How to Drive Innovation in a Multinational Setting

Working across borders can seem like a massive undertaking, but I have found that the challenges inherent to running a business this way have led to more innovation than if I had started a business in just one country.???

I have had a number of businesses on both sides of the US and Mexico border, splitting my involvement between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.?

In 2015 I launched a Technology Hub in Ciudad Juarez, and quickly thereafter, we received funding from Microsoft, Bosch, and other companies to start an accelerator program which we call The Bridge.???

The Bridge seeks to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We offer a specialized program for companies with high growth potential and proven abilities to become major contributors to this region’s supply and manufacturing sector.?

At the end of the 12-week program, the Bridge hosts a Demo Day that offers the graduating cohort of SMEs the chance to make their pitches to industry experts as potential partners and investors.?

Besides recognition and potential purchase orders from large manufacturing plants twice a year, one of the participating companies is also named the winner of Demo Day and receives seed funding for their venture.?

Most if not all of the businesses we work with operate on both sides of the border as well, simply by virtue of the relationship between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.?

As a result, I have both personal experience of operating businesses on both sides of the border, as well as my observations of many more businesses doing the same.?

Best Practices in Operating a Multinational Business?

We always like to see our friends succeed, so our hope is that some of these insights will be useful in fostering the growth of businesses that are built on the principles of extending cooperation and collaboration across borders toward the mutual benefit of building up both communities.?

Communication?

Fostering strong and near-constant lines of communication between teams as needed have been one of the most important keys to our success. Employees who don’t know what’s going on in different parts of the business will feel siloed, disengaged, and eventually disinterested.?

Virtual video meetings and chat platforms allow colleagues to be connected and communicate consistently, whether it be for a quick clarification here or catching an error in the process there. If our teams can’t be integrated and side-by-side, then we at least try to offer the next best thing.?

Being in continual communication also allows relationships to form and ideas to flow. One person may have an innovative idea for the company, but it does not get off the ground until it is shared.?

The last thing we would want is for our team members to lose their avenues for sharing ideas, thereby cutting off any chances for innovation.?

Collaboration?

Running any company is about relationships, but this is an often overlooked but critical aspect of running businesses in different countries. Maintaining collaboration between teams in different countries is all about ensuring everyone has an active seat at the table in terms of making decisions and following the rationale.?

This requires leaders and teams to actively understand each other’s thought processes, not just once but on a continuous basis. Often this calls for the right team technology and a regular cadence of meetings.?

We like to see our teams and leaders getting together not just to talk shop but also to get to know one another in a personal way. As a leader, it is up to me to foster an environment where we are interested in one another as people, not just as colleagues.?

Expecting the Unexpected?

We’ve heard it so many times: what doesn’t bend, breaks. Or in other words, if your business models and processes aren’t flexible, there will come a time when the unexpected arises, and your systems will break down.?

To put it another way, expect that anything that can happen will happen. This is why it is so important to have policies and procedures in place that specify reactions and responses for a whole slew of scenarios.?

Learn from similar businesses and understand the kinds of challenges they have had to take on, and ask yourself what you would do in those situations.?

Innovation Thrives on Diversity?

I like to think about how many of us hold our own experiences and culture on the one hand, with our technical knowledge and common societal views and expectations on the other.?

We each see business through the lens of our culture and experiences, which are all vastly different and unique, leading each of us to see things in a slightly different way. This is where innovation comes from.?

There are countless articles about how diversity of all kinds fosters innovation in business and within communities. We won’t try to redouble these efforts except to say a good idea can spark from anywhere in a hierarchy, whether within a business, a community, or the world as a whole.?

It is a mistake to believe that the next million-dollar innovation or idea is only going to come from inside the boardroom.?

Why We Need More Businesses to do the Same?

Building individual relationships and understanding improves peace and prosperity between nations. The best way I know of to contribute to this process is through my business practices, and I am always excited to work with other businesses that are doing the same.?

There is a scarcity myth that keeps businesses siloed from one another and keeps countries’ citizenry from seeing that we have more in common than we think and we are stronger and better together than apart.?

Innovation has been the key to my success, and I owe this to my experiences working in a multinational business environment with Technology Hub and the Bridge Accelerator.?

We are always looking to work together with like-minded businesses, whether it is by bringing together start-ups and entrepreneurs at Technology Hub or fostering SMEs with the Bridge Accelerator. If you are interested in learning more about what we do or getting involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out.?

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