Global Management

Managing in a global work environment definitely requires a unique set of skills to adapt to various cultures besides the one your comfortable with. Globalization has increased dramatically in the last couple years as markets get bigger and companies expand to different parts of the world. IBM for example has been sending executives to Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to get to know more about the decision makers in those markets and how IBM can adjust to better there future. IBM is trying to get ahead of the game to learn about emerging markets because they know if they want to continue to be successful they will have to win more contracts from small and medium sized businesses overseas, not just the large ones. Today's global business environment makes the job of the manager more complex and difficult. Few businesses are immune from globalization's influence as they expand into new markets, outsource across borders and encounter foreign competitors. The most difficult skill that managers must develop is different communication styles for each culture, that is extremely important because what one country thinks is the appropriate way of doing something could be very different from another. For example in Latin America most of the time business transactions are done over time, based on trust. As a manager you won't be able to just fly down there say what you need to say and expect immediate results, patience will be needed. In China the concept of micromanagement is the applied. Generally speaking, direct reports expect to receive specific directions and detailed explanations from their managers, not broad goals.  It is very important as a manager to learn about the different cultures you will be around or else it will only lead to jumping to the wrong conclusion causing failure. You need to get to know the people you are going to be working with just as you would anywhere else. Managing within a different culture is really only an extension of what managers do every day, and that's working with differences.
What do you feel is the most important quality a manager must have when working globally?