The Globesmart assessment provided me with an excellent measure of what I truly am after spending 10 years out of my country of Birth India. The results were a fair mixture of the qualities that defined me.
I agreed with each and every part of the assessment. Even though I think independent, I do tend to think that my decision should consider the whole team which to me shows interdependency. I am not status driven at all. After going through several high risk events (that's what young age is for :-) ) I now tend to take less risk or what I like to call educated risks. I am very task oriented. I like to be direct to people but I must admit that when someone is not appreciative of direct talks, I do not use direct language, which surprisingly shows on my Globesmart assessment. Overall, it is pretty impressive that I agree 100% with all results of this assessment and I am overall happy with these results too.
The CPQ was my favorite survey assessment. I scored 5 on harmony which in my real life I treat very highly. I do not feel comfortable working in a group unless there is harmony where I can balance many things. I would have liked the score higher than 5 but I still am above class average. I like my assessment of personal relationships, where I scored highest in the collective dimension. I do tend to believe that managing people is a huge part of a firm's success. Without happy people, you will not get a product that will make people happy! I do tend to make collective decision but that does not mean wrong decisions. There are times when you have to stand tough but yes I use it as a last resort.
My orientation in Activity showed clear bias towards thinking. I do tend to play the entire situation in my mind before I actually set out to do it. To me, thinking and planning is the real deal. Doing it is a mere formality. This assessment got me right. My nature is definitely shows good dimension. I basically tend to think that people are good. I always give people benefit of doubt. Time wise, I do tend to think a lot about past and what went wrong and what could have been done better. The assessment about me is correct and this is exactly what I would like to improve. I want to be able to move on from past and concentrate on future while just considering the lessons learned.
Now over to the global competency index assessment, this was the most complex assessment that I had to take. It judged me right in my nonjudgementalness as moderate which does surface on some occasions. It rightly assessed my inquisitiveness levels as high :-). I tend to ask a LOT of questions because unless I understand every aspect I do not feel confident about my understsanding. The GCI rated my tolerance to ambiguity as 2. I think I have faced enough ambiguous situations and have come out of them successfully. May it be my job related or on personal fronts. I think the tolerance may be low in the sense that I definitely dont like to be in those situations but I have demonstrated multiple times that I handled those situations well enough. Coming from a mega city like mumbai, I am definitely a cosmopolitan personality. I am inclusive as well. I enjoy success when it is in a team. I am very interested in relationships. Another interesting assessment was about my self identity. I have found out several times, that I have downplayed myself about who I am. I find from time to time that I do need to project my image higher than I do. this is one area I intend to work on and improve. Emotional resilience is something I would like to work on as well but I am not sure if I can. This is one dimension that I think is developed in a very young age. But I plan to consciously work on it. I did agree with low grade in the interest flexibility section. I think I am plain lazy to pursue my hobbies to greater lengths. I do have a lot of hobbies, a lot of interests but I have not completely pursued them. I feel I need to work on them in order to feel satisfied in general.
In general, these were great assessments and I agreed with almost 90% of the results. This was a great way of reflecting on my own abilities and tendancies and a great tool to see where I can personally improve. Thank you Dr Joyce Osland for providing us with such tools that will make us better people!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
GlobeSmart
My GlobeSmart assessment threw me for a little bit of a loop. There was no real noticeable correlation compared to my country's average. Basically, my results were all over the map. The more I look at it though, I think the most interesting aspect is where I am furthest from my country's average: Risk / Restraint. My score indicates I am geared much more towards restraint. If you had asked me, I would have guessed I was more risk-oriented. Maybe this is a function of my current job, where there is a lot of certainty and risk-avoidance is encouraged whenever possible. But this will definitely be something that I keep my eye on, making sure I'm taking the right amount of risk!
CPQ
My CPQ scores revealed some interesting information. I just want to discuss those areas that are exceptionally low or high compared to the group average and my birth country (USA).
- Nature of humans = low score (this means I believe that inherently the basic nature of people is bad)
I know I do agree with this, so I have to reflect and say to myself "why am I choosing to believe this?" Have I been burned too many times, is there a lack of integrity in my workplace, I'm I honestly just having a string of bad days?
- Individual = high score (meaning I believe that our main responsibility is to ourselves and our immediate family)
Now, I know why I believe this. My dad who's from Panama has always extended his responsibilities to a larger mass, he's just got a big heart. But with that has come great contention between him and my mother. I guess I sometimes agree that our responsibility is to our immediate family. Everything I do is for my significant other. I do think of myself, and then him, because I honestly believe that if I'm happy he'll be happy.
- · Harmony = low score (I don't necessarily believe our purpose and natural role is to maintain a balance among the elements of the environment, including ourselves.)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
New lesson
Well, today my boss ordered pizzas for everybody at lunch. But in stead of ordering anything else, she ordered only pepperoni pizzas. We have a vegetarian and person who is a muslim. I believe she made a honest mistake, but this is cultural insensitivity. They seem not to care since they said this happens all the time. I am more aware of and more sensitive about this kind of situation after taking the class.
GCI: nowhere to go but up.
Overall, my global competency index is pretty low when compared to the other survey takers. It may be safe to assume that part of this is due to the types of people who take the survey--global leaders or potential leaders--who indeed have a considerably higher propensity to be globally functional. As a novice to the whole concept who answered the survey questions completely candidly, I would expect nothing else.
I can see that the rather small experience diameter of my general and global reach indicates that it would take much more training, reflection and practice to improve my skills as both a leader and a global leader. Nowhere to go but up from here, right?
The things that I scored highest for build a good base from which I can grow. I'm optimistic, nonjudgmental and emotionally resilient, which to me seems like there's hope yet.
Monday, October 18, 2010
GCI results
I was pleased when I received my GCI results because it showed that I had some strengths but I also had areas to improve on, some of them I was already familiar with. One of my strengths is my passion for work and the enthusiasm with which I go after results. While this is one of my better qualities, it also carries over to my "emotional resilience" score in a negative manner. There are times when I have a difficult time letting go or moving on and I know that I need to work on that.
This same mentality effects my "interest flexibility" score in a negative manner. Both of these dimensions are things that I know I thought I needed to work on, and this assessment gives me confirmation that I do.
However, the assessment does confirm some of my strong points, which include self-confidence and stress management.
Personal Leadership Plan
Introduction
Bus 297D has been an eye opener to me in assessing my own strengths and weaknesses in various walks of life through well-established and thoroughly-researched instruments. Even though I initially questioned the veracity and application of these instruments in practical issues, after analyzing my own traits and leadership styles through my own assessments and also through my peers’ assessments, it has now come home to me regarding the vital information these instruments provide for the improvement of one’s own developments in various walks of life. Notwithstanding the fact that some of the instruments may provide inconsistent results unlike others, I have taken each of these inconsistencies into account to find out the deeper meaning with an open mind. Prior to taking these instruments, I had always thought of myself as a perfectionist with extraordinary people-skills. Despite my initial skepticism for finding any holes in my own style through any of these instruments, I was startled when I lighted upon the fact that I too had several inconsistencies and hence needed improvement in my style.
Contrary to my opinion about me that I was very theory-Y oriented and a very dynamic adventurous leader, I was intrigued when I found that I was in fact as task oriented as I was people oriented. From these instruments -to my consternation -, I found that I was averse to taking risks and also that I loathed adventure and dynamism. The GCI instrument further corroborated the fact that I was really very process oriented, thereby implying my tilt towards hierarchy and structure. From these results, I was duly reminded of the fact that everyone’s foot is made of clay, and hence I have set about making changes to both my personality and in my leadership style. Although I know that I cannot change overnight, I am planning to change in a phased manner so that I can align myself with theory-Y orientation, empathy, and at the same time being a dynamic leader by being divergent and influential, as required in my line of field.
1. Based on this review and class activities, summarize what you have learned in the course about intercultural competence and global leadership.
This course has taught me several valuable details—both minor and major—we often fail to pay attention to while handling our colleagues and customers at work. Hailing from India, and having lived in the US for the past 12 years, I have always believed that I have become more adept in cultural aspects when it comes to building relationships with people. I feel that the basic quality a global leader should have is open-mindedness. If the leader suffers from ethnocentrism, at best, he or she can be a leader of the group. Global leadership is more complex, and handling people from various walks of life on a daily basis requires the global leader to be on his/her toes all the time.
Every moment in global leadership is precious, and hence there cannot be any loose ends when it comes to management, however short they may be. Jiving with the diverse group to successfully managing and leading the group requires plenty of intercultural competence, respect for other cultures, sharp mind, and abundance of patience and listening skills. For all these, the basic quality is the Global knowledge, after all, in today’s global environment, every business has operations or sales or design overseas!
2. What are your personal strengths in the skill areas we have studied? Use the feedback from your assessments, simulations, and peer evaluations to support your analysis.
These simulations provided me the much-needed feedback for my self-development. CPQ for instance provided me feedback that I believe that people are good in general. So, I am glad that I am an optimist in life. I also believe in mastery of the environment with a firm belief on the present. This gels with my deep-rooted belief that “time is short, and hence we need to take the bull by the horns to outwit any challenge.” I believe in constantly working on my duties like an eager-beaver, bearing out with my true nature quite accurately.
Globesmart assessment indicated me how much I have changed after I came to the country 12 years ago. I now believe in risk taking (although not to the level of my friends born here), open-mindedness, and on achievement. It needs to be noted that India is a bit particularistic and ascription based when it comes to cultural dimensions.
GCI hit the nail on the head by accurately describing me very well! From the perception side, I am non-judgmental, have a low risk tolerance(quite sadly), but very cosmopolitan. I am deeply inquisitive, perform very well in interpersonal engagements due to my open-mindedness, and am constantly aware of myself. My stress management, emotional resilience, self identity, and optimism are very high and are of a step with my very nature.
My peer evaluations have been mostly positive—analytical, thorough in my research side, open, understanding, culturally competent, etc.
Although my engineering profession gives me a bit of scope for my personality development, I somehow feel that it is also a stifler to my energy levels. I sometimes feel like a bird in a cage since I love talking to people and making friends the most! I should have become a doctor since I believe in sharing others’ problems and making others happy. Now that it is too late, I am planning for a switch to politics, and I expect my fellow team members along with our Professor to vote for meJ Please!
3. What are your personal weaknesses in these skill areas? Use the feedback from your assessments, simulations, and peer evaluations to support your analysis.
I feel that I could at times be gullible, hasty in jumping to conclusions, and too much concerned on external focus of control. This stems from the fact that people in Asia in general believe in Karma, and not a day goes by when I don’t think of that. It helps me in some respects, since it lets me with positive energy with a mantra, “Live ! Let others live!,” but at times when I need to take harsh decisions in business and work, I am often caught in the horns of a dilemma.
I am too trustworthy and of the conviction that people are mutable! I should be more practical of course. I can improve my communication skills to say the least, for good measure. When it comes to handling troubled relationship with my superiors, I could be either too passive or have a tendency to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I should be more phlegmatic and handle issues with aplomb.
4. Write a thorough action plan to improve one of your major weaknesses. What specifically will you do to develop this weakness and by when will you do it? Action plans should be specific and measurable.
I am glad to have every opportunity at my workplace to improve on my weaknesses on a daily basis. Since I handle our high volume customers on a daily basis, I am going to do a lot of homework on the cultural aspects of each of our customers so as to strike a friendship and camaraderie immediately. I will try to monitor myself whenever I get fidgety, slow down, and try to pull myself together instead of cracking up then and there.
I will also try to slow down at home, since I know that my son is going to follow me, and I try everyday to get better at least to be a good role model for my cute 3 ½ year old son.
