Archive for the ‘Self Improvement’ Category

Global Leadership Biases – Nu Leadership Series

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
Daryl Green asked:




Men cease to interest us when we find their limitations. The sin is limitations. As soon as you once come up to a man’s limitations, it is all over with him.

Emerson

How can globalization create issues for organizations? Currently, there is a shortage of global leaders because they are difficult to develop (Black, Morrison, & Gregersen, 2002). Global leaders can have a great impact on society. Global leaders can change the world. However, who wants to admit he or she is racist? Everyone who has a prejudice isn’t racist. However, I do think our Western views skew our perception of the global community. This is a dangerous proposition. Tsui and Gutek (1999) noted that through our interactions with people, we normally start a process of categorization. This categorization is initiated by visible cues. Gender and race have been found to be the most noticeable demographic characteristics. Clothing and demeanor also provide cues of a person’s background and identity.

In addition, Brown (2006) advocated for a more sophisticated strategy, which relies on in-depth studies of cultural groups and the differences within those groups. Furthermore, Jreisat (2004) argued that globalization provides a deepening of interrelationships. Black, Morrison, and Gregersen, (2002) maintained that globalization fosters new opportunities that require new capabilities. Therefore, this categorization can hurt global leaders. For example, if an American manager perceives Asians as non-assertive and bad communicators, it can hurt him in negotiations and slant his decision-making. Moarquardt and Berger (2000) argued that global mindsets shouldn’t be exclusive, but inclusive. Effective global leaders become sensitive to cultural diversity and open to exchanging ideas and concepts across borders. Therefore, a global leader must be sensitive to the international community.

References:

Black, J., Morrison, A., & Gregersen, H. (2002). Global Explorers. New York: Routledge.
Brown, W. (June 17, 2007). The potholes of multicultural marketing. The Knoxville News Sentinel.

Jreisat, J. (2004). Governance in a Globalizing World. International Journal of Public Administration. 27(13, 14). pp. 1003-1029.

Moarquardt, M. & Berger, N. (2000). Global leaders for the 21st century. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press.

Tsui, A. & Gutek, B. (1999). Demographic differences in organizations. New York: Lexington Books.

? 2008 by Daryl D. Green

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Listening and Leadership

Saturday, December 2nd, 2006
Jill Chivers asked:




I sat down to write this piece on the link between leadership and listening and got stumped. The link between leadership and listening seems so self-evident (and has been written about so extensively) that it was a challenge to come up with something fresh about it. So I asked a number of leaders about their personal experiences of leadership and listening. When was a time when you used listening to help you be a better leader? How has your leadership been changed by listening? What I discovered was something fascinating.

Let’s back up for a second and put a particular context around this. And let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start). What is listening? If we were to break leadership down to its component parts, what would it be? If we were to teach listening in its discreet steps, what would we be teaching?

Dr Manny Steil, a well-known authority on the subject of listening, explains that listening involves four stages
1. First, we hear the message, then
2. We interpret what we’ve heard
3. And we evaluate the message, and
4. Finally we respond to it.

Like learning to dance, its helpful to look at the component parts that make up the whole. Here’s a story that illustrates the power of those four stages of listening in a leadership context.

Dan was Director of Global Purchasing for an international shipping company. He was negotiating the purchase of huge containers from a Japanese supplier. The days-long meeting was in Tokyo and the meeting room was full of representatives from the Japanese supplier. Dan had an interpreter with him and the negotiation process was incredibly slow. Every clause in the contract was painstakingly worked through, first in English then translated into Japanese, then a lengthy caucus amongst the Japanese would occur, then a response back through the interpreter would follow. This went on for days. On about the third day, Dan was chatting with the interpreter during a break, and he told a joke in English, thinking only the interpreter would laugh. Everyone in the room laughed. The Japanese contingent understood English!

As obvious as it may seem in the retelling, not everyone in that situation would have gone past step 1 – hearing the message. Each step was important to fully comprehend and make use of the initial message.
1. First Dan heard the message – the laughter
2. Then he interpreted it – “they understand English!”
3. The evaluation was something like “those cunning individuals, understanding me all this time during these protracted negotiations and yet pretending they didn’t”
4. And the response was he brought in his own interpreter (who pretended he did not understand Japanese) who told Dan everything that was being said in their caucus sessions

Good leadership is impossible without listening. Outstanding leadership can only happen with exceptional listening. How is your listening skills impacting your leadership?

