Harding International and Associates Inc.

York University Career Mentorship: Special Recognition Award: Rodger Harding

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:41:00 -0700

Rodger Harding recently received special recognition for his:

"Exceptional commitment and contributionsto numerous students in the Learning Disabilities Progam and for Outstanding Involvement in York University's Career Mentorship Program"

Rodger Harding's Business Mentorship Guidelines

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:18:00 -0700

“... I can see them no more as they are, but as they were meant to be, as they would have liked to be if they had a chance…”- Axel Munthe

It seems as if mentorship is the business buzzword of the moment. Against the backdrop of a decade long commitment to the York University Learning Disability Mentorship Program (LDP) and a six year involvement with the Canadian Women in Communications (CWC-AFC) Mentorship Program, I am alarmed at the increasingly transactional slant that appears to regard mentorship as a fast-track networking vehicle or an opportunity to rapidly download the hard-earned knowledge of others. My own interaction with a succession of people with vastly differing professional and personal mentorship requirements has been intensely rewarding and has resulted in strong opinions on the subject:

What is Mentorship?

Perhaps the essence of an evolving mentor/mentee relationship it is to provide a stepping stone or sounding-board that will assist mentees realize their full potential – Becoming who they are and what they want to be, rather than who they are supposed to be. To this end, establishing a good fit and mutual availability is critical if the relationship is going to work. Consider the following criteria as a potential check list:

An Effective Mentor will display:

Recognition, understanding and preservation of unique mentee thinking, competencies and impact
Preparedness to accept value and priority differences (the ability to transcend personal approach
Acceptance of changing realities as the relationship progresses
Ability to work with uncertainty and intangible results - And will not care more about outcomes than the mentee!
Ongoing commitment as a resource/sounding board
Belief that the process is a two-way street – A relationship of equals builds trust and opens the door to mutual learning (An unusual example of this approach would be the CWC-AFC Mentoring Circle set up by their Calgary Chapter. A group of like-minded, high calibre broadcast professionals mentor each other with great success)

An Engaged Mentee will display:

Open communication of expectations, ambition, priorities and, importantly, fears and perceived weakness – This will focus the mentor on meeting requirements in a timely fashion
Ability to embrace changing circumstance/priorities
Acceptance of an evolution rather than a quick-fix solution/download
Consideration of the process as a privilege, not a right…! The greatest acknowledgement of mentor input is to show appreciation for time and knowledge shared with an equal degree of enthusiasm and engagement

Mentorship Pitfalls

Setting a firm set of mutual expectations with the understanding that these might change is the best starting point. My most significant mentor relationships have been with mentees who have been unsure of specific goals, but need someone with whom they can bounce ideas around. As with any relationship things can go awry, but starting off on the wrong foot will ensure failure. Major pitfalls are:

Inappropriate mentee motivation/agendas; Example: Using the mentorship relationship as a vehicle to leverage future job opportunities, high level networking etc.
Mentor motivation that sees the relationship as an opportunity to illustrate leadership, teamwork etc. for career/resume purposes
Entitlement, lacklustre engagement and lack of common courtesy; Ignoring basic rules of punctuality, respect etc. rapidly erode whatever positive attitude may initially exist
Consideration of process above content. Example: Four obligatory meetings of one hour duration and a short formulaic report does not constitute mentorship. (A leading Toronto business school provides mentors to participants in $20k courses that are nothing more than template enforcers)

Ongoing Mentorship Relationships While it is not mandatory to saddle oneself with a mentor or mentee indefinitely, it is interesting to see how long the relationships survive, and indeed bear the very fruits that are considered calculating or manipulative at the outset of mentorship interaction. Speaking from my own experience, some of my closest friends as well as information, service and referral resources were mentees in earlier years.

Being Yourself - Imperfect Perfection

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:36:00 -0700

Underpinning my work with individual or corporate clients is the immense respect, if not awe, that I have for the individual being in all its perfection & imperfection. In our society though, it seems that we have a difficult time being who we are or who we want to be. How often are our objectives shifted, adjusted or deleted to fit in with what others want us to be?