As with the case in which a manager goes to Panama to meet a head there, I will try to select a good mentor, who is aware of the local customs and traditions, before embarking on expatriation and business trips. I am going to be more open-minded and strive to contribute to the unfortunate ones as our Professor’s friend is doing in Uganda. This incident has made an impact in me, and I—with a belief that Service to man is Service to God—am planning to visit these places during my vacation times and hope to my bit for the enrichment of mankind!
Regarding my relationships, I am going to be more open to folks I manage and will seek feedback from them regarding my managerial skills on a periodic basis. I will also be proactive in getting feedback from my manager, and will also pay attention on the career development plans of my subordinates.
5. When you find yourself in intercultural settings in the future, how are you planning to behave differently as a result of this course? In other words, what are your biggest practical take-aways about intercultural competence and global leadership?
Since I need to travel regularly, I will approach other cultures and strangers with warmth and affection. Being non-judgmental and giving time to people who need time are the main takeaways. I believe that haste makes waste! So, I will certainly try to look for gestures, cues, etc in getting the opinions while handling people from high context communication! I will also try to give in a bit rather than put my foot down in stakeholder discussions, since long term relationship is very often the key in business dealings!
In a nutshell, with a firm desire to become a global leader, I will try my best to be confident in dealing with others, build trust with others by my cheerfulness and open-mindedness, and make an impact by my intercultural competence!
Thanks very much Professor for teaching the course! I will miss the program as much as I miss my home relatives! It has been a fabulous program, and I am immensely thankful to the program for the amount of stuff I have learnt in these 2 ½ years!
Bus 297D has been an eye opener to me in assessing my own strengths and weaknesses in various walks of life through well-established and thoroughly-researched instruments. Even though I initially questioned the veracity and application of these instruments in practical issues, after analyzing my own traits and leadership styles through my own assessments and also through my peers’ assessments, it has now come home to me regarding the vital information these instruments provide for the improvement of one’s own developments in various walks of life. Notwithstanding the fact that some of the instruments may provide inconsistent results unlike others, I have taken each of these inconsistencies into account to find out the deeper meaning with an open mind. Prior to taking these instruments, I had always thought of myself as a perfectionist with extraordinary people-skills. Despite my initial skepticism for finding any holes in my own style through any of these instruments, I was startled when I lighted upon the fact that I too had several inconsistencies and hence needed improvement in my style.
Contrary to my opinion about me that I was very theory-Y oriented and a very dynamic adventurous leader, I was intrigued when I found that I was in fact as task oriented as I was people oriented. From these instruments -to my consternation -, I found that I was averse to taking risks and also that I loathed adventure and dynamism. The GCI instrument further corroborated the fact that I was really very process oriented, thereby implying my tilt towards hierarchy and structure. From these results, I was duly reminded of the fact that everyone’s foot is made of clay, and hence I have set about making changes to both my personality and in my leadership style. Although I know that I cannot change overnight, I am planning to change in a phased manner so that I can align myself with theory-Y orientation, empathy, and at the same time being a dynamic leader by being divergent and influential, as required in my line of field.
1. Based on this review and class activities, summarize what you have learned in the course about intercultural competence and global leadership.
This course has taught me several valuable details—both minor and major—we often fail to pay attention to while handling our colleagues and customers at work. Hailing from India, and having lived in the US for the past 12 years, I have always believed that I have become more adept in cultural aspects when it comes to building relationships with people. I feel that the basic quality a global leader should have is open-mindedness. If the leader suffers from ethnocentrism, at best, he or she can be a leader of the group. Global leadership is more complex, and handling people from various walks of life on a daily basis requires the global leader to be on his/her toes all the time.
Every moment in global leadership is precious, and hence there cannot be any loose ends when it comes to management, however short they may be. Jiving with the diverse group to successfully managing and leading the group requires plenty of intercultural competence, respect for other cultures, sharp mind, and abundance of patience and listening skills. For all these, the basic quality is the Global knowledge, after all, in today’s global environment, every business has operations or sales or design overseas!
2. What are your personal strengths in the skill areas we have studied? Use the feedback from your assessments, simulations, and peer evaluations to support your analysis.
These simulations provided me the much-needed feedback for my self-development. CPQ for instance provided me feedback that I believe that people are good in general. So, I am glad that I am an optimist in life. I also believe in mastery of the environment with a firm belief on the present. This gels with my deep-rooted belief that “time is short, and hence we need to take the bull by the horns to outwit any challenge.” I believe in constantly working on my duties like an eager-beaver, bearing out with my true nature quite accurately.
Globesmart assessment indicated me how much I have changed after I came to the country 12 years ago. I now believe in risk taking (although not to the level of my friends born here), open-mindedness, and on achievement. It needs to be noted that India is a bit particularistic and ascription based when it comes to cultural dimensions.
GCI hit the nail on the head by accurately describing me very well! From the perception side, I am non-judgmental, have a low risk tolerance(quite sadly), but very cosmopolitan. I am deeply inquisitive, perform very well in interpersonal engagements due to my open-mindedness, and am constantly aware of myself. My stress management, emotional resilience, self identity, and optimism are very high and are of a step with my very nature.
My peer evaluations have been mostly positive—analytical, thorough in my research side, open, understanding, culturally competent, etc.
Although my engineering profession gives me a bit of scope for my personality development, I somehow feel that it is also a stifler to my energy levels. I sometimes feel like a bird in a cage since I love talking to people and making friends the most! I should have become a doctor since I believe in sharing others’ problems and making others happy. Now that it is too late, I am planning for a switch to politics, and I expect my fellow team members along with our Professor to vote for meJ Please!
3. What are your personal weaknesses in these skill areas? Use the feedback from your assessments, simulations, and peer evaluations to support your analysis.
I feel that I could at times be gullible, hasty in jumping to conclusions, and too much concerned on external focus of control. This stems from the fact that people in Asia in general believe in Karma, and not a day goes by when I don’t think of that. It helps me in some respects, since it lets me with positive energy with a mantra, “Live ! Let others live!,” but at times when I need to take harsh decisions in business and work, I am often caught in the horns of a dilemma.
I am too trustworthy and of the conviction that people are mutable! I should be more practical of course. I can improve my communication skills to say the least, for good measure. When it comes to handling troubled relationship with my superiors, I could be either too passive or have a tendency to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I should be more phlegmatic and handle issues with aplomb.
4. Write a thorough action plan to improve one of your major weaknesses. What specifically will you do to develop this weakness and by when will you do it? Action plans should be specific and measurable.
I am glad to have every opportunity at my workplace to improve on my weaknesses on a daily basis. Since I handle our high volume customers on a daily basis, I am going to do a lot of homework on the cultural aspects of each of our customers so as to strike a friendship and camaraderie immediately. I will try to monitor myself whenever I get fidgety, slow down, and try to pull myself together instead of cracking up then and there.
I will also try to slow down at home, since I know that my son is going to follow me, and I try everyday to get better at least to be a good role model for my cute 3 ½ year old son.
As with the case in which a manager goes to Panama to meet a head there, I will try to select a good mentor, who is aware of the local customs and traditions, before embarking on expatriation and business trips. I am going to be more open-minded and strive to contribute to the unfortunate ones as our Professor’s friend is doing in Uganda. This incident has made an impact in me, and I—with a belief that Service to man is Service to God—am planning to visit these places during my vacation times and hope to my bit for the enrichment of mankind!
Regarding my relationships, I am going to be more open to folks I manage and will seek feedback from them regarding my managerial skills on a periodic basis. I will also be proactive in getting feedback from my manager, and will also pay attention on the career development plans of my subordinates.
5. When you find yourself in intercultural settings in the future, how are you planning to behave differently as a result of this course? In other words, what are your biggest practical take-aways about intercultural competence and global leadership?
Since I need to travel regularly, I will approach other cultures and strangers with warmth and affection. Being non-judgmental and giving time to people who need time are the main takeaways. I believe that haste makes waste! So, I will certainly try to look for gestures, cues, etc in getting the opinions while handling people from high context communication! I will also try to give in a bit rather than put my foot down in stakeholder discussions, since long term relationship is very often the key in business dealings!
In a nutshell, with a firm desire to become a global leader, I will try my best to be confident in dealing with others, build trust with others by my cheerfulness and open-mindedness, and make an impact by my intercultural competence!
Thanks very much Professor for teaching the course! I will miss the program as much as I miss my home relatives! It has been a fabulous program, and I am immensely thankful to the program for the amount of stuff I have learnt in these 2 ½ years!
Excellent Course
Dear friends and Professor,
Thanks so much for making this course so memorable! The team activities (rope ones and the one in which we had to turn over the mat) were just fabulous!
I wish all of you the very best personally and professionally!
Please keep in touch!
A problem shared is a problem halved, while happiness shared is in fact happiness doubled!
Thanks so much for making this course so memorable! The team activities (rope ones and the one in which we had to turn over the mat) were just fabulous!
I wish all of you the very best personally and professionally!
Please keep in touch!
A problem shared is a problem halved, while happiness shared is in fact happiness doubled!
The beauty of good job.
I'd like to thank everyone in my team for the innovative project.
Michael: Thanks for putting the video together!
Nikhil: Your technical expertise brought the huge insight!
Lynnette: You were a great actor!
Ganka: Thanks for putting everything together, you are great!
And I'd like to say everyone in the class "Good Job!!"
Sunday, October 17, 2010
This is a great class
I have to confess that taking a class after work has always been a little dreadful - even I am motivated to learn. After a whole day of work, I have to sit through another 4 hrs of lectures and falling asleep is not all too uncommon. Despite the fact that this class is on a Friday when we should all be kicking back at home or at friendly gatherings, I don't think I have felt any tiring moments during classes. The class size, the materials, and the class dynamic are just amazing. Most of our time were not spent on reviewing text book materials that we could read offline but on reflecting and experimenting. I personally feel that this is the best way to learn in a graduate/MBA class.
I have also taken management classes at work. They were all too uptight - I think the fact that it's happening in a work environment and the participants are co-workers suppressed the openness required to fully benefit from a class such as this global leadership class.
My final comment - I have never experienced Star Trek as a formal learning tool ... talking about innovative here :)
Top notch course and wonderful classmates
Ending of Bus297 class yesterday is bitter sweet for me. It was sweet because I completed all the courses required for ESMBA from SJSU, bitter because I will be missing unconditional debates and information sharing I was enjoying for the last two years. I had wonderful class and outside class experiences going through 14 course from wide variety of subjects. This MBA awakened my learning curiosity and made me more competitive. I really enjoyed BUS297 as the last course because it really expanded my horizons in terms of a what a global leader of tomorrow has to possess. Thanks to Prof. Joyce Osland and her aides for putting together such an interactive class, lastly but not least I felt I was in the middle of very talented and determined future leaders in the class. I wish SJSU makes every class this interactive.
Hope we will cross paths and be in touch in our endeavors...
Hope we will cross paths and be in touch in our endeavors...
Friday, October 15, 2010
Don't be Such a Hater!
My GCI scores have had me dreading this blog for weeks. My scores in perception management and self management were high. But being the over achiever I am, I was a bit miffed when I came across my relationship management scores. Which I'll have you know were low! My relationship interest was high, but interpersonal engagement, emotional sensitivity, self awareness were all low, (and I mean low).
I'm not going to lie, when someone cries at work I'm like "really? Don't be all sensitive here." So I guess the assessment is accurate.
I had to coach myself and reflect on why I think being emotional is such a negative thing. I've explored my own fears of being emotional and am learning that everything is okay in moderation, even emotion. This isn't an easy thing for me to do though, and it's going to take practice. My entire way of working is based around logic, around thinking, not around feeling. However, the ironic part is that I work in HR! People are emotional around me all of the time.
