Managing across borders and cultures PDF

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Managing across borders and cultures

Lecture 1 Some tips on how to conduct a meeting Make ti possible to boost the team spirit, to develop a common language - The presentation threads Time & value of meeting – character of bad meetings – character of good meetings – preparation in advance – an expected behaviour – welcome – during meeting – concluding the meeting – mental attitude – some rules – 4 plagues to be avoided – conclusion & laws of time. What to do in order to organise a meeting? You have to know well the objective of the meeting. - Time and value of meetings Just how much time do you spend: in meetings, doing the work from the meetings, preparing for meetings. Are the valuable enough to merit the time they take? For 78% of Management Leaders, meetings are waste of time. Many people attend the meeting in order to show they are here. When you are going to participate in a meeting, you have to have a good reason. When you are in a place, but you have other things to do, is more fear to don’t attended it: it is just discipline. Maybe just the 50% is with you, the other part is thinking their own things. It’s time for smarter meetings: why do we meet? Is it possible to secure forward movement and action in a more effective way than just calling a meeting? What should we have accomplished by the time the meeting is over? What will be the takeaway from the meeting? How do we proceed during the meeting? What kind of processes do we use? How do we secure progress and decisions, a high level of focus, and minimal time waste during the meeting? - To have or not to have a meeting Is it necessary? Can it be avoided? Unfortunately, most meetings are scheduled in advance of the agenda’s creation (for instance: weekly or monthly meetings, recurrent meetings). Not have a meeting: when you already know the answer; when there is no “buy-in” required; when there is no information to transmit; when it is not important to participants; when there is no permission needed. To have a meeting: 1) problem solving: input – you need “buy-in” (group’s input) for success. 2) information exchange: simultaneous dissemination of information that is important to those attending. - Characteristics of bad meetings Poorly / terribly organised: members don’t participate, they are uninterested, they are unprepared, they have not complete their assignments, the meeting itself is disorganised, the topic is boring, there is no control of time, members are wasting their time, nothing is going to be accomplished, inappropriate presentation. Poorly begun and ended: they start late, they show-up late, they run over time. Poorly led: the chair sets the wrong tone, doesn’t communicate well (before and during the meeting), doesn’t find the agenda, looks at his clock/mobile.

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Managing across borders and cultures

- Characteristics of good meetings A dynamic, passionate focused, engaging process that extracts the collective wisdom of a team. It must be: well-conducted, time-efficient (finish on time even a little bit earlier), meaningful, focused. - Preparation in advance First: determine the purpose, schedule the date and the place, number of participants, the size & the disposition of the meeting room, the required (IT) furniture. Then: write the minutes (before the meeting) Decide who is going to the “chairman” of the meeting Create an “essential agenda”: specific and action-oriented (use action verbs); both a map and promotional tool; circulate in advance. - How do you set up the meeting room? How do you set up the room and the tables? For an information-transmission meeting (large room, presenter in front, everybody is facing in the same direction). Rectangular position and the presenter in the middle front. For a problem-solving meeting (medium room, everyone should be at the same level, organise in circle/ellipse). When the table is rectangular and if you are the leader of the meeting you should be sit in a position of “power”. You are the head of the table. Sit on the left / on the right, you have the secretary and the main advisor. - An expected behaviour Do not criticise, rather encourage and value, smile; be humble; speaking without anger, stay calm; stay open and positive; be punctual; say directly to the person what is wrong with tact; observe the following/coming rules. (Don’t speak while someone else is speaking). - Welcome Consider giving a first “good” impression to others; be enthusiastic; express kindness, friendliness, courtesy; smile; be efficient, accurate; self control; watching the other person; shake hand (it depends); ask and pronounce the name of your interlocutor; be spontaneous but not familiar; listen carefully to understand his/her demand. - During meeting Respect the duration of the meeting; refocusing the drifting discussion (on the original agenda); start and end on time; ensure that everyone speaks (no always, it depends on the number of member during the meeting); one person speaks at a time;; no protocol to talk; no aggression or personal attack; seek ways for reasons rather than cons. - During meeting (suite) Listen to understand rather than to satisfy / answer; impose yourself, have beliefs (as a gentleman) – don’t be shy, is important that If you think what there is in your mind is something relevant, share with all; dare to make suggestions and receive suggestions for you without susceptibility; be honest and open-minded; recognise an (your) error; be able to stay silent (but show that with the mind you are with the meeting)..

