What happens when international quality standards are imposed on a country where these standards are considered excessive? Or when cultural misunderstandings are interfering with project goals? Bechtel, a major construction firm, turned to Hewitt Associates for help in improving communication and cooperation across cultural boundaries. What the firm walked away with was a more effective, efficient crew and a project that was back on schedule—along with a whole new way to run international construction projects. Here's how it all happened.

We listen.

With so many international companies building plants in China, the construction industry is booming. Bechtel has become very successful in China as one of the few firms promising to manage construction projects to international quality standards—standards well above the local norm.

We learn.

We began working with Bechtel when they ran into some major difficulties on a plant they were building in Shanghai. Project goals and quality standards were at risk due to cost and schedule overruns, causing alarm among both Bechtel expatriates and locals working on the project. Another Shanghai project had just begun and was showing early signs of the same kind of trouble. The problem boiled down to one critical issue: teamwork—or lack of it—between American project managers, Chinese nationals from Shanghai and Hong Kong, and British designers. There were miscommunications about design issues and intent. There were also difficulties communicating quality expectations to the local subcontractors, not to mention how work practices might need to change to meet those expectations. And finally, local staff were left wondering how realistic the quality expectations were for China and questioning whether the foreign firms understood their country at all.

We work together to develop innovative solutions.

In light of the emerging crisis facing at least one project team, the construction firm looked to Hewitt for help. Together, we decided two actions were necessary to get the project back on track. First, we needed to get everyone on the same page regarding project expectations and outcomes. U.S. expatriates and Chinese locals participated in a day-long session designed to promote alignment about the outcomes of the project. Participants came away with a shared vision.

Next, we needed to build cross-cultural awareness and a stronger sense of teamwork. Based on in-depth conversations with members of each group—Americans and Chinese—Hewitt designed a cross-cultural program based on Hewitt's "4C" model: communication, cooperation, collaboration, and coordination. Through a series of exercises, participants explored cultural perceptions and stereotypes, their implications for business, and the skills required in their cross-cultural workplace—for example, assertiveness for the Chinese staff and coaching and feedback for the American project managers.

We measure results.

As a result of the program, things are turning around on the construction site. The project manager adapted his leadership style and instituted new communication procedures incorporating problem-solving sessions. Course graduates say they are using what they've learned to solve problems and resolve conflicts more effectively.

Next, Hewitt will be working with Bechtel to provide this course to other project teams in Asia, with the intention of building teamwork and commitment before a project begins. And how will we jointly measure success? First, a reduction in the number of problems they have in project execution. And second, better integration of nationals into the project team over the long term. Meanwhile, the project team that led the way points to numerous improvements that came out of their training. "After all one team member said, "our company is like family. By improving our communication, we can support each other better."