This definitely calls for an improvement in my empathy and emotional sensitivity skills, and again, I'm going to have to practice. To make sure I don't cheat, I've told several colleagues as well as my significant other. So every-time I go "ew look at that cry baby over there," I get the swift kick in the butt to change my frame of mind.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Global Competencies Inventory
I believe that this was an eye-opening survey. The idea of this questionnaire is to measure my disposition and traits for global leadership across different cultures. A lot of the results were as expected, but two of the results seem to stand out most: stress management and cosmopolitanism.
For the most part, I knew that I had some issues with stress management. I procrastinate. I worry a lot about how people portray me. I want to perfect things in a small limited amount of time. When all the necessities add up, I end up panicking and become flustered. So even though I was surprised of this result, I realize that the survey gave an accurate portrayal of my stress management. (Scored a 0!) Fortunately, Joyce says that this feature are one of the easiest things to actively change. Let's hope this is right.
The second surprise to me was my result on cosmopolitanism: my interest in and curisoity of foreign countries. I always that I was one to enjoy trying new foods, meeting new people, having the desire to travel and see new sights. However, based on the results, I scored low because I am not up to date with my current world and international events. This is very true. Whenever I browse the internet, I tend to avoid reading the news or any current events, even related to the US. Knowing this flaw, I definitely will try to improve myself in this area.
In general, the GCI was a very interesting survey to take. It widen my understanding about myself, especially the weaknesses that I need to work on. Hopefully this will be able to help me in my career settings in the future. Thanks for offering this resourceful tool, Joyce!
For the most part, I knew that I had some issues with stress management. I procrastinate. I worry a lot about how people portray me. I want to perfect things in a small limited amount of time. When all the necessities add up, I end up panicking and become flustered. So even though I was surprised of this result, I realize that the survey gave an accurate portrayal of my stress management. (Scored a 0!) Fortunately, Joyce says that this feature are one of the easiest things to actively change. Let's hope this is right.
The second surprise to me was my result on cosmopolitanism: my interest in and curisoity of foreign countries. I always that I was one to enjoy trying new foods, meeting new people, having the desire to travel and see new sights. However, based on the results, I scored low because I am not up to date with my current world and international events. This is very true. Whenever I browse the internet, I tend to avoid reading the news or any current events, even related to the US. Knowing this flaw, I definitely will try to improve myself in this area.
In general, the GCI was a very interesting survey to take. It widen my understanding about myself, especially the weaknesses that I need to work on. Hopefully this will be able to help me in my career settings in the future. Thanks for offering this resourceful tool, Joyce!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Aracruz
I was a representative of the international NGO, and responsible for social justice. In this role, I was responsible for improving benefits and salaries of the workers, and also reducing the impact on the environemnt. This simulation for very informative, and helped me to look at the issues from different perspectives, with concerns of indigenous people and Aracruz corporation.
Our group was involved in constructive debate, where each stakeholder would listen to the proposal on the table, build upon the ideas to match its needs and propose solutions. Different stakeholders were involved in healthy discussion to put forth their view points which helped us to put several short-term and long-term solutions to the issue.
The group could have been more effective if all stake-holders were given some-time to understand the plan out and convolve the key concerns of different stakeholders that had similar interests. For example, I would have planned a seperate meeting between community and international NGO before the meeting with all stakeholders. Both groups had similar interests, such as improving the life of the workers and locals.
These groups could have presented the list to agreed ideas in the meeting with Aracruz.
I have been in similar situations in my work. The research divisions have conflicting interests with the factories. The factories are focussed on maximizing the product yield, while the research or product groups are concerned with performance and reliability. Since the product specifications define such yield losses, I have had several discussions with the factories to have an agreement. We have improved this process significantly over years by performing several tests to demonstrate the perfromance and reliability losses to the factories.
Our group was involved in constructive debate, where each stakeholder would listen to the proposal on the table, build upon the ideas to match its needs and propose solutions. Different stakeholders were involved in healthy discussion to put forth their view points which helped us to put several short-term and long-term solutions to the issue.
The group could have been more effective if all stake-holders were given some-time to understand the plan out and convolve the key concerns of different stakeholders that had similar interests. For example, I would have planned a seperate meeting between community and international NGO before the meeting with all stakeholders. Both groups had similar interests, such as improving the life of the workers and locals.
These groups could have presented the list to agreed ideas in the meeting with Aracruz.
I have been in similar situations in my work. The research divisions have conflicting interests with the factories. The factories are focussed on maximizing the product yield, while the research or product groups are concerned with performance and reliability. Since the product specifications define such yield losses, I have had several discussions with the factories to have an agreement. We have improved this process significantly over years by performing several tests to demonstrate the perfromance and reliability losses to the factories.
Globesmart assessment
The scores are valid in most areas. I like working in interdependent environment, believe in equality for all, risk-taker and task-oriented. With engineering background and part of R&D mindset, I like to take calculated risks with different ideas. This tool has also rated me as long-term focussed (similar to other assessments) which I believe varies depending on situations.
The 2nd question is quite interesting; if my profile matches with my grandparents profile. I would tend to agree I have inherited these traits from my grandmother. My grand parents moved from village to New Delhi for better living and schooling for my father. My grandfather even stayed in a different town for several years alone since they didnt want to affect the schooling. These actions demonstrate risk-taking behavior and long-term planning, similar to my traits.
My GCI, My thoughts
GCI has provided varied results over different factors. I scored moderate for Perception management and Self-Management, which seems valid. I scored low for the relationship management bucket.
My scores seem valid over most dimensions; with my multi-cultural background, I have been able to percieve several issues even when they are not stated explicitly. For example, after my trips to our factories overseas, I have improved on understanding the queues if there are any potential issues with the project.
The most significant take-away from this tool is to improve on my relationship interest. I have been working on that for a while and still a long way to go.
My scores seem valid over most dimensions; with my multi-cultural background, I have been able to percieve several issues even when they are not stated explicitly. For example, after my trips to our factories overseas, I have improved on understanding the queues if there are any potential issues with the project.
The most significant take-away from this tool is to improve on my relationship interest. I have been working on that for a while and still a long way to go.
CPQ Survey Results
My survey results have been predictive of my behavior in some areas and have surprised in other areas. I like to work in conjuction of multi-functional teams and to build upon others ideas. So the score and average to above average for relation to environment and interpersonal relationships seem accurate. I have approached new relationships, professional or personal with some basic level of trust and I beleive that has helped me in developing long-term relations.
The orientation for time surprised me with low score on the Present diemsnion. This assessment is consistent with other surveys that show that I am oriented towards long-term planning while not focussing on short term needs.
I would like to site the example of my communication with our factories in Thailand. I have noticed a significant cultural shift between my company's division in US and overseas. On top of that, I have noticed a difference with the organizational culture. Our company's culture is very aggressive and direct and it sometimes gets difficult for Thailand teams to raise concerns in the meetings. Eventually, this has sometimes caused delays in the results. I have tried to overcome these cultural differences by having more 1-1 phone meeting with my counterparts in Thailand.
The orientation for time surprised me with low score on the Present diemsnion. This assessment is consistent with other surveys that show that I am oriented towards long-term planning while not focussing on short term needs.
I would like to site the example of my communication with our factories in Thailand. I have noticed a significant cultural shift between my company's division in US and overseas. On top of that, I have noticed a difference with the organizational culture. Our company's culture is very aggressive and direct and it sometimes gets difficult for Thailand teams to raise concerns in the meetings. Eventually, this has sometimes caused delays in the results. I have tried to overcome these cultural differences by having more 1-1 phone meeting with my counterparts in Thailand.
GCI Feedback
This assessment tool seems very thorough. I thought that some of the questions did not belong there but as it turns out they provided information on some dimensions such as category inclusiveness. I should start by saying that I am overall very satisfied with my results, it's good to know that I am moving in the right direction.
Most of the results did not surprise me. I consciously work on being non judgemental. I enjoy traveling and I am very curious about other cultures which shows in my high cosmopolitanism and interpersonal engagement scores. Because I have lived in two different parts of the world, I have the ability to maintain my own values while being appreciative of those of others. That being said, I am a little surprised by my low score on social flexibility. The more I think of this result, the more I relate it to the fact that I have strong opinions on certain social and political issues which might lead to lack of flexibility. I am certainly open to a discussion but more often than not, it won't be easy to change my point of view. This is one area I definitely need to improve on.
Most of the results did not surprise me. I consciously work on being non judgemental. I enjoy traveling and I am very curious about other cultures which shows in my high cosmopolitanism and interpersonal engagement scores. Because I have lived in two different parts of the world, I have the ability to maintain my own values while being appreciative of those of others. That being said, I am a little surprised by my low score on social flexibility. The more I think of this result, the more I relate it to the fact that I have strong opinions on certain social and political issues which might lead to lack of flexibility. I am certainly open to a discussion but more often than not, it won't be easy to change my point of view. This is one area I definitely need to improve on.
Who am I?
While my GCI scores were optimistic about my foundation for global leadership, but in the true spirit of analysis, I'd like to discuss my two lowest scores--self-awareness and self-identity. I'm a little surprised by these results, but I have a good idea of where this is coming from. I'm always interested in other people's opinions and perspectives. I often find myself searching for opposing views to editorials I read in the newspaper. I really want to be presented with solid, influencing opinions from all sides of an issue. While this might be considered a strength, this assessment has made me realize that this can be a weakness as well. If I am always ready and willing to be influenced, then maybe I should take more time to build my own opinions before seeking all of the facts and opinions I can before making a decision. But maybe I'm wrong.... what do you think? :D
Monday, October 11, 2010
Ti-i-i-ime is on my side....
After studying my CPQ results, the most interesting results to me are in the time orientation section. I am a little surprised to find that my results are very different from both the group average and the average for my country of birth.
I would be very curious to take this again with either a past job or some other part of my life in mind.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Innovation project
The innovation project has been putting the skills we've learnt in the class in practice. Our team of four brainstormed, spent plenty of time identifying possible topics, and more importantly selected the topic to go for. I think the whole team goes through team forming, mindful communications, stakeholder dialogue, and leadership skill perpetually. If the project (e.g., wide open topic, time pressure, first-time teammates) is designed to force us to exercise leadership skill sets (global or not), I think it's working.
Now, it's time to go back to the innovation project.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Cultural Perspective Questionaire
It took me a while to absorb my results of the Cultural Perspective Questionnaire. There are many points of measure, and multiple points of comparison for each of them. I decided to start at what I considered the inner most point, the group average, before moving on to the group extremes, and the average for my country of birth(USA).
For the most part my results overlapped those from the rest of the group. My first major deviation from the group was in the harmony dimension. This didn't surprise me very much, as I've been known to disrupt the status quo in order to drive teams towards goals and achieving results. The other dimension that I was in the opposite direction as the group was the hierarchal dimension. I've never really thought this one through before, but my answers speak for themselves, that I'm currently alright with a power structure in the work place. This is a dimension that I will pay more attention to going forward in my day to day experiences.
For the rest of the dimensions I was very close to or equal to the group average. Three dimensions that I differed from my country's average were Mastery, Thinking, and Good/Evil. Apparently, I don't believe that we are destined to control nature as many Americans do, but I do think that we should consider all things carefully and rationally before taking action. These are not surprising to me, since I specialize in data analysis work, it makes sense that I naturally want to consider all pieces of information before making a decision and acting on it.
Lastly, I believe that people are inherently good, at least I do more than most other Americans do. This doesn't surprise me as I've continuously met and interacted with people that have shown their good nature, and I continue to think that most people have this good nature in their hearts.
CPQ Results
All of the assessments we have been assigned in this course have proven to be helpful in understanding our values, cultural awareness and flexibility. The same is true for the Cultural Perspective Questionnaire. The feedback we received not only shows our personal results but also those of the class respondents and our country of birth which only enriches the feedback.