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Managing across borders and cultures

- Concluding the meeting Review what is to be done (the MAP); give each an opportunity to voice a last critical issue/question; schedule next meeting (if necessary); intermittently assess the effectiveness of the meeting. - Develop a positive mental attitude Be responsible without shirking (evading) or blaming others; go to the end of your commitments in a gentle manner; understand that we are all involved in one production line which leads to the client and our wages; and our purpose (raisin d’etre) is service (to serve); think to call yourself into question during the meeting and especially after; be a good professional. - Some rules During the meeting / workshop process, some rules have to be followed: 1) All the participants must put between brackets their a priori, their postulates 2) All the participants are on the same level (there are not any more hierarchical levels). 3) Each one must consider others as allies. 4) It must exist a coordinator which maintains the dialogue around the selected topics. 5) Reproaches do not have their place. - Four plagues to be avoided To reach the laser effect, it is a question of avoiding 4 plagues specific to humankind: Fear (of the unknown, of change, of others…); ego/pride; jealousy; preconceived ideas. - The paradox of the conversation during a meeting Civility / Courtesy / friendship (“a sense of belonging”, “mimesis”, “ambiance”), (logic of quality and inequality)

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Managing across borders and cultures

- Knowing the laws of time 1. DOUGLAS Rule: we work better with a clear visual space around us, such as a clean desk. 2. CARLSON Rule: (rule of homogeneous sequences): any interrupted work will take longer than if it were carried out continuously. 3. MURPHY Rule: work always takes longer than you think. 4. PARETO Rule: the ‘essential’ takes little time, the ‘accessory’ takes a long time. 20% of the time invested produces 80% of the results. 5. Rule of ECCLESIASTES: beyond a certain threshold of work, one becomes unproductive. Look for balance and vary your tasks. 6. PARKINSON Rule: work takes the time it is given. It will be done in 1 hour if one has an hour, 2 hours if one has 2 hours. So, do we set deadlines. 7. LABORIT Rule> do what is difficult first. 8. ILLICH Rule: relax before being tired. Give yourself breaks. 9. SWOBODA Rule: Adapt his work to his biological rhythm. For example, are you from the morning or from the evening? 10. EISENHOWER Rule: Distinguish between Urgent things and Important things. 11. FRAISSE Rule: Time has a subjective dimension, depending on the interest in the activity. A proverb says that "punctuality is the politeness of kings." Impossible to be efficient and to have fun if one is "indebted" of time. - Conclusion “Speech is silver, but silence is golden”. Don’t forget we have two ears for one mouth. The Way of the Samurai. Acting as a modern Samurai.

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Managing across borders and cultures

Lecture 2 How to deal with conflict Art of living and know-being It is important to understand why I am not comfortable with this kind of situation. Conflict is not coming from the outside, but from you (from your inside). You cut your rational mind and you are not more able to deal with a conflict. It is a good solution to play sports in order to be more quiet and “tired”. Be careful with body language, it is very important. - The thread Clarifying confusion about conflict; types of managerial actions; key managerial actions; ways people deal with conflicts; managing conflict with another person; additional perspectives. Clarifying confusion about conflict - Conflict can take place Conflict occurs with two or more people who, despite their first attempts at agreement, do not yet have agreement on a course of action, usually because their values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature. Conflict can occur: 1. Within yourself when you are not living according to your; 2. When your values and perspectives are threatened (you have to be able to identify your values); 3. When there is discomfort from fear of the unknown or from lack of fulfilment. - Conflicts inevitable and often necessary Conflict is inevitable and often necessary when forming high-performing teams because they evolve through “form, storm, norm and perform” periods. Getting the most out of diversity often means addressing contradictory values, perspectives and opinions. Conflict is often needed. It: Helps to raise and address problems; Energizes work to be focused on the most important priorities; Helps people “be real” and motivates them to fully participate; Helps people learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences. - Conflict is not the real problem Conflict is not the same as discomfort. The conflict is not the problem – poor management of the conflict is the problem. Conflict is a problem when it: hampers productivity; lowers morale; causes more and continued conflicts; causes inappropriate behaviours. Types of managerial actions that cause workplace conflicts - Poor communications Employees experience continual surprises, for example, they are not informed of major decisions that affect their workplaces and lives. Employees do not understand the reasons for the decisions – they are not involved in the decisionmaking. As a result, they trust the “rumour mill” more than their management. It is important to keep every kind of resource that we personally read or listen.

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Managing across borders and cultures

