The team leader was disappointed by the lack of input from the Japanese members, since Japan is a major market for their product. One week after the conference call the American received a ten-page detailed critique of his proposal from the Japanese members. The American leader clearly had not taken into account the reluctance of some Japanese to be openly critical of their leaders while other subordinates could hear the criticism. We were called to advise the leader and conducted a cross-cultural team building program for the group. We continued to help the group by providing process consulting of conference calls and meetings.
Most international teams work well below their peak efficiency.
The primary cause of failure in international teams is not a lack of intelligence or technical skills. Misunderstandings and differences in perceptions and expectations create a lack of trust and mutual respect which reduce productivity and effectiveness. For these reasons, many organizations are providing international team-building programs to those working on international teams. An organization's international team members are the key players who determine the success or failure of the organization's global strategies. An ITP teaches team members to expand their thinking and communication patterns, providing them with the skills to build strong, productive, stable international teams.