Some 30 years ago a friend introduced me to the thought provoking music/lyrics of Dory Previn - Her apparent victory over an intense struggle to make sense of her life, resonates in the words below. In our own lives, personal and professional, we often complicate the same quest .... Turning to quick-fixes promised by the banal messages of money makers rather than our inner voice/instinct.

I love the simplicity of Dory Previn's message that makes claim to neither doctrine nor label:

"i no longer plead with heaven
or go rummaging in books
for answers to the questions
life contains
now i listen
listen
listen to this inner thing resounding
in the resounding
in the pulsing and the pounding
of my infant ancient veins

i no longer seek instruction
from my father and my mother
i have mastered
all their pleasures and their pain
no i listen
listen
listen to this inner thing resounding
in the pulsing and the pounding
of my infant ancient veins

the feeling in my bloodflow
is a simple thing y'see
everything and nothing
in the parody is me
i'm the hero
i'm the villain
the beginning and the end
i'm creator
i'm destroyer
i'm the enemy the friend
i'm an animal
a spirit
flying high and falling down
i am special
i'm important
i am sacred
i'm a clown
so i stumble through the chaos
dragging clumsily behind me
all the eggshells
and the fish scales
and the fur pelts of my past
while this thing goes on
inside me at one with all
the vastness
the fantasies
and fictions
and when all the contradictions
come together
come together
they will fit

the feeling in my bloodflow
is a simple thing y'see
i am it
i am it
we are everything and nothing
but that's how to play the game
in these weather beaten bodies
with these god forsaken brains
we can listen
listen
listen to the universe resounding
in the pulsing and the pounding
of our infant ancient veins
listen
listen
listen and it all begins to fit
you are it
your are it..."

Project Management Institute (PMI-SOC) - Good Intelligence in Tough Times

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:12:00 -0700

On Thursday, March 26, 2009 Rodger Harding delivered a keynote to sold-out attendance of the Project Management Institute (PMI-SOC)

The Project Management Team:
The Importance of Good Intelligence in Tough Times

The presentation explored the role of the project manager/team in reading/interpreting & analyzing random clues relating to service, product, supplier & client that would potentially fuel a relevant theory that, if applied, would affect bottom line business as well as industry objectives. The critical link between intelligence, strategy & planning was also discussed.

In an interactive environment, the more than 200 delegates appeared to enthusiastically embrace ideas as to how to read people and situations with a view to predicting outcomes. It would appear that investigating unknown paths really is more appealing when the tried and tested has been seen to fail.

http://www.soc.pmi.on.ca/cde.cfm?event=239061

The Invisible Mentor - Rodger Harding interviewd by Avil Beckford

admin — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:47:00 -0700

I was delighted to be interviewed recently by Avil Beckford as part of her Invisible Mentor Series.

To read the full text of the interview visit:

http://www.ambeck.com/RodgerHardingInterview.pdf

2008 Year-End/Holiday message from Rodger Harding

admin — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:37:00 -0700

Dear Clients & Friends,

As 2008 draws to a close, I again reflect my good fortune in being able to follow a career path that enjoyably accommodates and utilizes not only who I am, but also what experience continues to teach me. The intensely diverse group of people that make up the mosaic of the professional and personal relationships built over the years, without doubt, give purpose to my work and meaning to my life. As an entrepreneur, these relationships provide me with a distinct sense of community.

At present the world is consciously faced with the prospect of the unknown in the immediate future. I thought it perhaps useful to share some of my thoughts, drawn from my own experience, on the incredible value of community & relationships in the navigation of difficult times:

· The vibrant exchange of random ideas oftentimes provides surprising clues to workable innovation, profitable new business and problem-solving

· Enormous pleasure may be derived from disinterested contact with people that share common ground and past experience – Sustainable business relationships are not solely transactional, but rather founded on mutual interest, trust and flexibility

· A good relationship understands and gives context to imperfection as a human phenomenon – There is nothing better than being able to honestly express fear, uncertainty and anxiety in a safe environment - Being oneself at all times is key to initiating and nurturing a healthy relationship

· The ability to at times anticipate the needs of others, rather than a self-interested focus, even in times of difficulty brings great fulfillment

· Asking for and receiving help/assistance with good grace is perhaps the ultimate test of a good relationship

· Investment in like-minded contact will nearly always allow for easy access ....Paradoxically the more immersed we are in work and daily life the less time we have to spend with people we find enjoyable. That said ... I remain in awe of how pleasurable relationships may be renewed despite lack of recent contact!

