Content about Culture

November 5, 2012
Loews Hotels’ Secret to Being a Good Neighbor

Loews Hotels’ Good Neighbor program is moving into its third decade as the longest tenured hospitality corporate responsibility program. It partners with DonorsChoose.org, an organization that helps to support teachers in the classroom by soliciting individuals to fund class projects.

By Margery Weinstein

Loews Hotels’ Good Neighbor program, recently recognized by Condé Nast, is moving into its third decade as the longest tenured hospitality corporate responsibility program.

March 27, 2012
The Art of Negotiation

Many people think William Shatner is the master negotiator based on his priceline.com commercials, but I believe my husband actually owns the title.

Many people think William Shatner is the master negotiator based on his priceline.com commercials, but I believe my husband actually owns the title. His dad was in auto sales, and he has continued the family tradition. In fact, he practices his wiles—I mean skills—on me on a regular basis.

March 26, 2012
The Global Mindset

Professionals who lived abroad for several years have learned to develop a global mindset the hard way, often experiencing painful failures, being forced to re-evaluate the way they approach foreign markets. Training employees and giving them the tools needed to develop the global mindset needed to succeed prior to engaging in international endeavors is by far the most effective way to conduct international business and retain employees.

By Valerie Berset-Price

March 23, 2012
What NOT to Say

When it comes to customer service, tell learners about the bad things that happened to you—primarily to make them laugh about it, but also so they think about what notto do or say to a customer. Document every customer service interaction you have, or the experiences of others you hear about—especially the bad ones—so you can pass along the dos and don’ts to your learners.

By Gisele Canova

February 20, 2012
Best Practices: T&D for Global JVs and M&As

Between 50 and 70 percent of international joint ventures (IJVs) fail, yet the number of IJVs, mergers, and acquisitions continues to increase. It is estimated that companies are making a combined investment of upward of $500 billion a year in these high-risk/high-reward ventures. What must not be overlooked is the role Training and Development can play in increasing the likelihood that these ventures will be more rewarding and less risky.

By Neal Goodman, Ph.D.

Between 50 and 70 percent of international joint ventures (IJVs) fail, yet the number of IJVs, mergers, and acquisitions continues to increase. It is estimated that companies are making a combined investment of upward of $500 billion a year in these high-risk/high-reward ventures. What must not be overlooked is the role Training and Development can play in increasing the likelihood that these ventures will be more rewarding and less risky. Here is one current example:

February 10, 2012
Conference Highlight: StrategicPlay

Training is child’s play if you have the right system.

 

Training 2012 Conference & Expo speaker Jacquie Lloyd Smith offers the ins and outs of StrategicPlay® with LEGO® bricks and why it works.

How many times have you attended training or a meeting and thought it was a waste of time? Organizations in North America cannot afford to do this anymore. And life is too short to be bored by another PowerPoint or lecture about some discombobulated concept.

December 15, 2011
Ethical Lessons from the Penn State Case

Penn State’s story of bad decisions and bad behavior sparked a national debate about personal moral conduct and the school’s perceived institutional failure to do the right thing. Since none of us are immune from acting unethically, what can we do to ensure our workplaces are not caught in our own failures of judgment, of action, and of inaction?

By Darnell Lattal, Ph.D., CEO and President, Aubrey Daniels International (ADI)

Penn State’s story of bad decisions and bad behavior sparked a national debate about personal moral conduct and the school’s perceived institutional failure to do the right thing. There were tremendous failures of judgment, of action, and of inaction. Since none of us are immune from acting unethically, what can we do to ensure our workplaces are not caught in our own failures of judgment, of action, and of inaction?

December 2, 2011
Understanding (and Maximizing) the Work Practice of the Digital Native

Digital natives have a different set of habits, standards, expectations, and social norms that stem from being raised in a culture deeply immersed in technology, writes Brynn Evans in Chapter 1 of “Dancing With Digital Natives.” While their differences may not always clash with non-natives, their work practice is unique and demands patience and compromise from non-natives to understand it and make the most of it.