When it comes to relation to the environment, my highest score on the mastery dimension seems valid. I do believe that people are the ones controlling our environment. Having said that I also want to emphasize that this power should be used wisely and with great caution. Our world is constantly changing and we should be aware of the consequences of our own actions.
As far as relationship among people, my scores on the collective and individual dimensions are very similar. This result is also not surprising. There is a positive correlation between the idea that our main responsibility is to and for a larger group of people and the efforts to understand and reach out to a diverse group of people. I am very interested and curious about different people from different cultures (their specific cultural characteristics, values, traditions, communication patterns etc.). My inquisitiveness is also supported by the fact that my score on the good nature of people is quite high. Being open-minded and trusting is an important step in successfully communicating across cultures. I have been a volunteer for the past 6-7 years with two organizations that work with children in need and refugees. I believe that people are generally good-natured and deserve all the support they can get from others who are a little more fortunate.
What I find interesting about this questionnaire is the fact that results on different dimensions from the same category could be very similar which completely makes sense. My scores on being and thinking in the activity orientation are almost the same, and they both seem valid.
When comparing my results with the average for Bulgaria, the largest gap is in the orientation towards the past. My score is almost 2.0 lower than the one for Bulgaria. I also have the lowest score on that dimension from the entire group. This result is not surprising to me since I usually focus on the present and near future.
When it comes to relation to the environment, my highest score on the mastery dimension seems valid. I do believe that people are the ones controlling our environment. Having said that I also want to emphasize that this power should be used wisely and with great caution. Our world is constantly changing and we should be aware of the consequences of our own actions.
As far as relationship among people, my scores on the collective and individual dimensions are very similar. This result is also not surprising. There is a positive correlation between the idea that our main responsibility is to and for a larger group of people and the efforts to understand and reach out to a diverse group of people. I am very interested and curious about different people from different cultures (their specific cultural characteristics, values, traditions, communication patterns etc.). My inquisitiveness is also supported by the fact that my score on the good nature of people is quite high. Being open-minded and trusting is an important step in successfully communicating across cultures. I have been a volunteer for the past 6-7 years with two organizations that work with children in need and refugees. I believe that people are generally good-natured and deserve all the support they can get from others who are a little more fortunate.
What I find interesting about this questionnaire is the fact that results on different dimensions from the same category could be very similar which completely makes sense. My scores on being and thinking in the activity orientation are almost the same, and they both seem valid.
When comparing my results with the average for Bulgaria, the largest gap is in the orientation towards the past. My score is almost 2.0 lower than the one for Bulgaria. I also have the lowest score on that dimension from the entire group. This result is not surprising to me since I usually focus on the present and near future.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Na la na la naaa laaa
I love the simulations in class. Consciously, I feel like I'm actually applying all the things we learn in class. Learn to step back and observe. Take the time to assess your environment. Understand people's interactions. Be objective, not subjective. Follow the D.I.E. model (be descriptive, not interpreting or evaluating).
One thing I anticipate about these simulations is the process of cracking a code. I was relieved that I ended up in the Bafa world since that already in itself was difficult to decipher. But then, when it was time to learn about the other culture...
"So? What are they like?"
"They're...oddly...jovial. Crazy!"
Serious? It couldn't be THAT bad. One by one, as each pair of Bafa's visited the other world, the description of that world became more perplexing. Soon, I was itching to check out what could possibly be so different about this culture. Hahaha. I was in for the same shock.
The first few words that came up in my mind was "eerie" and "surreal" and...was everyone high? o_0; As we started interacting with the people in the group, I started noticing cliques. Separate guy groups. Separate girl groups. It came to a point where I was exasperated and a bit annoyed. I stood there, watching everyone inquire about their grandfathers, dads, sons, whatever male descendents exist...until Lynette welcomed me into the group. Whoa. Revelation.
I'd like to say that this simulation is an exaggeration to the real world. But lately, I've noticed that as I have been meeting new people, I feel like I'm being put back in the simulations. These things seem to be very similar to real life scenarios. A new set of people means a new set of rules to follow -- new codes to crack, new languages to decipher, hand motions, eye contact, what to say, what not to say... Real life almost seems more confusing than these simulations.
As of lately, I try not to evaluate why people act the way they are now. Instead, I consciously try to observe first and objectively understand people's reactions. And when I get into the "in" group, it's like I've completed a new simulation. These interactive class activities definitely have been very beneficial to my communication techniques so far...
One thing I anticipate about these simulations is the process of cracking a code. I was relieved that I ended up in the Bafa world since that already in itself was difficult to decipher. But then, when it was time to learn about the other culture...
"So? What are they like?"
"They're...oddly...jovial. Crazy!"
Serious? It couldn't be THAT bad. One by one, as each pair of Bafa's visited the other world, the description of that world became more perplexing. Soon, I was itching to check out what could possibly be so different about this culture. Hahaha. I was in for the same shock.
The first few words that came up in my mind was "eerie" and "surreal" and...was everyone high? o_0; As we started interacting with the people in the group, I started noticing cliques. Separate guy groups. Separate girl groups. It came to a point where I was exasperated and a bit annoyed. I stood there, watching everyone inquire about their grandfathers, dads, sons, whatever male descendents exist...until Lynette welcomed me into the group. Whoa. Revelation.
I'd like to say that this simulation is an exaggeration to the real world. But lately, I've noticed that as I have been meeting new people, I feel like I'm being put back in the simulations. These things seem to be very similar to real life scenarios. A new set of people means a new set of rules to follow -- new codes to crack, new languages to decipher, hand motions, eye contact, what to say, what not to say... Real life almost seems more confusing than these simulations.
As of lately, I try not to evaluate why people act the way they are now. Instead, I consciously try to observe first and objectively understand people's reactions. And when I get into the "in" group, it's like I've completed a new simulation. These interactive class activities definitely have been very beneficial to my communication techniques so far...
Monday, October 4, 2010
Globesmart
1. My globesmart assessment results came as no surprise to me since I am known to be very independent, relationship oriented, risk averse in general. Coming from an Asian background, I generally believe in "better safe than sorry." However, my risk taking ability has increased over the past few years ever since I moved to the US. I am confident and achievement oriented, rather than ascription oriented.
2. My grandparents certainly have a much more conservative profile than that of mine. They would be the ideal definition of the ones with 0% risk tolerance:)
3.Although I matched with my countrymen in many traits, I still consider myself as an outlier, having adopted the values of the US style, and adapted to the place where I work and live. My son, 3 years old, seems to be having a much more liberal profile than me, and I would say that his and my grandparents' profiles would be poles apart:)
2. My grandparents certainly have a much more conservative profile than that of mine. They would be the ideal definition of the ones with 0% risk tolerance:)
3.Although I matched with my countrymen in many traits, I still consider myself as an outlier, having adopted the values of the US style, and adapted to the place where I work and live. My son, 3 years old, seems to be having a much more liberal profile than me, and I would say that his and my grandparents' profiles would be poles apart:)
GCI
1. My GCI scores appear to be a spot on match of my nature.
I am low on nonjudgementalness, highly inquisitive, have low tolerance of ambiguity, and highly cosmopolitan! I am highly emotional, selfaware, scoially flexible, and someone very interested in understanding people from other cultures. I am optimistic, confident, proud, quite good in stress management, and have a lot of interest in diverse topics. My overall GCI index score is 6.
2. I learnt about my low tolerance of ambiguity! In introspection, I feel that I practice the art of prophylaxis quite a bit too much since I believe that "prevention is better than cure."
3. Strengths: Confidence and open-minded. Weaknesses: Low tolerance of ambiguity and low nonjudgementalness
4. I will try to be a bit relaxed when it comes to handling situations with uncertainities. I believe that life in itself is the most uncertain and we should be prepared to face it, come what may.
I am low on nonjudgementalness, highly inquisitive, have low tolerance of ambiguity, and highly cosmopolitan! I am highly emotional, selfaware, scoially flexible, and someone very interested in understanding people from other cultures. I am optimistic, confident, proud, quite good in stress management, and have a lot of interest in diverse topics. My overall GCI index score is 6.
2. I learnt about my low tolerance of ambiguity! In introspection, I feel that I practice the art of prophylaxis quite a bit too much since I believe that "prevention is better than cure."
3. Strengths: Confidence and open-minded. Weaknesses: Low tolerance of ambiguity and low nonjudgementalness
4. I will try to be a bit relaxed when it comes to handling situations with uncertainities. I believe that life in itself is the most uncertain and we should be prepared to face it, come what may.
Cultural Perspective Questionnaire
1. I should say that the CPQ results somehow mysteriously reflect the person I am quite well. Being an engineer, I am a stickler to details, often known on straining every nerve to marshall my ideas and husband the available resources. I pay attention to all details and have a somewhat undesirable reputation for being a stickler. Well! That is my job, and I have been changed over the years from a jovial romantic to a person very serious about even inconsequential issues, since in my line of job, prophylaxis is often the answer to avoid future problems as we realize that changing horses in the midstream in hardware is futile and disastrous:)
From the above buildup, I wasn't a tad surprised about having scored highly in Harmony, Mastery, Collective, Thinking, and Present. Having been raised in India, I believe in the proverb, " Live! Let Live" Hence, I believe in Good/Evil principle too.
I scored low on "future" and this is a surprise since I focus too often on Long term strategies.
2. The scores are like a mirror and are out there for our own improvement. I try to be practical in business dealings since I can't be applying the fact that everyone out there is good:) I need to be more objective. Also, I should think about long term relationships.
3. I am sometimes too compassionate that I have often carried the burdens of others in my team by doing a lion's share of their work too. My nature has also been impractical by not having claimed any credit for these works too. I should be more practical and although I still believe in helping others, I should be careful in not getting left behind holding the bag due to others' mistakes.
From the above buildup, I wasn't a tad surprised about having scored highly in Harmony, Mastery, Collective, Thinking, and Present. Having been raised in India, I believe in the proverb, " Live! Let Live" Hence, I believe in Good/Evil principle too.
I scored low on "future" and this is a surprise since I focus too often on Long term strategies.
2. The scores are like a mirror and are out there for our own improvement. I try to be practical in business dealings since I can't be applying the fact that everyone out there is good:) I need to be more objective. Also, I should think about long term relationships.
3. I am sometimes too compassionate that I have often carried the burdens of others in my team by doing a lion's share of their work too. My nature has also been impractical by not having claimed any credit for these works too. I should be more practical and although I still believe in helping others, I should be careful in not getting left behind holding the bag due to others' mistakes.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Usefull assessments
Today I want to analyze my GCI assessment and share with all of you...These kind of assessments helped me in recent times in crafting my resume with my strengths and be cocncious about area of weaknesses in chosing examples for Job interviews. 2010 being an year of assessments for me.
Coming to GCI I took as part of the class requirement, I tend to agree with most of the assessment results. I am rated overall Moderate on "Perception Management" with high on non-judgementalness and low on inquisitiveness. I am also low on tolerance for ambiguity. I agree with these as I myself realized that I need to improve on the inquisitiveness, and tolerance for ambiguity. These two traits are very useful in going deep in to problem solving areas of any job.
In relatiuonship management, overall I scored low moderate, one surprise was I scored really low on social flexibilty, I do not entirely agree that I deserve low score as my social adaptibility is some where should be in the middle. I also learned a good lesson in terms of being aware that my emotional sensitivity on low side as well. I would like to improve upon my empathy factor in dealing with situations, by actively listening and showing that I care about others feelings.