I take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support, inspiration and friendship. Despite the vicissitudes of business and life in general I have never felt alone in my endeavours. For this a huge Thank You! My very best wishes for the Holidays and a happy, safe & prosperous 2009!

I look forward to renewed contact in the New Year.

Warmest regards,

Rodger

Learning Empathy: Successful Negotiations, Mediations & Conflict Resolution

admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:23:00 -0700

Perhaps the greatest challenge I face when assisting clients reach desired objectives is to engender the desire to see an opposing point of view as a reality. Albeit in business, political, social or family situations, that others might feel they have right on their side, I have found is, for many, an almost impassable barrier. In a world that places such strong emphasis on focus as well as the very natural human desire for certainty, small wonder that arriving at a compromise presents such a challenge!

Someone recently forwarded me the quotation below from a Tim Franks’ Jerusalem Diary (BBC ) dated 17 November 2008: I was blown away by the simplicity of the message:

“... As a clinical psychologist I have often come across this type of narrow, one-sided non reflexive way of thinking. It is most often associated with pathology. It is often very difficult to make a change because of the resistance or (most often) inability to shift perspective. Most often these people are unable to feel uncertain, the major incentive to investigate a matter further. Once I took a course in "argumentation". The rules are to take a topic, make two teams, flip a coin which side to argue and then go for "winning". Try it at home or with friends and you get the firsthand experience of being an extremist…” - Mikael Scharin, Gothenburg, Sweden

I submit that if this technique is mastered, the ability to empathize will have been attained!

To read the original article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/middle_east/7733045.stm

Seeking Balance in a Polarized World

admin — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:26:00 -0700

In business circles, as well as in our private lives, we talk a lot about achieving balance. This is a difficult goal, especially as we live in a world that is becoming more and more polarized on political and socio-economic levels. In our fear, do we not find ourselves expressing hatred, self-righteousness and irrational notions of revenge and justice that completely overshadow the beauty and the miracle that is the individual human mind?

Oftentimes I wonder if we have evolved at all as a species - We seem destined to relive the same cycle of growth and destruction, so much so that I often feel the urge to “shrink from the duty of opposition”… I fear “I will be reduced to a chattering enraged monkey, screaming back hate at their hate” (apologies to Christopher Isherwood) At such times, the simple yet powerful words of Mike Pinder’s The Balance (Moody Blues) inspire me to surrender to the sheer wonder of just being alive. I can then measure my impact, good and evil, and so too the good and evil of others.

The Balance

After he had journeyed,
And his feet were sore,
And he was tired,
He came upon an orange grove
And he rested
And he lay in the cool,
And while he rested, he took to himself an orange and tasted it,
And it was good.
And he felt the earth to his spine,
And he asked, and he saw the tree above him, and the stars,
And the veins in the leaf,
And the light, and the balance.
And he saw magnificent perfection,
Whereon he thought of himself in balance,
And he knew he was.

Just open your eyes,
And realize, the way it's always been.
Just open your mind
And you will find
The way it's always been.
Just open your heart
And that's a start.

And he thought of those he angered,
For he was not a violent man,
And he thought of those he hurt
For he was not a cruel man
And he thought of those he frightened
For he was not an evil man,
And he understood.
He understood himself.

Upon this he saw that when he was of anger or knew hurt or felt fear,
It was because he was not understanding,
And he learned, compassion.

And with his eye of compassion.
He saw his enemies like unto himself,
And he learned love.
Then, he was answered.

Women Negotiating for Success

admin — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:57:00 -0700

A National Leadership Initiative in collaboration with Canadian Women in Communications

Rodger Harding has been invited to present the CWC (Canadian Women in Communications) National Women Negotiating for Success Workshop Series to nine chapters across Canada.

