According to the Conference Board the global economy will slow in key markets such as Europe and Japan and U.S. companies will struggle with exports to China and mature economies around the world. Yet, for many, doing business globally remains a primary source of revenue and a major goal in 2019. Few are naive about the challenges involved in going global in today’s environment. But expanding the local-global connection will be a 2019 goal for many businesses, leaders, and employees. Here’s what they will need to consider.
Global Businesses will need to negotiate & collaborate
“I think there will be two trends that will continue to cause headaches for global businesses. First, opportunities overseas (and domestic uncertainties) will encourage companies to continue to cross borders in search of new customers. After all, there are a billion more consumers out there and growing! Second, those same borders will get harder to work across because of protectionist politics happening around the world. The year will be about how organizations navigate through this paradox.
For international businesses, this will be a year of negotiation, collaboration and sleep deprivation.”
~Kyle Hegarty, Managing Director: Leadership Nomad (TSL division)
Leadership will need additional people skills
“An aspiring global leader should know how to express their ideas better and have the ability to convince others that their ideas matter and hold value. Highlight their unique value contribution to persuade, inspire and ignite the imagination of others. They need to be good at building an emotional connection as people around the world are anxious about the pace of change! Social and emotional competencies are very critical in co-creating leaders and not the traditional system of creating followers! He/She must be able to communicate ideas that grab peoples attention – It is the greatest skill that will set him/Her apart as a Leader. I don’t think every year there will be some considerable change for an inspiring global leader. These remain almost constant. Under the current scenario, I will just add, how the conclusive end of war on terror will be brought in.”
~ Fatima Williams, HR Manager & recruiter
Societies will need to adjust to new business technologies
“There will be more worker displacement due to new and evolving technologies. In particular, advancements in — and adoption of — automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning will result in more job losses in manufacturing, services and other large industries. On the flipside, there will be a rise in retraining and educating workers for new high-tech jobs of the 21st century. This global trend is also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
~ David B. Grinberg, strategic communications consultant, brand ambassador, featured writer and advisory board member for American Diversity Report
“Individuals and corporations will use robots, drones, driverless vehicles, and etc. more often. We will come to rely on non-humans for companionship, commerce, and problem solving. More countries will experiment with social grading/credit scoring to control populations and monitor its citizens. As a result, social engineering will become more of a topic in the coming year.”
~William Visher, Business writer and educator
Employees will need to be global in their communication
“In 2019, more employers will recognize the value of professional development as a way to attract and retain valued employees, especially in high-demand fields. Professional development in communication coaching will be one aspect of this strategy. Employees who speak well are more willing to share information, and more effective in expressing ideas when they speak to colleagues and customers. The five services that will be most in demand in 2019 are coaching in public speaking, American English pronunciation improvement for bilingual professionals, diction improvement for native English speakers, executive presence/communication skills, and coaching in reducing speech rate.”
~ Katie Schwartz, CCC-SLP Business Speech Improvement
Editor’s Note: While texting and tweeting appear to limit our need for writing skills, they will emerge as one of the most valuable assets for global businesses, leaders, employees, and entrepreneurs. Competition for the attention of markets, vendors will require the ability to write with authority that has both local and global impact. Whether the written item is a book that brands, a press release that sells, an article that convinces, or an e-mail that forms and prompts a response, writing skills are like money in the bank. This is especially true of writing that bridges cultural differences and communicates cross-culturally.
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