The following is taken from Chapter 1: “When Facebook Comes to Work: Understanding the Work Practice of the Digital Native,” by Brynn Evans.

Work as a Practice

November 23, 2011
Best Practices: Diversity Dimensions

Global diversity rollouts can—and should—be implemented successfully, but too frequently problems arise because the company’s original diversity initiatives, based purely on an American perspective, are merely expanded geographically without regard for cultural approaches to diversity.

By Neal Goodman, Ph.D., President, Global Dynamics, Inc.

September 6, 2011
Cartus Builds Intercultural Awareness

To encourage effective communication and excellent customer support, Cartus’ Danbury Diversity & Inclusion Council spearheads employee awareness programs locally and globally through volunteer lunchtime multicultural awareness programs.

 

By Margery Weinstein

Cartus Corporation employees work from service centers worldwide to support customers transitioning not only to foreign countries but also to unfamiliar cultures. Effective support of Cartus clients’ international assignees requires its employees to have intercultural awareness/skills and requires diversity in both hiring and employee development.

July 25, 2011
Trainer Talk: The Hundredth Monkey

The 100th Monkey Principle says it takes sustained effort and continued support to put a change in place. As trainers, what are we doing to create a supportive environment on the job so participants are encouraged to use what they’ve learned?

By Bob Pike

What does it take for an idea to gain traction? Many years ago, Ken Keyes, Jr., wrote a book called “The Hundredth Monkey.” In it, he tells the story of Japanese scientists who provided sweet potatoes for the monkeys on Koshima Island.

May 16, 2011
Teambuilding Across Cultures

Few workforces are entirely mono-cultural these days, and the challenges of welding disparate cultural elements (whether based within the same office or from offices dotted around the globe) into effective teams are challenges faced by an ever-increasing number of organizations. The key factor when it comes to teambuilding across cultures is to get every member to focus on the objectives of that team.

By Christian Arno, Founder, Lingo24

The presence of talented individuals is important for any organization that wishes to innovate and excel in its field, but good teamwork is essential, providing the bedrock on which future success can be built. The importance of having an effective teambuilding strategy in place is widely acknowledged throughout the business world, with a plethora of resources offering advice and tailored teambuilding services.

March 24, 2011
Best Practices: Cultivating Cultural Intelligence

The better a training department can capture, retain, and disseminate its acquired cultural intelligence throughout the organization, the greater the strategic value it will bring.

By Neal Goodman, Ph.D.

If you open to the business section of any newspaper, you’ll see that regardless of where a company is headquartered, it likely is struggling with the development and movement of talent to deal with the global, culturally diverse workplace and marketplace.

July 29, 2010
Generation Management

Much has been written about generational differences in the workplace, but what about generational attitudes about management? The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)'s Emerging Leaders Research Survey tackled this topic, obtaining 3,417 responses from a sample composed of 57 percent women and 43 percent men.

Much has been written about generational differences in the workplace, but what about generational attitudes about management? The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)'s Emerging Leaders Research Survey tackled this topic, obtaining 3,417 responses from a sample composed of 57 percent women and 43 percent men.

Overall, some 66 percent of respondents hold management positions, with the generational breakdown as follows:

July 13, 2005
When using stories, capitalize on perspectives

As a speaker who specializes in storytelling and motivating people to action, Vincent Kituku knows the power of a good tale.

As a speaker who specializes in storytelling and motivating people to action, Vincent Kituku knows the power of a good tale.

August 1, 2002
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[hed] A code of conduct

[hed] A code of conduct

January 1, 2001
When old words won't work, it's time to invent new ones

Before you blister your fingers flipping through the dictionary in search of a definition for the most prominent word on this month's cover, you should know that "classworking" is not a word. I made it up.

Before you blister your fingers flipping through the dictionary in search of a definition for the most prominent word on this month's cover, you should know that "classworking" is not a word. I made it up.