- The alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient There is: Disagreement about “who does what.”; Stress from working with inadequate resources. “Personal chemistry. “ “Personal chemistry,” including conflicting values or actions, for example: Strong interpersonal natures among workers do not seem to match. We do not like others because they seem too much like ourselves (we often do not like in others what we do not like in ourselves). - Leadership problems For example, inconsistent, missing, too-strong or uninformed leadership (at any level in the organization), evidenced by: Avoiding conflict, “passing the buck” with little follow-through on decisions; Employees see the same continued issues in the workplace; Supervisors do not understand the jobs of their subordinates. Key managerial actions & structures to minimize conflicts - Key actions 1. Regularly review job descriptions. Get your employee’s input to them. Ensure: job roles do not conflict; no tasks “fall in a crack.” 2. Intentionally build relationships with all subordinates: Meet at least once a month alone with them in office; Ask about accomplishments, challenges and issues. 3. Get regular, written status reports that describe: Accomplishments; Currents issues and needs from management; Plans for the upcoming period. 4. Conduct basic training about: interpersonal communications; conflict management; delegation. 5. Develop procedures for routine tasks and include the employees’ input: Have employees write procedures when possible and appropriate; get employees’ review of the procedures; distribute the procedures; train employees about the procedures. 6. Regularly hold management meetings with all employees: For example, every month, communicate new initiatives and status of current products or services. 7. Consider an anonymous suggestion box in which employees can provide suggestions: This can be powerful means to collect honest feedback, especially in very conflicted workplaces. Ways people deal with conflict - Some ways There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict: 1. You can avoid it. Pretend it is not there or ignore it. Use this approach only when it simply is not worth the effort to argue. Be aware that this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time. 2. You can accommodate it. You can give in to others, sometimes to the extent that you compromise yourself. Use this approach very sparingly and infrequently, for example, in situations when you know that you will have another more useful approach in the very near future. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time and causes conflicts within yourself. 3. You can compete with the others. You can work to get your way, rather than clarifying and addressing the issue. Competitors love accommodators. Use this approach when you have a very strong conviction about your position.

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Managing across borders and cultures

4. Compromising. You can engage in mutual give-and-take. This approach is used when the goal is to get past the issue and move on together. 5. Collaborating. You can focus on working together. Use this approach when the goal is to meet as many current needs as possible by using mutual resources. This approach sometimes raises new mutual needs. Collaboration can also be used when the goal is to cultivate ownership and commitment.

To manage a conflict with another person - Some tips 1. Know what you do not like about yourself, early on in your career: We often do not like in others what we do not want to see in ourselves; Write down 5 traits that really bug you when see them in others; Be aware that these traits are your “hot buttons.” 2. Manage yourself. If you and/or another person are getting upset, then manage yourself to stay calm: Speak to the person as if the other person is not upset – this can be very effective!; Avoid use of the word “you” – this avoids your appearing to be blaming the person; Nod your head to assure the person that you heard him/her; Maintain eye contact with the person. 3. Move the discussion to a private area, if possible: Many times, moving to a new environment invites both of you to see or feel differently. 4. Give the other person time to vent: Do not interrupt the person or judge what he/she is saying. 5. Verify that you are accurately hearing each other. When the other person is done speaking: Ask the person to let you rephrase (uninterrupted) what you are hearing to ensure you are hearing it correctly; To understand the person more, ask open-ended questions (avoid “why” questions – those questions often make people feel defensive). 6. Repeat the above step, for the other to verify that he/she is hearing you. Describe your perspective: Use “I”, not “you.”; Talk in terms of the present as much as possible; Quickly mention your feelings. 7. Acknowledge where you disagree and where you agree: One of the most powerful means to resolve conflict is to mention where you both agree. 8. Discuss the matter on which you disagree, not the nature of the other person: Ask “What can we do to fix the problem?” The person might begin to complain again; Then ask the same question. Focus on actions you both can do; Ask the other person if they will support the action(s); If the person will not, then ask for a “cooling off period”. 9. Thank the person for working with you: It takes patience for a person to engage in meaningful conversation during conflict. Acknowledge and thank the other person for his/her effort. 10. If the situation remains a conflict, then: Conclude if the other person’s behaviour violates one of the personnel policies and procedures in the workplace and if it does, then follow the policy’s terms for addressing that violation; Otherwise, consider whether to agree to disagree; Consider seeking a third party to mediate.

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Managing across borders and cultures

Additional perspectives on conflict management - Additional perspectives Learning to recognize in yourself and in others the five wounds of childhood: Rejection (Le rejet); Abandonment (L’abandon); Humiliation (L’humiliation); Betrayal (La trahison); Injustice (L’injustice). To be effective you have to identify the different masks associated to the five wounds. The body provides us the answer! The “mask” of the rejected person is: The fleeing (Le fuyant) The “mask” of the abandoned person is: The dependent (Le dépendant) The “mask” of the humiliated person is: The masochist (Le masochiste) The “mask” of the betrayed person is: The controlling (Le contrôlant) The “mask” of injustice victim is: The rigid (Le rigide) - Bibliography and recommendations Ø Carter McNamara: Conflict – An Essential Ingredient for Growth (basic styles to deal with conflict) Ø Kare Anderson: Six Off-Beat ways to get along better Ø Kate Anderson: Keeping Cool while under fire Ø Suzanne de Janasz, Karen Dowd, Beth Schneider: Interpersonal Skills in Organizations Ø By Erik A. Fisher and Steven W. Sharp: The Art of Managing everyday conflict: understanding emotions and power struggles Ø Daniel Dana: Conflict resolution Ø Michael A. Roberto: Why great leaders don’t take « yes » for an answer. Managing for conflict and consensus

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