“As the results for Q3 pour in and looking in Q4’s revenue projection, it is clear that a reduction is force is immanent. Please prepare a list of the bottom quartile”, wrote  EVP HR Gloria Lemieux to all senior managers-by text message!

Mike Shapiro, Head of Deployment for Europe and Asia Pac, called all his area presidents and conveyed the grisly message. Deming Li (Head of China, Taiwan and Korea) sent Mike an email, cc’ing all his direct reports, that corporate HR should take care of employees and not lend a hand to cutting jobs from overworked engineers which will result in less people doing more work.

Mike was livid when he read De-Ming’s email; two weeks later in a meeting in Singapore, Mike asked Deming for the list of names, and De-Ming stormed out of the meeting and flew back to Shanghai.

However, in parallel, Deming’s HR clerk, Sally Ngai-Lam Xu, was providing Gloria with all the data and names that were needed.

Mike wanted to remove  De-Ming for “immaturity” and a consultant was brought into the picture. Deming explained to Allon that the Reduction of Force is completely justified but De-Ming needed to show his people that he was “protecting them”.

Allon sat with Mike and explained the role of the leader in different cultures.

Mike (from Billings, Oregon) told Allon: “Listen, this is not an issue of anthropology; it is a question of managerial maturity.”

Harold is Brit who is managing a global team. Harold is no stranger to global organizing; in his previous role, he managed the European Division of the company for which he worked.

Now,  Harold manages the Global  Sales Force of a US based firm which sells home-diagnostic stress kits. Harold is meeting with a consultant today “because either I need to learn something, or I need to replace my staff; because I am angry all the time”.

Harold pointed out the last 6 cases where he found himself aggravated

Frank from Boston is very gung ho, spewing false positives about the product in internal meetings. In a recent discussion about some of the products limitations, Frank said,”Guys, let’s just focus on believing in ourselves”.

Carlos from Buenos Aires rambles on and on and on. He has a serious problem “staying focused” and by the time he finishes talking. Harold does not know what he is talking about.

Oya from Tokyo is always trying to get out of meetings “because of a client commitment” . Harold wonders what is amiss because Oya is not selling anything yet his expense account is sky high.

Menashe from Israel argues all the time. Even if Harold makes a comment about the weather, Menashe will correct him.

Gloria, his HR business partner, is brainless and highly motivated. She and Frank are always initiating “team building” enabled by cooking or horseback riding. Furthermore, Gloria is very non discrete and serves as her master’s voice.

Morris from Perth is constantly blaming HQ. Even if there is no parking, Morris will attack the ignorant folks in HQ, who know nothing about Australia.

Morton, a Sales Manager from Maine, knows how important relationships are;  he studied at an Ivy League school; his class mates are in key positions in many industries and on several occasions, doors have been opened and introductions made which enabled big bucks to be made. (Morton’s boss pays big bucks to lobbyists in Washington. Morton loathes corruption he often encounters in Russia, the Mid East and South East Asia.)

Chan (m), a scientist turned entrepreneur now living Beijing, maintains a vast network of relationships with people he knows, knows of, and trusts to different degrees. Into these trustful relationships, he plugs in his business and personal decisions. Relationships are the key and almost sole enabler of doing business and getting things done. (Chan looks at his relationships like Morton looks at his net worth.)

Neta (m), a Head of a large Business Unit from Tel Aviv, knows that the dreaded Israeli bureaucracy and red tape surrounding purchasing and supply chain, can kill his business. Luckily, Neta has a very strong relationship with Elad, supply chain/procurement manager. Elad and Neta studied in the same high school and run together at the gym. Neta and Elad trade “do me a favour-s” all the time,using relationships to work around the system. (Neta does not trust the Americans who “work-to-system” since systems fail more than relationships).