I scored moderate(high) overall in Self Management. My strengths are optimism, and non-stress tendency. I need to improve upon Self Confidence/Self identity aspects. I also feel that self confidence questions may be answered differently on a day when you are in positive spirits vs on a bad day.
Thanks to Professor Joyce for providing us with these tools and reflect upon via this blog. In my view Perception Mnagement is a key dimension I want to put focus to be more effective in my job.
I am happy that I am finishing my MBA with such a wonderful course and true leadership material.
Coming to GCI I took as part of the class requirement, I tend to agree with most of the assessment results. I am rated overall Moderate on "Perception Management" with high on non-judgementalness and low on inquisitiveness. I am also low on tolerance for ambiguity. I agree with these as I myself realized that I need to improve on the inquisitiveness, and tolerance for ambiguity. These two traits are very useful in going deep in to problem solving areas of any job.
In relatiuonship management, overall I scored low moderate, one surprise was I scored really low on social flexibilty, I do not entirely agree that I deserve low score as my social adaptibility is some where should be in the middle. I also learned a good lesson in terms of being aware that my emotional sensitivity on low side as well. I would like to improve upon my empathy factor in dealing with situations, by actively listening and showing that I care about others feelings.
I scored moderate(high) overall in Self Management. My strengths are optimism, and non-stress tendency. I need to improve upon Self Confidence/Self identity aspects. I also feel that self confidence questions may be answered differently on a day when you are in positive spirits vs on a bad day.
Thanks to Professor Joyce for providing us with these tools and reflect upon via this blog. In my view Perception Mnagement is a key dimension I want to put focus to be more effective in my job.
I am happy that I am finishing my MBA with such a wonderful course and true leadership material.
GCI
This is about my GCI report. It's very interesting to see that I am judgmental though I don't feel like one. This is definitely an eye-opener for me. Remembering from Bafa fa baba fafa... I guess I tend to interpret rather than taking in description. Along this line, I scored 1 in self-identity... so I though oh man, I have no identity. But it tells me that I tend to compromise in order to fit in or avoid conflict. I think this is right on. Considering where I came from, the description fits me.
On other hand, I scored high on stress management. I think this is because I do Karaoke... Kidding aside, I believe I engage in stress reduction techniques such as being active and doing Yoga. I always feel much better after those activities. It's like kicking my demons out.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Beer party in 2 weeks
Got your attention :-) but I don't intend to steal the thunders from Lynnette and Dai ...
This blog is about a more personal subject - my GCI feedback report. Every time I take a personality survey or assessment, I feel that I have to restrain myself from answering from the perspective of what I want to see myself as. It's not different this time and I think I did fairly well to stay truth with what I really am in this assessment.
The GCI report indicates that I am good at perception management. It says I am not judgmental and inquisitive, which I agree very much. I am interested in different cultures, which reflects my own multi-cultural background and the cultural diversity at work. It may come as a surprise as first that I have a reasonable tolerance of ambiguity as engineering is usually linked to numbers and facts (I have been in engineering R&D for my whole career.) But I think the tolerance generally grows as one ages and matures. It's interesting to hear from Joyce's experience with the undergraduate class on BaFa BaFa. I can't say that I am surprised by the results - younger adults with none to small amount of work experience are probably more impatient with our group of working adults in this class here.
I also seem to manage myself pretty well. I am optimistic. I handle emotional setbacks and stress well. The assessment may be different if I took the same test 10 years ago. I think the challenges at workplace in the last 10 years (e.g., Internet bust, globalization, difficult superiors) have polished by EQ reasonably well. I am surprised by the low levels in self confidence, self identity, and interest flexibility. I consider myself a moderate without a big ego but not timid either. The evaluation is relative to others who have taken the assessment so I can only hypothesize that my benchmark on these three categories are different from others.
Last but not least, I am moderate on relationship management. I shouldn't be surprised as I consider myself an introvert so relationship building (particularly outside the workplace) is not my strength. Since interpersonal relationship in the workplace is essential, I think I am generally able to keep up with it.
Overall, the GCI indicates that I am strong in knowing myself and listening to others but weak in reaching out to people in building relationship. Getting myself into situations of getting to know strangers may help enhancing my relationship management skill. It's an essential leadership skill - whether it's in Internet age or social networking age.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Bafa ba bafa fa. Faba? and CPQ
Let's do this synchronic time-style. This week at work I noticed something that made me think about the rehashing session we had at the end of our Bafabafa simulation. In our whiteboard list of "things we noticed about the other culture," there were distinct categorizations of the attributes: observation, interpretation, and evaluation. Many of the attributes that we intuitively brainstormed as observations were, in fact, interpretations or evaluations. The thing I noticed at work that triggered this flashback is a woman who works for one of the companies that occupies the other side of my building. The extent of our interaction has been occupying the same common room for a few seconds at a time. She looks like she was born earlier in the same decade as I. Out of culturally ingrained habit, I usually greet people at work with a nod, smile, or verbal acknowledgement. The last few weeks I have noticed that this woman never returns my greeting. I don't know if it's always been this way, but I have definitely recently noticed that any eye contact is quickly disestablished, my smiles ignored, and my "Hi"s unanswered. Up till today, I assumed it was because she was just cold and unfriendly. Today it dawned on me that ah ha! An interpretive evaluation where there should be only observation!! Then I started to hypothesize as to why, in both our industries where there are scarce few women, a fellow Double-exer wouldn't take advantage of what, to me, is a clear opportunity of camaraderie (i.e. I'm a girl, you're a girl, hey let's giggle or talk about shoes or something :P). What I hypothesize is this: from her manner of traditional dress, she is clearly very culturally connected to the motherland, and it's possible that women of this culture are not encouraged to make friends of un-vetted foreigners, no matter how friendly or similar in age they may be. This hypothesis was inspired by my role as an Alphan woman in the Bafabafa simulation, where it was unacceptable to speak to anyone not pre-approved by the community patriarch. It could be that I simply have not had the opportunity to earn this woman's trust. At the very least, I sure just hope she doesn't talk to me because of something stupid I did unawares.
CPQ highlights
Relation to Environment: I know I already have some mixed views about harmony vs mastery because I view it was mastering nature & environment to create harmony. What I mean is mastering nature enough to provide us what we need, but optimizing it so that it has as little effect on nature as possible. This requires conscientiousness of the impact of our actions and active remediation when the balance tips too far and the mastery becomes overwhelming. Creating this balance necessitates control over nature, and so my scores lean towards mastery.
Relationships Among People: well, I'm the high score for Individual. This is completely unsurprising because I have a strong, mama-bear loyal streak that covers close friends & family. I think that it's one's responsibility to look out for oneself and one's immediate family's interests because if one doesn't, who will? I believe in the generally good intentions of people, but I recognize that self preservation (inherent selfishness) is necessary on a basic level, i.e. the continuation of one's genes. Or maybe I watch too much House! But back on a serious note, I believe that if you've got some degree of a hold on your own drama/issues, you're better equipped to help with other people's. It's not a theory I've tested to any reliable degree, however, and may be one of those opinions that'll evolve as I gather more data & experience. I also think it's a culturally Chinese thing to save face and present a united family front.
Blogs at workplace, corporate social media....
It is really interesting to read other classmates blog posts, have come to know more about each and every team member (we are not only classmates but a team, almost everybody in the class has teamed with each other to participate in simulations and payed a great team member role). Sometimes, we work with our collegues and team members for a long period of time at work, but we really do not know their thoughts on everything related to work or in general. I think promoting blogs at workplace would help to share thoughts, ideas, however it would add another dimension to corporate social media policies.
Using social media tools is increasing in corporations, it is not promoted yet at my company, I am sure the social media tools will be very common at workplaces in the near future and it will have a positive impact in colloborating with fellow workers at workplaces.
Using social media tools is increasing in corporations, it is not promoted yet at my company, I am sure the social media tools will be very common at workplaces in the near future and it will have a positive impact in colloborating with fellow workers at workplaces.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
My Globesmart Scores
The majority of my Globesmart scores seem valid. I have always enjoyed working in a team and building relationships that way. I like the feeling of belonging to a group of people and sharing a common goal with them. I specifically enjoy the communication process and the final results of collaborating.
My egalitarianism tendency was also to be expected. I believe that people should be flexible and viewed as equals.
I enjoy new and different experiences and I have taken some steps in my life that most people would probably not consider (or would need more time and convincing to reach). Uncertainty is part of life and we as well learn to embrace it.
I am a little surprised about my score on the Direct-Indirect dimension. I consider myself a very direct person (what you see is what you get). This is definitely more valid when it comes to personal relationships and not so much in a business environment. Since this tool was measuring our perspectives on business situations I can see how my score would be somewhere in the middle.
When it comes to focusing on tasks rather than relationships at work, I try to establish relationships in the process of completing job responsibilities. I develop relationships with colleagues and customers quickly even when my main focus is on finishing the task at hand.
My short-term orientation can be explained easily by the fact that I enjoy taking risks. I usually focus on planning only in the near future since circumstance change easily.
When comparing my results to what I believe my grandparents' scores would be, I definitely see that there will be a major shift from risk taking to a more restraint behavior. The main reason for that is mobility. We are living in a time where every place on Earth is within our reach, which is something my grandparents didn't even think about 30-40 years ago. The information flow and communication technologies allow our generation to be much quicker in making important decisions.
Another area of difference is the Task-Relationship dimension. I believe that my grandparents would have taken the time to establish a relationship first. They had worked at the same companies with the same people and customers for many years and building relationships was vital. They also had more down time at their places of employment which is not the case nowadays.
I found the comparison to the two cultures I have been exposed to very intriguing. I was born and raised in Bulgaria and spend the majority of my life there so one would expect that my scores would be close to those of other Bulgarians. This is the case when it comes to the Risk-Restraint, Independent-Interdependent and Short-term-Long-term dimensions. As for the second culture I have been exposed to in the past few years, I share similar scores on the Egalitarianism-Status and Task-Relationship dimensions. I have always felt comfortable with both cultures and appreciated the differences which is evident from my results.
My egalitarianism tendency was also to be expected. I believe that people should be flexible and viewed as equals.
I enjoy new and different experiences and I have taken some steps in my life that most people would probably not consider (or would need more time and convincing to reach). Uncertainty is part of life and we as well learn to embrace it.
I am a little surprised about my score on the Direct-Indirect dimension. I consider myself a very direct person (what you see is what you get). This is definitely more valid when it comes to personal relationships and not so much in a business environment. Since this tool was measuring our perspectives on business situations I can see how my score would be somewhere in the middle.
When it comes to focusing on tasks rather than relationships at work, I try to establish relationships in the process of completing job responsibilities. I develop relationships with colleagues and customers quickly even when my main focus is on finishing the task at hand.
My short-term orientation can be explained easily by the fact that I enjoy taking risks. I usually focus on planning only in the near future since circumstance change easily.
When comparing my results to what I believe my grandparents' scores would be, I definitely see that there will be a major shift from risk taking to a more restraint behavior. The main reason for that is mobility. We are living in a time where every place on Earth is within our reach, which is something my grandparents didn't even think about 30-40 years ago. The information flow and communication technologies allow our generation to be much quicker in making important decisions.
Another area of difference is the Task-Relationship dimension. I believe that my grandparents would have taken the time to establish a relationship first. They had worked at the same companies with the same people and customers for many years and building relationships was vital. They also had more down time at their places of employment which is not the case nowadays.
I found the comparison to the two cultures I have been exposed to very intriguing. I was born and raised in Bulgaria and spend the majority of my life there so one would expect that my scores would be close to those of other Bulgarians. This is the case when it comes to the Risk-Restraint, Independent-Interdependent and Short-term-Long-term dimensions. As for the second culture I have been exposed to in the past few years, I share similar scores on the Egalitarianism-Status and Task-Relationship dimensions. I have always felt comfortable with both cultures and appreciated the differences which is evident from my results.
