Turning Global Transitions into High-Performing Teams at Accenture
Global employee population
Germany & India
Improved communication, fewer escalations, higher team velocity
Accenture is one of the world’s leading professional services companies, with more than 800,000 employees serving clients in over 120 countries. As global teams expanded and critical project work transitioned between Germany and India, team members needed a better way to navigate cultural differences, communicate effectively, and build trust from the outset.
As a long-established team in Germany began transitioning critical project responsibilities to colleagues in India, everything appeared to be going according to plan. Knowledge transfer sessions were scheduled, meetings ran smoothly, and everyone agreed the transition was on track. But beneath the surface, subtle communication gaps were beginning to emerge. The Indian team didn’t feel they had the appropriate opportunities to raise questions or concerns during training, while the German team interpreted the lack of questions as a sign that everything was understood. Although no one openly identified a problem, these differing expectations led to misunderstandings, increased escalations, and made collaboration more challenging despite everyone’s best intentions.
To better understand the root cause of the challenges, the team introduced the GlobeSmart Profile. After completing individual Profiles and participating in a facilitated team discussion, team members gained a shared understanding of how cultural differences were influencing communication, feedback, and decision-making. The conversation revealed why German colleagues interpreted silence as understanding, whereas Indian colleagues often hesitated to ask questions in group settings. Rather than trying to change individual work styles, the GlobeSmart Profile provided a common language and practical strategies that helped the team adapt their communication and collaboration.
Within six months, communication became more open, escalations declined, and collaboration improved significantly. German team members became more intentional about creating space for questions, while their Indian colleagues grew more comfortable speaking up when something wasn’t clear. The team evolved into a cohesive, high-performing group with stronger delivery and substantially improved velocity. The success led additional project teams to incorporate the GlobeSmart Profile at the beginning of future transitions, making cultural intelligence a proactive part of onboarding rather than a response to collaboration challenges. One project leader described the experience simply: “It’s only about a 90-minute session, but the impact is huge.“
Gudiya Vincent, Program Manager, Accenture“Within six months, we started seeing the difference. We became one team, and our velocity substantially changed.”