by Berny Dohrmann | Communications, Leadership, Workplace tips
Today’s guest author is Berny Dohrmann, chairman and founder of CEO Space. Drawing from his transformative experience of having been incarcerated, Berny uses his past to upgrade CEOs today into leaders within higher global compliance standards.
In survey after survey, meetings get knocked by everyone from employees to senior executives as being among the biggest waste of work hours.
In an Office Team poll, 45% of senior executives said their firms would be more productive if they banned all meetings at least one day a week! (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Be your best you, Communications
Challenge my mind.
Intrigue me.
Pique my curiosity.
Move me.
Make me laugh.
Please just don’t try to sell or subscribe or impress me before you’ve done any of those things!
I’ve been doing lots of research as I write my next book which means I’m visiting lots of new web sites and blogs.
On some (too many!) I’m bombarded with popups within seconds of opening the page—Enroll! Subscribe! Buy! Don’t miss! (more…)
by Jane Perdue | Be your best you, Communications
Do you always write with blue ink?
If it’s Wednesday, do you know you’re having pizza for dinner?
Do you walk down the back hallway so you can avoid walking by your boss’s office?
We’re creatures of habit so we like our routines. They’re comfy, familiar, make us feel safe. (more…)
by Ethan F. Becker | Communications, Workplace tips
Why isn’t your international business thriving?
Why are you still running into problems with your international counterparts telling you “yes” one day and then not following through the next?
After working with clients in South East Asia since the 1990’s, living in Malaysia with my family for almost a year, conducting research, and coaching senior leaders in some of the area’s largest organizations, I’ve gained insight into the conundrum facing so many international teams: problems with cross-cultural communication.
I’ve explored both the communication psyche of senior level executives and the perspectives of multiple organizational levels of employees.
Doing so, I’ve discovered the root causes of many of these problems as well as a simple solution.
The Problem
Many issues with cross-cultural communications arise from breakdowns in verbal and body language. Consider:
- A manager from India who is speaking to a colleague from the United States may come across as condescending and arrogant without knowing he is conveying that attitude. The Indian feels he is simply showing confidence; to his American colleague, he is being offensive. The American doesn’t respect the manager. How likely is it that the two can form a productive working relationship?
- A man from Singapore meets with a woman from the United States, and they discuss research. To him, research means that if three people agree on a topic, it’s a fact. To the female, research means paying a firm $50,000 to call and poll people for a month. They leave their meeting in agreement that they will research a new product and then go to market with it. However, they never discuss the meaning of the term research. What do you think will happen when they meet again at the end of the month for a progress check?
- A manager from Germany delegates a critical job to an Asian subordinate. Upon the due date, the work is not done.
“Where is the work?” asks the manager.
“It’s on my desk,” replies the subordinate.
“Is it done?” queries the manager.
“Yes,” replies the subordinate.
“Can I have it?” asks the manager.
“Yes,” replies the subordinate.
“So where is it?”
“On my desk.”
“So why is it on your desk?”
“Because I’m still working on it,” replies the subordinate.
“But you said it was done!” exclaims the manager.
“Yes.” Replies the subordinate. At which point the manager became frustrated, associating the “yes” replies and the absence of work deception or incompetence. The reality here was the subordinate was fearful of having to share bad news with a source of authority.
How can the German manager foster an environment where the Asian subordinate is comfortable enough to transcend her upbringing about disappointing authority and being honest?
- A woman from Malaysia meets with a man from England to design an event for their company. The man from England discusses the “take-aways” from the event, meaning the lessons people learn and retain. The woman from Malaysia believes “take-aways” are the hand-outs and gifts people take away from the event. Do you think the meeting is a productive one or simply causes confusion?
3 part fix for cross-cultural communications
The Fix
There’s a three-part fix for cross-cultural communication problems:
1. Paraphrase. Repeat what others say in your own words to confirm your understanding.
2. Define terms. When it’s your turn to speak, invest time in creating common definitions of terms; and it’s okay to stop the flow of the meeting to do so. Taking time upfront to define terms and meaning saves time and energy later on. Be patient, and plan for extra time for this.
3. Never assume. Don’t take it for granted that everyone uses terms in the same way. Tone of voice may suggest understanding, but that isn’t proof that both of you are on the same page. Always double-check.
It’s true that communication problems can crop up in non-multicultural environments as well. Yet in multicultural environments, the chance of communication problems is significantly worse. However, if you are prepared, you can avoid costly communication breakdowns and strengthen productivity by using these three simple steps.
Pay attention to the fix, and you’ll thrive. Don’t use them, and you’re wasting valuable time.
Today’s guest post is from Ethan F. Becker, co-author of Mastering Communication at Work (McGraw-Hill) and President of The Speech Improvement Company.