Corporate Giants, Friend or Foe?
It's so interesting how I hear about a corporate giant and I'm immediately thinking these people are evil. Perhaps I had the same misconceptions about Aracruz before the simulation we had in class. Playing the part of the NGO, I couldn't help but feel that my contributions to the rights of the natives were completely self-serving. Maybe it was the lack of background information, but in my opinion I was playing the part of a publicity whore. Now the other people in the simulation, FUNAI, the Native Indian, Aracruz, and the community were all so pleasant in the meeting that I couldn't help but feel that we were all conscious of respecting each other that we were too afraid to be confrontational. Again, maybe that's just my stance. And I can truly say with complete honesty that I initially wanted to totally rip into the corporate giant, but thought carefully about how to be most effective and the least challenging.
Regardless, the simulation was great in getting me to empathize with Aracruz. I don't know if it's because the person simulating them was so accommodating, but I actually began to feel sorry for them and try to come up with the best way to help them get what they needed. Unfortunately, that probably was true to my part.
When we debriefed in class I could quickly tell that not everyone was as "nice" as our group. I could feel the energy against the "corporate scum." But after Dr. Osland shared her insights about the situation, and the land perhaps not actually being occupied/owned by the native Indians, I just began to empathize with the "big bad giant" again. If I had paid for something, and I thought it was legally mine, how would I feel? How accommodating would I be? How nice would I be? Obviously those are rhetorical questions that lead me to the obvious ESTJ "that's not fair" response. However, for the last week, I have been so curious with what the solution to this whole chaotic mess could be. Can a corporate giant ever come to an agreement with a group of people who's complete mindset is unimaginable to them? How can I even empathize with the natives? I have no basis, no understanding of where they come from. And interestingly so, when I come to this epiphany I realize that they must be right to fight for the land, and the corporation must be wrong. And if I say otherwise I'm a greedy discriminating ignoramus. (My own projections of course.) Regardless I'm bound to believe that there's an answer to this issue, I have to hope that there's an answer. I just hope that someone, anyone, figures it out.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Smells like team spirit ..
First of all, I must say that through all the simulations that we have had in this class, I have been on various teams with different people and I have enjoyed great rapport with all. This is my first class and I think I couldn't have started on a brighter note!!
Last week was about reading and making sense out of the article that Anna and I had to present. Anna did a great job to prepare the skeleton of our presentation. It was a great read especially through the context of the world of facebook and Linked-in that we live in. We deal with several personal and professional networks. The article presented us with an excellent philosophy that as global leaders, if we can manage the creativity in the small world well, we can maximize our team's productivity and empower great inventors for our firms. Thank you all for patiently listening to us and taking keen interest in our presentation.
The 'flip-the-turf' experience was awesome even though I had done it before. The first group that I participated in this exercise with, had a completely different approach than us and yet both resulted in successful outcome which was very interesting to watch. In less than 15 minutes, we went through a real-life-project like scenarios of "this is an impossible task - to - lets brainstorm - to - lets execute - to - we are making progress - to - We did it"!! Again, it takes a lot of team work and trust (even in the simulation) to make it work. Kudos to all!
Of course the ba-fa-ba-fa simulation was the best of the lot so far! To me it felt closest to the real life situation. What appealed to me was how we learned about the other culture slowly but surely. No one can understand a different culture in one shot. It takes some time and careful homework. Each Alphan that returned from country Beta came back with something invaluable.
Again, along with the message that these simulations give us, I am very much impressed with the simulations themselves which obviously tend to bring the team spirit in everyone. I can't wait to use them on the teams that I will lead and benefit from the great outcomes that it will produce! That mixed with my favorite singer Curt Cobain .. inspires my blog title...
Last week was about reading and making sense out of the article that Anna and I had to present. Anna did a great job to prepare the skeleton of our presentation. It was a great read especially through the context of the world of facebook and Linked-in that we live in. We deal with several personal and professional networks. The article presented us with an excellent philosophy that as global leaders, if we can manage the creativity in the small world well, we can maximize our team's productivity and empower great inventors for our firms. Thank you all for patiently listening to us and taking keen interest in our presentation.
The 'flip-the-turf' experience was awesome even though I had done it before. The first group that I participated in this exercise with, had a completely different approach than us and yet both resulted in successful outcome which was very interesting to watch. In less than 15 minutes, we went through a real-life-project like scenarios of "this is an impossible task - to - lets brainstorm - to - lets execute - to - we are making progress - to - We did it"!! Again, it takes a lot of team work and trust (even in the simulation) to make it work. Kudos to all!
Of course the ba-fa-ba-fa simulation was the best of the lot so far! To me it felt closest to the real life situation. What appealed to me was how we learned about the other culture slowly but surely. No one can understand a different culture in one shot. It takes some time and careful homework. Each Alphan that returned from country Beta came back with something invaluable.
Again, along with the message that these simulations give us, I am very much impressed with the simulations themselves which obviously tend to bring the team spirit in everyone. I can't wait to use them on the teams that I will lead and benefit from the great outcomes that it will produce! That mixed with my favorite singer Curt Cobain .. inspires my blog title...
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Globesmart - like the output
I was impressed by Globesmart's assessment quality and output and richness of the website. The results seemed accurate. For ex: I am still adopting to US way of working in terms of being Independent so my score is close to my birth country India. In Risk I am not that close to US and definitely away from birth country INdia. One dimension surprised me is that I am task oriented person, however I am shown towards relationship side. I am very Close to US in Direct, Eagalatarianism, which are accurate.
I definitely dont think my grandparents or my oldest relatives would have the same profile as I have been a immigrant and worked and travelled in other countries and I work with diverse teams.
I am not a typical person of my culture (India), as I adopted a lot of traits being in US. I deviated with India in 3 dimensions largely and partially in 4 other dimensions.
I definitely dont think my grandparents or my oldest relatives would have the same profile as I have been a immigrant and worked and travelled in other countries and I work with diverse teams.
I am not a typical person of my culture (India), as I adopted a lot of traits being in US. I deviated with India in 3 dimensions largely and partially in 4 other dimensions.
My CPQ reflection
My CPQ results mostly in line with my expections. Because my results are close to the group which is quite diverse, except in two areas Subjugation in Relation to environment and Present dimension in Time orientation where I deviated from the group as well as birth country averages.
The learning I have to use is to bring myself to the center in the areas of Harmony/Subjugation and Present/Time dimension as I have to be close to the group.
Specifically when I am interacting with my colleagues on decisions concerning day-to-day I should focus more on immediate needs and factors. The other area where I have to discern is in terms of when to use Subjugation and when not to. I am a believer in nature's influence on Individuals at a macro life events.
The learning I have to use is to bring myself to the center in the areas of Harmony/Subjugation and Present/Time dimension as I have to be close to the group.
Specifically when I am interacting with my colleagues on decisions concerning day-to-day I should focus more on immediate needs and factors. The other area where I have to discern is in terms of when to use Subjugation and when not to. I am a believer in nature's influence on Individuals at a macro life events.
BaFa BaFa simulation
The scenarios with the X-ians and BaFa BaFa simulations are ridiculous. But I think they are really effective learning tools under a low stake environment - we all laughed during the simulations and I think we all had fun. With the ridicules, we actually had an accelerated experience on situations we could possibly see only over years of real experience.
Aracruz Cellulose simulation
The Aracruz simulation was interesting and inspiring but also difficult. I think it amplified the difficulty of doing business in foreign countries - sometimes it's hard to understand the rationales from a North America perspective. It also ran against a win-win outcome - with such a diverse group of stakeholders whom have very conflicting perspectives and interests, it seemed impossible to arrive at mutually satisfactory propositions. The scenario was basically a slow-brewing crisis for Aracruz Cellulose.
The Aracruz simulation reinforced my learning on working as a team. Crucial conversations happen almost everyday at work but the conflicts and stakes were so much deeper and higher in the case of Aracruz, which made the dialogue more crucial and difficult. While we don't need to engage in stakeholder dialogue in everyday situation, they remain important to avoid misunderstanding and achieve common goals more effectively. I believe stakeholder dialogue skills can practically be used during any team projects - particularly during the initial problem definition phase. The simulation also forced as to solve problems through the brain storming process. Since there were no easy solutions, we could not jump to conclusions without brain storming as in some of our normal work situations.
Our team was effective in initiating the dialogue and worked with others to frame common goals. I believe we were able to listen to others with an open mind but we often fell into conflicts and our communications sometimes turned confrontational. At one point, our discussion turned into a debate between Aracruz and FUNAI and Dr. Osland had to stop us from continuing the debate. I think it also pointed to our ineffectiveness in identifying conflicts and dissolving them quickly. With that said, if I could redo the simulation, I would first quickly lead the team to agree on common goals and remind everyone on the common goals whenever conflicts or irrelevant debates arise.
My cultural difference assessment
Since both CPQ and GlobeSmart are about assessing cultural difference, I am blogging about them together so this is a long one - be warned :-)
1. Both assessments provide baseline benchmarks from different cultural groups. Because of my diverse cultural backgrounds (mix of Chinese, British (HK being a British Colony), and North America (being in NA for almost 25 years), I am not surprised to see myself being a culture marginal to either China, HK, or US.
2. The GlobeSmart assessment shows that US and China are in two opposite ends of the spectrum. However, I am surprised that the benchmark from HK is so much closer to China.
My profile is much closer to US than to China - which makes me a cultural marginal to either the culture in China or HK. I think it make senses because I received my higher education in North America and spent my entire career in US. So, my culture values are more tuned towards US than to China, while still maintaining a strong tie to Chinese/HK culture from my family and friends. But it's interesting to find that the benchmark from UK is very similar to mine, except on the short vs long term category.
My grand parents' profiles will be different from mine because they didn't experience the North American culture. They also had to live through the WW-II environment (i.e., HK was briefly occupied by Japan during the WW-II) and the peripheral effects of the Cultural Revolution in China (i.e., HK was already a British Colony during the Cultural Revolution but we still had family ties in the mainland China) - both of them were life-changing experiences.
3. My CPQ score again shows that my profile is less similar to the benchmark from HK then to the benchmark of the class. My CPQ score is quite aligned with the class average but I seem to be more future and individual oriented. I think my choice to enroll into the SJSU EMBA program and this class reflect my future oriented attribute. For example, I could have taken classes in technology, project management, etc which are closer to what I need now for my job.
My CPQ score alignment with the class average make sense as I see the classmates representing a sub-culture in the SF bay area - highly educated professionals whom are open-minded, eager to learn, and immersed in a multi-cultural environment. However, I also realize that there are distinctively higher or lower results among the classmates. I think this variance reinforces the often forgotten fact that we are all different individuals even within a sub-culture. We need to be conscious of our differences in our daily engagements and be open-minded. To relate back to our BaFa BaFa simulation, we want to stay with 'description' and away from 'interpretation' and 'evaluation'.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Understanding Cultural Diversity
I think immigrants with deeper understanding of their traditional values and ethics from their origin country have to think more to answer the questions from Cultural Diversity exercise.
In real life situations, I think that people judgement is based on awareness of consequences in the living country, but not based on what they believe in their own culture.
I am not surprised to see 93% of USA repondents answering "C" for The car and pedestrian scenario, but I a really surprised to see 65% respondents only for bad restaurant survey, I thought that USA would be around 80% range.
In real life situations, I think that people judgement is based on awareness of consequences in the living country, but not based on what they believe in their own culture.
I am not surprised to see 93% of USA repondents answering "C" for The car and pedestrian scenario, but I a really surprised to see 65% respondents only for bad restaurant survey, I thought that USA would be around 80% range.
