Global Functional Team Excellence©

ICM’s program “Managing a Global Function” allows leaders of international functions to hone their skills for more effectiveness in working transversally, remotely, internationally and in cooperation with the operational entities. This participative program can bring together the key members of a global function or else address leaders of different global functions who share the same challenges. In the first case ICM stresses the action learning aspect of the program. In the second, we focus more on skill building and peer support.

The program is based on ICM’s model of Global Functional Team Excellence(c). Leaders are asked to analyze the critical features of their business environment; they acquire tools to manage some of their key challenges; and they strengthen their skills in the behaviors that will help them lead their teams successfully.

The ICM approach is a 3-step process

Step 1: Diagnostic

• Questionnaire: A questionnaire goes out to all members of the international functional network-and where possible, to some critical interfaces-for feedback on the effectiveness of internal processes and interactions with others.
• Interviews: The diagnostic can include interviews to enrich the questionnaire data and provide some specific critical incidents.
• Feedback: ICM shares the results of the diagnostic with the functional leader and adapts our basic “Global Functional Team Excellence(c) program to cover specific issues.

Step 2: Global Functional Team Excellence © Seminar

A 2-day seminar with leaders of different global functions or with intact global functional teams. The program covers sharing the diagnostic followed by the key aspects of successful global functional management, which include how to:

• Develop, share and promote common goals, strategy and identity
• Exchange best practices across the functional team
• Manage the balance between global requirements and local imperatives
• Establish respectful processes and guidelines within the network
• Build relationships , trust and enjoyment within a remote, complex context
• Use technology appropriately

Optional – Step 3: continuous improvement

• 6 months after the seminar, ICM can measures improvements and suggest further development