A shared language for international teams
An international team can speak English in every meeting and still attach different meanings to words such as responsibility, openness and agreement. Good international organizational culture concerns something concrete: how you clarify a decision, give feedback and follow through on promises to one another.
SGL, Jan Petrus Hagberg’s method for interaction, group growth and leadership, gives teams drawings to gather around. SGL Coach is available in 26 languages, so employees can explore a situation in a language they feel comfortable using.
A drawing gives you something to point to
When words diverge, it helps to point: “This is where we are now.” The drawings do not belong to one country or one mother tongue.
Their meaning still needs to be explained. Ask each person to explain a drawing using their own examples, so you build a shared understanding through use.
| The drawing shows | What you can discuss |
|---|---|
| Four colours | Whether you are discussing facts, relationships and ideas, feelings or the intuitive |
| A staircase | How a conversation moves from information and debate towards listening and new solutions |
| A figure eight | The need to keep operations running while developing the way you work |
| A whale and a flock of birds | The balance between weight and structure and the ability to change direction quickly |
In SGL Coach, one colleague can prepare in Norwegian and another in English, using the same drawings. When the team meets, you use your working language and the drawings to clarify what each person meant.
An example from an oil and gas project
SGL was adopted in Norsk Hydro’s oil division after the oil crisis of 1986–87, and Jan Petrus coached project teams there for many years.
Imagine a project with colleagues from Japan, Singapore, Norway and the USA. A delivery was delayed because the team disagreed about when a decision was final. The project manager understood the meeting as an agreement; a colleague saw it as a preliminary discussion. This example is fictional.
Each person can first use the AI coach to separate what was said from their own reaction and interpretation. In the team meeting, you explore the event using the colours. With the figure eight, you consider two needs: operations require a clear decision, an owner and a deadline. Development requires understanding how the misunderstanding arose and changing how decisions are confirmed. Agree on one improvement and follow up on whether it works.
Begin with one team
Begin with one team, one situation and one drawing. A practitioner can help the team get started.
Explore how SGL Coach Organisation supports a shared language across the business.