Aracruz Reflection My Role had good traction
Reality : I am recollecting our class Aracruz simulation and I was surprised by knowing the reality was different than what appeared on paper for the simulation. Hearing Karen and Prof Osland that native people never lived there where Aracruz bought the land mad me think, many times might is right in these agitations. At the end, whether its fair or not for the natives to ask Aracruz to evict is not a financial equation, its a social equation. It was unfortunate Aracruz caught in that social justice aspect.
Coming to our class simulation I learned a lot from the heterogenous simulation, I was playing the stakeholder for natives, and I had traction for my arguments as everyone is convinced that natives were at a disadvantage with figures like 4000,000 being displaced. The key learning for me is f you have data to support your argument its easy for everyone to see.
Our group came to understanding and final agreement because everyone played true stakeholder, and created accommodation, compromise and synergy collectively.
Our group may be considered ineffective in terms of burdening Aracruz with all the responsibility and not making any conditions on NGOs and natives not to disrupt the peace.
Personally if I were to play stakeholder dailogue again, I would collect some more evidence so that I can establish my real BATNA(Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) in negotiations. I would also read the case more carefully and prepare well before getting to the table.
Life lessons from this exercise are a) preparation b) data based arguments c) empathy towards other stakeholders d) Showing interest in synergy.
Coming to our class simulation I learned a lot from the heterogenous simulation, I was playing the stakeholder for natives, and I had traction for my arguments as everyone is convinced that natives were at a disadvantage with figures like 4000,000 being displaced. The key learning for me is f you have data to support your argument its easy for everyone to see.
Our group came to understanding and final agreement because everyone played true stakeholder, and created accommodation, compromise and synergy collectively.
Our group may be considered ineffective in terms of burdening Aracruz with all the responsibility and not making any conditions on NGOs and natives not to disrupt the peace.
Personally if I were to play stakeholder dailogue again, I would collect some more evidence so that I can establish my real BATNA(Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) in negotiations. I would also read the case more carefully and prepare well before getting to the table.
Life lessons from this exercise are a) preparation b) data based arguments c) empathy towards other stakeholders d) Showing interest in synergy.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Aracruz?
Much like everyone else, I have spent a fair amount of time this week reflecting on our Aracruz simulation. After thinking about this more and more, I'm not sure that I agree that my team learned much about how to compromise and come to an agreement in high stakes situations. I'm not saying that I think that this exercise was without merit, however. I believe it gave us a fascinating view of the cultural dynamics within our own classroom.
The opposing goals of the Aracruz stakeholders were spelled out clearly in our informational packets, but I found that our real-life values and goals shined through much more strongly. We were told to reach a signed compromise by the end of the simulation. At some point in our discussions, focused shifted from "coming to a legitimate compromise that would solve the problems" to "how do we get something signed so we can make a good grade in this class"? I don't feel that 100% of the people in my group felt that way, but I know that I certainly did! It was very interesting to see some of us let our stakeholder values acquiesce and let our student values take over.
Aracruz Cellulose Simulation
If there's one thing I learned about the simulation, it's that there is no such thing as a right or wrong answer. In fact, there may be no such thing as the ideal solution. There are five key roles in the Aracruz Cellulose Simulation: the Aracruz corporation, the indigenous people, the international NGOs, FUNAI, and the community who work for Aracruz. Every group has a legitimate reason to support their position in the simulation. It is very difficult to find a solution that can satisfy every member affected by the case.
In our discussion, one thing that really helped our group to be effective was not to debate. Professor Osland had to stop us at one point in our "discussion" when all the members began drilling the Aracruz CEO, putting him on the hot spot. Nothing was being accomplished at that point except that we were pointing fingers at each other. Being reminded of our objectives, our group switched focus to brainstorming potential solutions, any solutions -- any being the key world. This helped our group focus on what can be done versus what has been done and it drove us to foster a more positive environment.
If I could redo the stakholder dialogue part of the simulation, I would try to communicate my stance more clearly and objectively. This helps get my message across more efficiently and might also help generation solutions better. I could definitely replicate this in life as well, both my dialogue and also in my discussion technique. Stakeholder dialogue skills can be applied at work, in personal conversations (especially when negotiation is involved), and even with my mom. ha ha. I feel that it is very important to treat things in an objective manner versus a subjective manner because it takes out the heat of emotion and stresses more on the problem itself. Less offense would be taken between different people and cultures.
In our discussion, one thing that really helped our group to be effective was not to debate. Professor Osland had to stop us at one point in our "discussion" when all the members began drilling the Aracruz CEO, putting him on the hot spot. Nothing was being accomplished at that point except that we were pointing fingers at each other. Being reminded of our objectives, our group switched focus to brainstorming potential solutions, any solutions -- any being the key world. This helped our group focus on what can be done versus what has been done and it drove us to foster a more positive environment.
If I could redo the stakholder dialogue part of the simulation, I would try to communicate my stance more clearly and objectively. This helps get my message across more efficiently and might also help generation solutions better. I could definitely replicate this in life as well, both my dialogue and also in my discussion technique. Stakeholder dialogue skills can be applied at work, in personal conversations (especially when negotiation is involved), and even with my mom. ha ha. I feel that it is very important to treat things in an objective manner versus a subjective manner because it takes out the heat of emotion and stresses more on the problem itself. Less offense would be taken between different people and cultures.
CPQ Results
My CPQ results were very close to the class graduate and and also fell close to the results for the American average. These results seem valid since most of my life, I grew up and interacted with people in the US. My family upbringing may play one part in the way I interact with people, but the environment I was brought up in also has played a major part in who I am today (as seen in the results).
Seeing the final results, I can definitely understand my behavior when reacting with people from different cultures. I seem to rank higher in dimensions that define me as an independent, individualistic person, a very American standard, I believe. This explains why I always seem to conflict with the morals and values within my family, who follow very Asian standards. Many decisions and choices, especially career related, is motivated by the community. I, on the other hand, believe that decisions should be influenced by mostly myself and immediate family.
One interesting results on the CPQ was the dimension good versus evil. Apparently I scored a tad bit higher than the American public and class average. Though not as high as the individual who scored 6.60, I' m pretty up there. It makes me wonder how cultural and family upbringing and affect our perspective on people. For me, it's mostly from personal experience. If you can hitchhike 2 or 3 times in your life and come out unscathed, you can definitely have some faith in the human race.
Seeing the final results, I can definitely understand my behavior when reacting with people from different cultures. I seem to rank higher in dimensions that define me as an independent, individualistic person, a very American standard, I believe. This explains why I always seem to conflict with the morals and values within my family, who follow very Asian standards. Many decisions and choices, especially career related, is motivated by the community. I, on the other hand, believe that decisions should be influenced by mostly myself and immediate family.
One interesting results on the CPQ was the dimension good versus evil. Apparently I scored a tad bit higher than the American public and class average. Though not as high as the individual who scored 6.60, I' m pretty up there. It makes me wonder how cultural and family upbringing and affect our perspective on people. For me, it's mostly from personal experience. If you can hitchhike 2 or 3 times in your life and come out unscathed, you can definitely have some faith in the human race.
Global Assessment Profile Overview
Results from the global assessment profile test came as no surprise to me since they pretty much matched with my background, the beliefs and values ingrained in me, and my overall nature.
Since I have worked on large microprocessor designs(that are typically built by more than 200-300 engineers), I am very inter-dependent since I believe that no superstar is more important than the team collectively(all units of a monstrous machine should work correctly for the success of the project). Hailing from an Asian background, I am least surprised to see that I fall towards egalitarianism, restraint (cautious type), indirect, task oriented, and a person focussed on long-term.
I am a bit surprised about my task-oriented nature, but considering my type of work, I could very well be one in that category. I will try to observe myself more in the situations, and strike a balance balance so as to adopt a contingency style of management!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Aracruz Cellulose Simulation
I think Ganka's post below really drives home what I took away from the Aracruz simulation. Our "executives" decided not to focus on quantitative issues so that we could decide on the principles of what should be done, rather than amounts that we really didn't have the background to discuss. I suspect that this may be why we were effective and able to come to agreement, while in the real world, the situation is a multi-way stalemate.
It was very interesting to learn more information about the scenario after our discussions. We treated the landless natives as wholely victims in the situation and tried to resolve the issue from their view point. We knew that there had been some violence, but thought it was probably as a last resort. It wasn't until after the discussions that we learned of all the attacks and atrocities that were being committed.
I think this simulation translates well to business meetings where there are multiple stakeholders involved, which is a situation I am in frequently, if not daily.
Globe Smart assessment
My Globesmart assessment was similar to that of United States but with two surprising differences. I scored much higher in INTERDEPENDENCE and LONG-TERM than most Americans, which surprised me for two reasons. First, I think of myself as a very independent person, and have been consistently reviewed as such by managers, so I am wondering if I mistook some of the wording of the questions. Secondly, I was surprised to see the results of most Americans are so biased towards the short-term. I would have thought there would be a balance midway between short-term and long-term.
I think my grandparents would probably have a similar profile as myself, since they were very long-term thinkers. They worked hard to save money for their family that they could pass down to their children, while teaching them the value of money and hard work.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
My reflections on Aracruz Cellulose simulation
Aracruz Cellulose Simulation in class helped me ( I am sure all other participants as well) understand objectives of Stakeholder communication, negotiation skills, listening to counter group members to identify issues at stake and interests, thinking positively from all dimensions, come up with a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
My group has focused on negotiating a mutually beneficial solution in a co-operative way, engaged in a dialogue to understand and identify areas of common ground among all stakeholders.
I think we could have thought about using an arbitration or consulting company to come up with a more beneficial solution for our group.
I do participate in stakeholder dialogue at my work very frequently, these dialogues are very common at Parent Teacher Associations at schools, community halls, issues due to new developments associated with environment, very frequently in worker unions.
My group has focused on negotiating a mutually beneficial solution in a co-operative way, engaged in a dialogue to understand and identify areas of common ground among all stakeholders.
I think we could have thought about using an arbitration or consulting company to come up with a more beneficial solution for our group.
I do participate in stakeholder dialogue at my work very frequently, these dialogues are very common at Parent Teacher Associations at schools, community halls, issues due to new developments associated with environment, very frequently in worker unions.
Learnings from Aracruz Cellulose simulation
1. I learnt the techniques needed for holding effective stake-holder discussion. Although I felt a bit intimidated initially when all guns were pointed towards Aracruz to make some concessions, I tried to give some leeway to others, albeit not trying to fall over myself to come to a fruitful discussion. I knew that I would be opening a can of worms if I decided to review the lands that don't have prior contracts upon. So, I stuck to my guns and steered the conversation towards those lands that have contracts upon--thinking that the percentage of such lands would be infinitesimally small compared to the total lands occupied by Aracruz.
Open mindedness and awareness with observation are the key take aways.
2. I tried to be as phlegmatic as I can in order to give an impression to others that Aracruz is still interested in reviewing the past beaten down contracts.
3. Our group members all had very valid points and this helped us carry out our discussion with great enthusiasm. Brian, Eric and Britney all worked together in coming up with possible solutions to the deadlock.
4. I guess we all did a great job. We can improve our discussion now since we know about the reality behind the situation--the status of land grabbing in Brazil and that of Aracruz.
5. Pretty much I see this in my company every day. Working in Applications group and torn between software and hardware groups, I am forced to do this without rubbing any one party the wrong way.