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
by Jane Perdue | Communications, Leadership
Jorge hung up the phone and sat at his desk for a long time, staring out the window, seeing everything yet seeing nothing.
As he sat there, he replayed, over and over again, the conversation he’d just had with his business partner.
The call had been unexpectedly contentious.
His business partner accused him of three serious acts of wrong-doing.
Those three acts were topics the two of them had never discussed.
Jorge was shocked to learn his business partner wanted to be copied on every email he sent to prospective clients, viewed his participation in a local networking group as an under-handed way to get to know more people in the community, and saw Jorge’s popular blog as a way for Jorge to hog the limelight and shut him out.
Their photography business didn’t last to see its one-year anniversary.
Too many times I’ve seen unmet expectations derail projects, careers, and relationships.
Too many times, those expectations were unmet because they weren’t communicated. The other person was just expected you to know what they expected.
Ever found yourself in a situation where you were caught off guard by something someone assumed that you would know?
That discomfort or animosity can be avoided if we make the time and effort to set a few simple ground rules at the beginning of a project, assignment or work partnership.
5 ways to set expectations
1) Determine who will do what.
When we define roles and responsibilities early on, everyone knows their role. When new duties arise, make it a point to assign ownership for completion.
2) Establish how you’ll communicate.
The method for communicating, be it through email, text messages, in-person meetings, phone calls, etc., matters less than understanding each other’s preferences and taking them into account as much as possible. When generational differences are a factor, this step is crucial.
3) Connect to check in.
Touch base periodically to assess if things are on track or not. If adjustments are needed, identify who will make them. Flag potential problems and/or issues early – no one likes to be surprised.
4) Be curious.
Explore styles, interests, likes, dislikes, goals, etc. before starting the partnership. If differences do exist (and they will), assess whether ot not they can be tolerated. Know if those involved are interested in working through problems or if playing the blame game is the default position.
5) Define what success will look like.
Be specific in detailing what outcomes are expected and how you’ll work together to achieve them. Figure out if the end game between those involved is competition or collaboration. Egos can be insurmountable barriers to work completion, so it’s best to know this ahead of time.
Unhappiness lies in that gap between our talents and our expectations. ~Sebastian Horsley, artist
We all have expectations of ourselves and others. To avoid disappointment, anger, frustration, and a whole host of other ugly outcomes, share those expectations early and often.
What other advice do you have for Jorge?
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
by Jane Perdue | Communications, Leadership
Does your life and work schedule resemble the landing strip at O’Hare or LaGuardia airports—so much incoming activity that there’s no time for anything else?
No time to think or reflect or connect?
(Sometimes, in my first act of life, there was hardly time to go to the bathroom!)
In today’s crazy busy world we connect with technology frequently, spending lots of time interacting with a device (Crackberry, anyone?).
Yet it’s connecting with real people that brings genuine success and satisfaction to our personal and professional lives.
Making those “people” connections requires us being thoughtful in seeing, and seizing, the opportunities to “only connect” as E.M. Forester says.
You’re 1/12 into a new year.
Are you as connected with others as you’d like to be?
If not, use this three-pronged approach as your guide to making the other 11/12 of the year rich with quality leadership connections.
Connect with you
If your personal reservoir is empty, there isn’t much to share with others. Re-engage with what’s important to you. Psychologist Daniel Goleman’s work with emotional intelligence is a helpful place to start:
The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.
Getting in touch with what we fail to notice—about ourselves and others—is a crucial first step to establishing powerful connections.
- What’s my personal and professional north, and am I still on track?
- What worthwhile things have I done today that I will continue doing?
- Whose life did I touch today and help make it better?
- What one thing, big or small, did I do today to renew my energy and increase my knowledge and/or skills?
Connect with those around you
Make the time – or schedule it if that works for you – so you’re spending five quality minutes with a direct report, colleague, client, vendor, assistant, the barista who makes your daily latte, and so on. Establishing relationships with those around you at work – at every level within the organization and externally as well – is a make-or-break element for career success.
- Ask “how are you doing today?” Then really listen to the answer and ask follow-up questions.
- Say thank you. Throw in a smile for good measure.
- Celebrate an accomplishment. Chocolate is one of the four food groups!
- Ask them about sports, their kids, a favorite TV show, etc. Explore, discover and share interests to build a bond.
Connect with your boss
Some bosses are the scourge of the earth, others just delightful. Either way, engage him or her in a meaningful exchange. Your boss can propel your career to new heights or hold you back behind your back. Aim for the propelling part.
- Ask if there’s some way you can help out.
- Ask him about his family or favorite book so you can establish some common ground and shared interests.
- Ask her where she sees her career going and what will help her succeed.
Make making meaningful connections a goal, a habit, a way of life!
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
In survey after survey, meetings get knocked by everyone from employees to senior executives as being among the biggest waste of work hours. 
