Cultural Communications Can Crash Planes and Kill Your Business Too- By Yvonne F. Brown
When we open the paper and find another story of a plane crash it is natural to assume there was mechanical failure or something worse. The one thing that never comes to mind is cultural communications caused discussions to deteriorate and hundreds of passengers to perish.
I travel a lot and just returned from a trip. As a passenger, I rely on the pilots to be well trained, the plane to be fueled and in flying condition and the staff to ensure we have a successful flight to our destination. All passengers do; and we never consider how cultural and social mindsets impact our arrival.
Likewise, employees rely on their executives to pilot the organization to increased profits and successful arrival at the corporate vision. The question is: "Does your organization's culture allow employees to ask questions and offer suggestions to executives?" Or does your corporate culture enforce a strictly top down communication style?
Culture and crashed planes
In the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, the author writes of Korean Air flight 801, on August 5th, 1997 and the events leading up to the moment when the plane hit the side of Nimitz Hill killing 228 of the 254 people on board.
Full details (from the plane's black box) can be read in Outliers, what is interesting here is that at one point the captain "hit his first officer with his back hand for making an error." What ensues is a series of miscommunications where the first officer speaks in cultural code to a captain who is essentially asleep at the wheel. The result is 228 dead. Subsequent training by another airline breaks through the cultural barrier and today Korean Airlines is a safe carrier.
What cultural signals are you sending your people?
Top down communications
Regardless of your company size, you have a vision. The vision paints the way and enlightens your employees/followers on the strategic ambitions of the organization. This is created in a strategic planning session and brought to the implementers through top down communication that informs employees of your future objectives. Typically, the implementers are not included in the decision making process of how to bring the vision to fruition. Rather, it is trickled down departmentally and managers are expected to enroll their direct reports in the vision.
The trouble with strictly top down communications occurs when the manager is insecure or has an autocratic management style that deters input. Consequently, front lines employees who know the vision is not possible or needs tweaking do not speak up and opportunities are lost.
This raises the question: How integrated are your people? Do you have cultural and diversity programs internally that prepare employees for intercultural communications? What happens when different personality styles are exhibited? Do reflective individuals shut down because the more outgoing types take over discussions? Are your managers versed in personality and cultural differences?
Educating your staff on cultural and personality differences helps them communicate better, allows you to obtain ideas from all the brains in the room and helps with innovation. It might even avert disaster for you and your company.
Confident Communication: How to have a Dynamic Voice
In today's society the ability to communicate well is a highly valued commodity. This skill separates the winners from the losers at work, in social situations and in ones personal life. Confident communication is multifaceted and concerns both verbal and non-verbal skills. Your voice is heard even before you open your mouth through your total communication image. It's not just what you say, but how you say it that counts. This 3-day session incorporates lecture and interactive participation to improve the four aspects of your Dynamic Voice and provide you with the tools and techniques to succeed on all fronts. If you have ever found yourself at a loss for words in a tough situation, this course will help ensure that never happens again.
Location: The Executive Career Center - Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration
Date: July 7 – 9th (Schaumburg)
August 4th -6th (Chicago)
Click here to register online
Basic Coaching Skills for Managers
A manager's success is measured by how well they get work done with and through others. With today's workforce that consists of five generations it requires the ability to know yourself and the ability to determine what motivates your people. You need the ability to achieve team synergy and success. The single most powerful component of employee performance management is the coaching of employees by the supervisor. Coaching goes beyond personal employee growth. It requires results oriented commitment to the individual and contributes to meeting organizational needs. Be the catalyst that motivates your team to higher productivity and efficiency.
Course Objectives
This 2-day course covers four different types of coaching. You will learn:
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Counseling: Awareness of employee's attitudes and behavioral changes that are affecting work
- Teaching: Transferring skills and knowledge
- Mentoring: Perspective on the employee's present organization fit and possibilities for future contribution
- Challenging: Addressing performance deficiencies or stagnation.
Location: The Executive Career Center - Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration
Date: July 1st – 2nd
Click here to register online
Assertive Interpersonal Strategies for Women - July 10th (Chicago) and August 20th (Oak Brook).
Nobody’s perfect. Sometimes you will underreact or overreact. Assertive people sends correct signals and receive correct responses. Knowing how to handle different situations helps you get things done and get what you want. This seminar will help you express your ideas and get your point across confidently and effectively to achieve the results you want.
“Who should attend: Women managers and supervisors – including newly promoted first-line supervisors – who want to build on the strengths, improve their communication, conflict resolution, delegation and action planning.”
Register 5 people from your company and receive the discount price of $99 per person.
On site training - Call for special pricing
Leave the seminar with tools to increase your ability to stand up for yourself in a professional and personable manner.
Register by fax or online
Register Imediately
Register by email to yvonne@yvonnefbrown.com
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How do I communicate to a potential employer of the Boomer or older Gen X generation that I am capable and the right person for the position? I prefer a career not just a job.
Answer:
 One way to let your potential employer know that you want to be at the company for the long term and a career is to arrive prepared. Here are some techniques that will help:
- Visit the company’s website and learn as much as you can about their mission, vision, and values then be able to articulate that during the session
- Join LinkedIn.com and add your objectives, then find someone who works there and ask for some interview tips
- Go to Hoovers.com to gain insight and analysis about the company and its people
- Determine what a career path in your field with the company is and demonstrate that to the interviewer
- Connect your industry experience to corporate objectives
- Learn what community organizations and events the company participates in (to better understand their corporate social responsibility)
Let me know how it all works out for you and feel free to contact me with any questions.
Send your questions for "Ask Yvonne" to yvonne@yvonnefbrown.com and I will answer in our next newsletter
Make-or-Break Interview Mistakes
 When interviewing for a position, be sure to wear appropriate business clothes.
You could end up as a bad interview story and I guarantee you will not be the selected candidate.
“I can't help sharing perhaps the ultimate inappropriate interview
outfit. You might want to add this to the list of Not-to-do on a job
interview: I owned a small business several years ago. We were
interviewing Macintosh software trainers. A woman came in with a full-
fledged clown costume on. She asked that I forgive the outfit -- She
had a clown gig to go to after the interview. I must admit, I don't
remember her name.” Chavah Golden
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