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The Fine Art of Negotiation

Sunday, February 12th, 2006
Mika Hamilton asked:




“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” -John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Negotiation is the most important skill that any business man or woman to have. It is helpful in all types of investment situations including investments, real estate, auctions, and daily relationships. If you are not a great negotiator then you need to find someone who is to help you with your business contacts. The goal of any negotiator is to try to meet everyone’s goals. Making both parties as happy as possible.

For people to negotiate with you, they have to trust you. You have to present yourself in a professional yet sincere way. There are actually four easy steps which can you be a better negotiator and get what you want out of your investments.

Before you even start your negotiations, know your goal and know what you will settle for. If you are using someone else to help you negotiate, make sure you fill then in. If you do not know what your goal is then the negotiation will not work.

For example, if your goal is to buy a house at a bargain price make sure you have done your research to know how to get this accomplished. During the negotiation session, you may want to reflection on your goal and adjust it, if you need to. As the discussion goes on you may acquire new information which may change your mind about what your goal is. To be a successful negotiator you need to make sure that you are flexible and know a good deal when you seen one.

Negotiations come in two flavors. They are blind and open. A blind negotiation means that neither party know anything about the other party. All the discussion takes place with a ‘middle man’ which relays information from one party to another.

The other type of negotiation is open. This means that the parties meet and can discussion freely. It also means that you go and do a bit of digging about the other party. For example, if you find out that the other party has to move because of a job transfer, you know you are more likely to get a lower price.

Negotiation tactics should never be cruel and should not take advantage of the other party’s emotional situation. While there may be many investors who have a cut throat approach to all ventures, you do not have too. It is important to get what you want but make the other person as happy as you can in the process.

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Global Communications in a Non-Verbal Dimension – Nu Leadership Series

Saturday, November 19th, 2005
Daryl Green asked:




“Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time”

Marian Wright Edelman

Understanding the differences in communication styles across cultures is a vital attribute for technical managers. Edward Hall, author of The Silent Language, notes that all cultures can be understood in relationship to one another by their communication styles. Researchers have noted some cultures during negotiations as silent (Japanese) while others are most vocal (Brazilians); therefore, organizations need to understand the dynamics of entering each foreign country. High-Context communication implies a message that is non-verbal; it can include the situation, behavior, and para-verbal cues during communications. The use of body language may be used as an alternative. In the Japanese and Chinese culture, High-context communication is used.

On the contrary, Low-Context communication occurs directly through explicit text and speech. In the Low-Context communication, Swiss and German societies utilize this mechanism. In the United States, people are very direct in their opinions. Therefore, US culture is considered to be a Low-Context culture. Unfortunately, an individual coming from a very High-Context environment may find US business people rude and impolite by their frankness. By understanding how communication styles are reflected in business operations, technical managers can be more effective during global negotiations. For example, the Asian culture utilizes a High-Context. Asians are very concerned about self-image and shame. In this situation, they are very considerate about a company’s name or an individual’s reputation. Good leaders understand how to maneuver the cultural landmines. Therefore, a manager working in a High-Context culture needs to make sure to avoid open criticism or ridicule that would cause an individual to lose face.

References:

Hall, E. (1959). The Silent Language. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.

LeBaron, M. (2003). Culture-based negotiation styles. Retrieved on June 19, 2007, from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/culture_negotiation/.

Wurtz, E. (2005). A cross-cultural analysis of websites from high-context cultures and low-context cultures. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(1), article 13.

? 2008 by Daryl D. Green

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Conflict Dispute Resolution, Communication, Negotiation & Cooperation – A New World Order

Thursday, November 25th, 2004
Paul Davis asked:




There are no winners in war. Globally this truth has been proven historically. Diplomacy therefore is the order of the day. As the world in which we live becomes increasingly interconnected technologically, economically, and governmentally developing a greater level of meaningful dialogue, heartfelt communication, and mutual understanding shall be necessary.

Given the new set of global challenges we face economically and environmentally, the stage is set not for lecturing as much as it is for listening. It shall be through listening that we learn the most about one another and the course of action most beneficial for us all. As we draw allies and enemies to the negotiating table, interact respectfully, and provide recognition sincerely each individual and nation collectively will embrace a sense of personal dignity. When acknowledgement and recognition is respectfully given, we shall begin to be able to transcend and iron out our differences.

