Organisation/author:
Viktor Kyosev
Resource Link:
My Key Takeaways
“Culture eats strategy for lunch”, claims Viktor Kyosev, the author of this article.
There’s some wisdom to the above statement but my humble view is that culture is actually part of strategy.
An example to illustrate this is the industry 4.0 movement and accompanying standards like the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) which aims to help industrial companies measure and track their digital transformation efforts.
Beyond technology and process, the third pillar of SIRI is actually people.
You can work with the best startups and buy all the equipment/software to enhance your shopfloor process. However, if your team feels threatened that technology will replace them, or if they find the new digital tools cumbersome and unintuitive, your i4.0 strategy is doomed to fail.
You get the point now. Your business strategy for entry into Singapore and Southeast Asia should not neglect culture as one of its key building blocks.
We should also be cautious about falling into stereotypes and adapting a one-size-fits-all leadership style.
That said, I still feel that it’s good to minimally educate yourself with a broad overview of common management practices and cultural nuances when entering a Southeast Asian market for the first time.
You can then observe and remind yourself that every person and situation is different, before personalising your business approach depending on the context.
Sharing a delightful read from Viktor Kyosev who’s running his startup in SEA and learning about business culture differences along the way:
- Always remember that you are perceived as the boss, not a facilitator.
- Most Southeast Asian countries fall under the “Top-down and hierarchical” section alongside countries like China and India.
- Giving feedback publicly is unthinkable.
- Be clear in your communication; if you need input from your team, explain that and give them time to prepare.
- Pay attention to body language.
- Insist that everyone speaks global English.
- Learn how to build trust
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You don’t have to agree with everything (and that’s a good thing!), but I feel that the bottom line is once again to first observe, learn from what other successful managers are doing, and practice empathy for your team members with different background and upbringing.
PS – Couldn’t resist this cartoon. Don’t be that low EQ boss who’s oblivious to body language! 🤭
My LinkedIn post here.
About Zhilin SIM
Having worked and lived in Singapore, the Nordics, China, Spain, UK, I’m now based in Paris.
I’m fluent in English, French and Mandarin, and I’m learning Arabic because it’s a beautiful and fascinating language.
My team creates and supports 1-many initiatives connecting Corporate and Startup ecosystems in Europe to business and innovation opportunities in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
I’m passionate about horticulture, watercolour, startups/tech as well as French cuisine, Peranakan kueh techniques and other global cuisines.
Feel free to connect with me if you think my network in Europe and Asia could be of benefit to your business and innovation activities.