Global Business and Aracruz Sim
I think the Panamanian Carlos Ramirez exercise was a really eye-opening way of illustrating a type of business culture completely foreign to us (literally). The tips for getting on the inside track with people of a different culture are not just useful for business visits, but in general. It reminded me of how I felt several years ago when I was a hapless Spanish-language student in Costa Rica on a study abroad summer program. My extended family had business partners in San Jose (Costa Rica) with whom I stayed for my first few days before I joined the rest of my school group, but throughout the trip I mainly relied on my American contacts to help me make sense of the country. I now see that I missed out on a really good opportunity to let my local friends act as my cultural mentors, and should have focused more on what they could have shown me. I'm holding out for a next time!
In the Aracruz simulation, I think my group had some really good ideas for solutions for the conflict. When we reconvened with the entire class, it was very interesting to hear what the other groups came up with as well. What I noticed out of that class discussion was that the simulation generated creative solutions, but it ended up being idealized versions of the real thing. Joyce's description of what happened in real life was far more messy, greedy and hostile than our little summits. This is probably due to our detachment; we care, but we're not really emotionally invested in the ramifications of our decisions and discussions quite like the people in real time were. Our land is not at stake, it's not our money that's getting spent, and we don't have to deal first-hand with the violence. As such, we're a lot more able to sympathize and compromise with each stakeholder, as evidenced by the solutions we ratified--acting for Aracruz, I probably conceded on many more points than would have someone concerned with Aracruz's bottom line. Another interpretation of my actions is that my style of teamwork includes compromising a lot and pleasing the other members in the interest of arriving at an agreeable conclusion.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
my 60 minutes of fame ..
I must confess! it actually felt great to act as the Sr. VP of Aracruz Cellulose (I was a self made man! ... literally...)! :-) I have to say, if the stakeholders involved are as smart, positive and sincere as our group was, we could actually experience peace and harmony! That was a great fruitful discussion .. thanks to Ganka, Lynnette, Maria and Michael!
It was a great exercise that helped us think from individual stakeholders perspective. First my fellow Aracruz executives Alison and Vadhi knew exactly what our company position was going to be. That made me go in the meeting with knowing how much I can and can not give.
Our meeting started well as we found ourselves unanimous in identifying the real issues and the points on which we had disagreements. We discussed our perspectives that formed our opinions. In the process, it became pretty aparrent that we all had a common understanding -"We need to co-exist for betterment of each other!" That was the tone set in our meeting right from the word go and hence we seemed to have developed some amount of trust in each of the characters we were playing! Of course we all realized that in the real world, things are far more challenging and some times the conflicts become an impossible one to solve. I believe, if we do get involved in such situations in our future, we can only continue to demonstrate strong leadership values and not deter from them. Consistent and strong leadership could eventually be impressed upon all parties involved which could lead to a solution.
I couldn't help but check out the company profile on the internet and I was amazed to find out that Aracruz accounts for 24% of the raw material supply that goes into making a paper in the world. Aracruz has been on the NYSE sustainability index as recently as in 2008. To find out more, you can go to http://www.aracruz.com/show_arz.do?menu=true&id=321&lastRoot=107&act=stcNews&lang=1
The Carlos Ramirez simulation in the morning session provided with a great insight as well. It was a very realistic situation that we might face in our future. I hope we cherish the learnings from this class for a long time apply them in the situations whenever they arise!
GlobeSmart Assessment
It is very interesting to see the results on the assessment. Although I grew up in Japan, most of my school and work are here in the United States. So I was expecting to see "independent" and "Direct" to be my dimensions since my job is somewhat in these characteristics .
But it seems that I do still carry a traditional Japanese type of thinking such that I emphasis and value more on long term and relationship. Security is another word that may describe them, yet I tend to take risks according to the test. I might take it one more time to see if it will make difference.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Aracruz Cellulose Simulation
The Aracruz Simulation was certainly helpful is our efforts to become more flexible, patient and open-minded when communicating with different stakeholders. The factual situation was quite interesting. It was easy to engage in discussions since the stakeholders' perspectives and goals were relatively clear.
I learned from the simulation that various stakeholders can have a fruitful discussion by applying the following communication techniques :
I learned from the simulation that various stakeholders can have a fruitful discussion by applying the following communication techniques :
- actively listening to others' points of view;
- trying to understand where they are coming from;
- collaborating efforts in reaching a common goal;
- showing tolerance and respect;
- staying on the issue at hand;
- acknowledging and considering every one's input;
- being creative and innovative in search for solutions;
- clarifying own perspective;
- building trust;
- avoiding ambiguity.
Since we were able to reach 5 areas of agreement and generated 8 innovative ideas, I believe our group was effective. All participants were interested in solving the same issue and were eager to share their ideas. If there was a disagreement, we attempted to solve the problem in a way that would satisfy every stakeholder. The few problems we had came from the fact that our information on the situation and especially some of the details was different. There were certain points that were not mentioned in every one's handouts which prevented that stakeholder from actively participating when discussing specific issues. Another problem that we faced stemmed from our own limited knowledge on the situation as a whole.
In the Aracruz simulation I was representing the Community. Because this stakeholder was indirectly affected by the Aracruz problem, it was sometimes hard for me to have a direct answer to some of issues in the discussion. My understanding was that the community wanted to keep the region peaceful and prosperous but it wasn't clearly stated whether that involved the return of the land to the indigenous people (which turned out to be a major conversation point). If I could redo the stakeholder dialogue I would try to gather more information on the background of the situation.
As every other skill acquired in this class, stakeholder dialogue skills will be helpful in different situations which require a "win - win" result such as: town hall, student organization, parent - teacher meetings, corporate policy development efforts as well as many situations of personal matter.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Globsmart Assessment
Interesting to see my assessment report after carefully selecting correct choices during self assessment.
It seems the tools shows you better reflection of yourself for all dimensions of you at the sametime which
a human brain is not capable of producing this kind of picture within your mind or we never attempt
to do so using our brain.
I am glad to find out that I am towards interdependent rather than being independent which is required for being a team player, I have scored high on egalitarianism, I am also glad to find out that I am a direct person
which I am alwasy when it comes to work related, and I never had any differences with any collegues, or hurt anybodys feelings because of my direct nature, always communicated in a friendly and professional way.
I am totally surprised to see that I ended up rated as task oriented person which I am but I weigh high on relationship as well, so I might not have answered it right or there was not a correct choice to rate me in the middle. And Yes, I alway use long-term strategy both in personal as well as professional related decision making.
I was born and brouht up in India, so my personal culture is mostly Indian culsture, however, I have never worked in India, I came to USA as a student to do my graduate degree in computer science and I have worked in USA my entire career, so my workplace culture is mostly US based culture.
I see myself not a typical member of my culture, spending more than half my adulthood in USA.
Overall, GlobeSmart is an amazing tool, web site, I am really impressed with all the defitnitions and information maintained in their web site, and the short videos they have to portrait different profile dimensions.
It seems the tools shows you better reflection of yourself for all dimensions of you at the sametime which
a human brain is not capable of producing this kind of picture within your mind or we never attempt
to do so using our brain.
I am glad to find out that I am towards interdependent rather than being independent which is required for being a team player, I have scored high on egalitarianism, I am also glad to find out that I am a direct person
which I am alwasy when it comes to work related, and I never had any differences with any collegues, or hurt anybodys feelings because of my direct nature, always communicated in a friendly and professional way.
I am totally surprised to see that I ended up rated as task oriented person which I am but I weigh high on relationship as well, so I might not have answered it right or there was not a correct choice to rate me in the middle. And Yes, I alway use long-term strategy both in personal as well as professional related decision making.
I was born and brouht up in India, so my personal culture is mostly Indian culsture, however, I have never worked in India, I came to USA as a student to do my graduate degree in computer science and I have worked in USA my entire career, so my workplace culture is mostly US based culture.
I see myself not a typical member of my culture, spending more than half my adulthood in USA.
Overall, GlobeSmart is an amazing tool, web site, I am really impressed with all the defitnitions and information maintained in their web site, and the short videos they have to portrait different profile dimensions.
Cultural Perspective and Dimensions
Culture is defined as the pattern of variations within a community, society, or more specifically, as the pattern of deep-level of values and assumptions associated with social effectiveness, religion, shared and followed by a group of people or communities, however, the entire cultural system may not be completely shared by ever member within a society or community. If the culsture is deeply shared by majority or all members within a society or community, then it is not open to change, it becomes closed, it it does not adpat to a changing environment.
It is my first time looking at different dimensions of Orientaios towards Relation to environment, relationships among humans, nature of Humans (I beleive that nature of most humans is essentially good, if not, some are molded by the society they brought up), activity (my dimension towards activities is to think before acting, considering all things carefully and rationally before taking action), and time (in my opinion, the decisions we make should be based on and balanced between Present - based on immediate needs and factors and Future - based on long term future needs and factors).
I have been working with several global teams from different countries through out my career, I came across a team from a new country for me that I started working with and here are my observations about this team from Mexico.
Family comes first priority, difficulty separating work and personal relationships, sensitive to differences of opinion, versus family is usually second to work, personal sensitivity is separated at workplace from emotions, personal relationships.
By looking at my scores versus Group results, I am surprised to see that I have scored High on two orientations for myself, and the group High score is relatively high on rest of the orientations.
It is my first time looking at different dimensions of Orientaios towards Relation to environment, relationships among humans, nature of Humans (I beleive that nature of most humans is essentially good, if not, some are molded by the society they brought up), activity (my dimension towards activities is to think before acting, considering all things carefully and rationally before taking action), and time (in my opinion, the decisions we make should be based on and balanced between Present - based on immediate needs and factors and Future - based on long term future needs and factors).
I have been working with several global teams from different countries through out my career, I came across a team from a new country for me that I started working with and here are my observations about this team from Mexico.
Family comes first priority, difficulty separating work and personal relationships, sensitive to differences of opinion, versus family is usually second to work, personal sensitivity is separated at workplace from emotions, personal relationships.
By looking at my scores versus Group results, I am surprised to see that I have scored High on two orientations for myself, and the group High score is relatively high on rest of the orientations.
Topics learnt on 9/18/2010
The day was packed with group activities and the class was lively through out the morning and afternoon sessions.
The morning session began with a case analysis--a newly appointed supervisor trying to impose a system in all the divisions. He goes to Panama to meet the head of the Panama division (Carlos) to discuss the issues, but is shocked to look at the nonchalance of Carlos in discussing the issues in hand. We were asked to list out the cues, interpretations, hypothesis, and actions that the new supervisor should take in tackling this rather unpleasant situation. The discussion essentially brought to the fore all the subtle cultural aspects that one should pay due attention to in Corporate meetings. We all agreed that the supervisor should have done some homework and should in fact seek the help of someone whom he can trust to learn the cultural aspects in a short time to handle Carlos effectively and win his trust and friendship. Also, inviting him and his wife for dinner was discussed as a plan of action. Cultural mentor is also a solution.
After breaking away for 15 minutes, we split up into 3 teams, each with a different cultural background, and had to discuss with other team members about selecting one out of 3 candidates for a managerial position. I belonged to the Eagle family that focussed on being aggressive and active, and we as a team ended up selecting Canopus as our candidate. However, when I met with other team members--who had selected Beetlejuice--we had to debate a little bit on the pros and cons of each of these two candidates, and were well along the way of arriving at a solution of selecting Canopus as our candidate. Here too, I learnt the art of having a keen observation in high level discussions, and be sensitive to others' cultural aspects.
The afternoon session was focussed on the Aracruz Corporation and land-grabbing case. I, as one of the representatives of Aracruz, had a hard time in defending our Company in the teeth of stiff opposition from NGOs, Indian representatives, and Government. I kept telling myself about keeping my aplomb as I felt that going through such a precarious situation and getting singled out to defend our position is far too common in business dealings:)
Overall, the class today was very experiential and taught me the importance of being sensitive to others' cultures, benefits of observation, stake holders discussions, etc in Global leadership.
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