Train-the-Trainer Workshop for inhouse trainers of a Global Finance Corporation. 

(2020 – ongoing) Finance Industry

Challenge
Ongoing globalisation within a financial organisation means that Subject Matter Experts (SME) are based in Australia, India and China. A new operating model has been implemented to enhance customer focus. The culturally diverse professionals (SME’s and managers) need to collaborate in co-located cross functional teams. This new way of working has an impact on perceptions and preferences around practices dealing with e.g. trust, teamwork and communication. The organisation wants to prepare their co-located SME’s and management for possible cultural disconnect between the different levels and cultures involved.

Leadership contracts us to develop a Train-the-Trainer course to train the organisations’ in-house trainers: these trainers need to be able to prepare SME’s to become culturally connected and capable to deal with the impact of cultural differences in their cross functional teams while servicing internal and external clients in Australia.

Interventions:

• We conducted interviews via video calls with team members and managers of the old and new operating models to identify possible intercultural challenges and opportunities.
• Participating trainers were asked to fill in Training Needs Analysis (TNA) to identify challenges, experiences and expectations of the new operating model.
• Based on the information from interviews and the TNA we
  – developed a training course and materials for the culturally diverse SME’s and their managers: two live virtual training room sessions of 2.5 hour each.
  – developed a train-the-trainer (T-t-T) workshop and materials for in-house trainers to deliver the training course to the SME’s and managers: four live virtual training room sessions of 2.5 hour each.
• Delivery of the four virtual T-t-T workshops to the participating in-house trainers:
  – Participating trainers were offered the opportunity to self-assess their level of Intercultural Competence and provided with personal reports and online learning journal to assess potential strengths and pitfalls in their competence levels.
  – Participating trainers participated in the four day T-t-T workshops, completed their pre-work (assessments, exercises, reflections and action planning), and practiced facilitating the course materials.
• Ongoing help-desk to assist the organisation and the in-house trainers in facilitating the course to the co-located culturally diverse cross functional team members.

Results:

Aim: Intercultural capability through cultural competence development:

• Visible:
  Knowledge – understanding acquired through learning;
  Skills – capabilities acquired through practices;
• Invisible:
  Attributes – inherent characteristics – motives, traits, self-concept.

The feedback from the participating trainers and coordinators has been very positive: we look forward assisting the in-house trainers during the roll-out to over 1000 staff over the coming years.

Over the past 23 years, we have worked with leaders, managers, and professionals within the Finance, IT and Managed services Industry – focus on internationalisation, partnerships, and global remote teams (please also explore our Industry Briefing).