shine, says Jason Levin: Be curious about the acquiring company's culture. Levin is a district manager at career site Vault.com in Washington, D.C., but he has worked for a couple of French companies in Paris, for PepsiCo (PEP) in Viet Nam, and for Unilever (UL) in Sri Lanka. ????He points out that every major U.S. city has embassies or consulates from many countries, as well as chambers of commerce that are dedicated to foreign companies. They all host cultural events, seminars, and networking parties. ????"Get on their email lists and go," Levin advises. "It's a great way to get to know people and learn their social customs. Getting involved will mark you out as someone who has not only professional skills, but cultural savvy too. Besides, it's fun." ????Note to NYSE Euronext (NYX) staffers: New York has a German-American Chamber of Commerce with 750 member companies. Upcoming get-togethers include a social media seminar on March 23 and, on May 26, an asparagus festival. ????A simple web search using a phrase like "cultural differences in business" can yield a wealth of information about how your new bosses might operate. One example: worldbusinessculture.com, which offers insights on meeting protocol, teamwork, communication styles, dress codes, and many other workplace topics for 39 countries. ????"If you show an interest in how your new colleagues do things, they will return the favor," says Levin, who, when someone sneezes, can say Gesundheit in six languages. "Always find out how to say 'please,' 'thank you,' and 'excuse me' in their native language. It's a small thing, but it shows a willingness to connect." ????Of course, some mergers come with culture clashes that are unrelated to differing nationalities, and it pays to keep a sharp eye on those, too. About a decade ago, when BP (BP) acquired Arco, Lois Frankel coached managers from both companies. ????"The two corporate cultures were vastly different," she recalls. "Arco was very paternalistic and philanthropic, while BP's focus was strictly on the bottom line." ????It's a cautionary tale for anyone whose company is now in the throes of a merger. "The people from the Arco side who paid attention and got it, and who adapted, are still there," says Frankel. "The people who didn't…aren't." ????Enough said. |
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