Upholding the dignity of humanity regardless of our ideology, agenda, and aims will best serve us all. For this reason every individual and the global community collectively will benefit enormously from developing the skills of communication, negotiation, and effective conflict dispute resolution.

Sadly these are the necessary life skills that are rarely mentioned in families, schools, college campuses, and our communities. Yet these are the skills that will enable us to best work together, achieve the most, and overcome our biggest challenges.

Courts are overloaded with lawsuits and disputes to settle. By reason of the excessive caseload and limited amount of time afforded the legal system, judges are sending the majority of cases to mediation seeking alternative dispute resolution prior to allowing cases to proceed to court.

Like it or not, the landscape of the legal system and the challenges of our time are forcing us to recognize our interdependency and need to work together cooperatively. Undoubtedly many differences in ideological views and strategic approaches shall remain. Nevertheless as we recognize rather the demonize each other, we shall be able to cooperate rather than alienate.

Corporate CEOs and executives know courts are time consuming and often not cost effective. An adversarial legal system does not resolve conflict, but rather perpetuates it. Europe’s legal system is inquisitorial for a reason. It encourages the communication and cooperation of people, considering the individual human being to be more valuable than personal profits and gross financial gain at another’s expense.

Do we have to go to court over everything nowadays? Do we not have brains to work things out ourselves? Must we hold grudges for a lifetime? Isn’t there a better way?

Going to court is becoming increasingly costly and often futile. Parties and individuals in conflict are therefore turning to alternative methods of dispute resolution – mediation and arbitration being two options. As we endeavor to negotiate our way from confrontation to cooperation and navigate forward through perilous times, these proven and successful secrets to conquer conflict and build win-win alliances will be priceless and exceedingly strategic.

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Savvy Coping With Conflict

Wednesday, January 8th, 2003
Joseph Plazo asked:




A first-rate communicator discerns how to deal with conflict. His goal is not to eliminate conflict but to control it in such a way that it brings about evolution and constructive outcome. We all have our personal ways of dealing with conflict, our own methods of handling trying situations. How do you control conflict to minimize risks and maximize benefits? How can you handle conflict in a way that boosts your growth potential? The following iterates different ways we cope with conflict in a small assembly:

Mr. Avoider: Several people strive for detachment because they are awkward with anger in any form. Sometimes their evasion creates conflict or makes a frenzied situation worse. Evasion can be of advantage to you if you are not part of the predicament or part of the solution. It is not always your duty to “fix” every conflict that arises in your home or workplace.

Madame Accommodator: The Accommodator tries to keep everyone happy. This person’s objective is shallow harmony, not necessarily an equitable resolution of the discord. Accommodation is favored when the concerns are minor or when the relationship would be irreparably spoiled because tempers are too hot. Here the solution is only passing.

Stealthy Compromiser: The Compromiser tenders a solution which, at first glance, appears to settle conflict. Nonetheless, both sides are left disgruntled because both yield something they wanted. Compromise works best when time is fleeting and both parties benefit. But it’s a less than ideal situation because everyone loses something.

Aggressive Competitor: For the Competitor, discord is a fun game. Power gets this person’s interest. The competitive approach is greatest when all parties distinguish the power relationship between themselves and know that action is crucial. Like the others, this is merely a provisional answer. This dispute returns, perhaps in a more powerful form.

Savvy Negotiator: This person hunts for consensus and works assiduously to get it. Negotiation works best when all parties have problem-solving skills. Negotiators work to discover methods satisfactory to both parties while keeping objectives and values intact. This is the best tonic for communication breakdown.

The first aim in resolving friction is to deal constructively with the emotions involved. Keep in mind that you should regard the other person with respect, listen until you “experience the other side,” and to convet your views, needs and emotions. Though talking may trigger conflict, it is also the only means of deciding it.

Discussion can focus on defining the crisis by saying, “I hear…” looking for agreement by saying, “I agree …”; understanding feelings “I understand …”; and stating views calmly. “I think…” Several people plunge headlong into conflict without determining if their timing is right to work out the situation. Others forget to set the stipulations for the conflict. Many jump into a conflict without knowing if the other person assents to the terms.

Deploying the method described above promotes the genuine and direct expression of feelings by one person at a time. As emotions are articulated, heard and acknowledged, they are transient. When they are not expressed, heard or acknowledged, they fester. This style can rapidly neutralize emotions so divergence can be discussed more fruitfully.

Warmly.
Joseph Plazo

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