Both in Argentina and in the world, companies began to undo changes that they had implemented under the umbrella of a globalized operation.
Companies work on a larger scale and seeking to lower costs in inputs and labor. Products consumed in the United States are made in Malaysia. The industrial plant that supplies Argentina is in Brazil. The customer service call center for all of Latin America operates in Mexico. But is it always a question of improvement and cost efficiency? Are the effectiveness of the business and the quality of the services taken into account?
Undoubtedly, the extreme of globalization is depersonalization: employees who report to bosses they do not know personally, with conflicting interests between two departments of the same matrix structure. Executives who spend too much time in video conferencing to pass reports and performance evaluations, but less and less time to understand the reality of the country where their business operates. Consumers served by the call center that provides technical support to install the new computer that was purchased online without human intervention. Receiving instructions remotely from a person who doesn't even speak their language.
In today's globalized world, it is not enough for companies to achieve the objectives by country, but the results are measured by business unit and by region. The variables get complicated, there is more and more correlation and interdependence between them.
Globalization offers us the possibility of offering products and services without borders, as well as consuming them. However, is globalization possible without depersonalization?
The companies began to undo some of the changes that they timely implemented under the umbrella of a globalized operation and that later led to depersonalization, for example:
- They reinstated the figure of Country Manager or General Manager to achieve greater coordination in each of its subsidiaries and to prevent the matrix structure from becoming a cobweb that overshadows the local vision. They warned that a multilingual telemarketer is not the same as a person who understands the cultural reality of the community he is serving. They adapted the implementation of their global strategy, adapting it to the cultural reality, lifestyle, tastes and customs of each local market. They returned to Customer Relationship Management as a way of learning from its Clients and to adapt the organization to their needs.
Taking into account all the changes companies are making to avoid depersonalization: who should be trained today, the employees or the CEO? Obviously, it is not enough to provide training to personnel to put into practice new trends or new business models. The top management of the companies must use external support to internalize the changes as their own and to be able to communicate and implement them properly.
Anti-depersonalization practices are based on the following basic principles:
- Recognizing that organizations must constantly ADAPT to the times we live in and to the market demand that changes faster and faster. The importance of SHARING information, experiences and needs to make the necessary adjustments. The power that ASSIMILATE the place of another to measure the impact of the changes. The effectiveness in the implementation as a result of CONTAIN during the adaptation process to each one of the sectors involved in the changes that are practiced.
In summary, establishing these practices to avoid depersonalization within an organization involves two phases: AC1 Adapt - Share and AC2 Assimilate - Contain. Maintaining the exercise of teamwork within a virtuous circle that is fed back between AC 1 and AC 2 to facilitate the visualization of opportunities for improvement, the participation of all staff and internalize this process as their own from each area of the organization. Where the commitment shown by the management as a leader of change will be reflected in the team's involvement and obtaining really valuable contributions as a result.
Undoubtedly, the change of roles within companies is increasingly effective to experience the place of the other and act accordingly, making adjustments to improve the operation within anti-depersonalization practices.
There is no time to lose. The companies that manage to make these practices a permanent exercise, will be highly benefited in the improvement of their processes with a view to the changing needs of the market. And fundamentally, in the integration of all its areas to achieve the goals that are set as a goal.
