Thomas P.M. Barnett :: Weblog

GLOBAL BUSINESS: “The New Expatriates: Dazzling growth and a baffling workplace culture greet U.S. managers in China and India,” by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Time, 22 October 2007, p. G1.

Cool article.

One bit that is reinforced by my experience with Steve DeAngelis in managing Enterra:

The right leader in China and India, for many companies, is someone with the drive and creativity to manage what often feels like a start-up. The highest hurdle is usually building a local workforce from the ground up in savagely competitive labor markets. “Everyone talks about the huge populations, but in reality there’s only a tiny number of people qualified for the jobs you need,” says Ron Leonhardt, 41, Target’s director of human resources in the region.

Amen, brother.

Also:

Lin Chase, 44, arrived in Bangalore in January 2006 to head Accenture’s research and development lab. “I come from a culture where people love a plan,” she says. “The plan is God.” Not in India. She would step away from meetings confident that a plan was in place and wait for its execution. And wait. And wait. “It happened so many times that finally I changed my whole style,” says Chase. “I talk to my team every day, ask them how it’s going. I spend a huge proportion of time chasing people for commitments they made me, but now I see it less as chasing than as a relationship.”

Amen, sister.

New Core economies require start-up skills. The more I work with Steve on growing Enterra, the more I understand the journey from the Gap to the Core.

Technology is easy. Money’s not hard. Winning clients is effort but eminently doable. The execution risk on people and culture is damn near everything.

Solid HR people aren’t merely a necessity. They are a huge competitive advantage.