This initiative is designed to enhance the ability of women in managing the key elements of negotiation to better achieve their personal and business goals. Participants will be encouraged to to create an individual negotiation style that will pave the way to the best possible career outcomes in years to come.

In particular, the workshop will focus on the circumstances facing women in the fast-paced and constantly changing environment in which we all work today. Negotiation strategies will be identified to assist with the effective identification, analysis and management of situations where an accurate and ongoing interpretation of people and events are required.

Rodger will share negotiation expertise that reflects his extensive management consulting, diplomatic and legal experience. His interactive approach will provide a sound foundation of key negotiation principles as well as the enhancement of any theories, methods and expertise already known. Rodger believes that the outcome of any negotiation will dictate a course of action based on actual, not perceived realities. It is in this spirit that the workshop is designed to:

Link Negotiation to Leadership
Illustrate the difference between negotiation and confrontation
Provide techniques that enhance rapport and good ongoing relationships between parties to any negotiation

All participants will receive a comprehensive handout/summary that will serve as an ongoing resource

Please follow link for an article written about the New Brunswick event by Rachel Bloomer for the Telgraph Journal:

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/search/article/251993

Chapter Negotiation Workshop dates:

New Brunswick

National Capital Region

Manitoba

South Western Ontario

British Columbia

Edmonton

Calgary

Greater Toronto Area

Quebec

April 2, 2008

April 22, 2008

April 8, 2008

April 10, 2008

April 15, 2008

April 16, 2008

April 17, 2008

April 24, 2008

April 29, 2008

For more information visit Canadian Women In Coomunications

“In business, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” - Chester L. Karrass

Does it pay to be Judgemental?

admin — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 09:25:00 -0700

The negative inference of the word judgemental seems to have widened in our corporate culture. If judgemental means unwarranted condemnation of others I have no problem. Because I consider myself quite a tolerant guy, I am surprised when some of my decisions are considered judgemental. As a believer in fairness, balance and not wanting to be someone who looks down on others, I have given the matter considerable thought.

Try as I may, I cannot avoid the basic presumption that making a judgement call is a very natural and necessary human function. People make choices all the time. They either like something or they don’t! I always look to nature for answers when I am perplexed: A dog or other animal almost always avoids what it believes to be tainted food. This is good judgment – I will reject this food as bad for me. Surely this is what people do? Yet in the corporate world, it seems we are not allowed to reject, at least openly, what we do not like. In the so-called spirit of collaboration, much appears to be accepted just because it would not be good to be seen to reject someone, an idea or the choices made by others. No-one has a problem when positive judgements are made, yet when fault is openly found with people, service, choices etc. this is perceived as negative. This seems a touch hypocritical – Surely we are obliged to assess people and situations in the context of our own requirement? Our search for the right fit with others in business automatically dictates a positive or negative judgement? Are we supposed to keep all negative judgements to ourselves? The concealment of how we really feel has become a sought after skill. Think of the countless euphemisms we hear and use everyday. “I’ll take a rain check” means “get lost…you are not my kind of person” while “you are over qualified” means I’d rather jump over the moon than hire you”.

Has then our fear of being considered judgemental resulted in an aversion to facing unpleasant truths? What would be the business cost if we only made positive judgements? Perhaps this is why our society is so litigious – Do we rely on legislation, rules and process to make negative choices for us? It is assumed that everyone is talented, intelligent and loaded with potential and should be invited into whatever role whatever the actual level of suitability. Then, when non-performance, compliance or outright failure occurs, we look to set process, lawyers and courts to remedy what should not have happened!

I often find it is the more intuitive, risk-taking and direct people who are labelled as judgemental. Similarly people with strongly articulated opinions are considered arrogant and overbearing, when in fact they are merely voicing well thought out rationales for sound decision making. There is a difference between being tactless and being judgemental. This distinction has somehow been lost. Any disagreement is apt to be seen through a lens of uncooperativeness, intolerance, or hostility.

Political correctness protects the feelings of others. This is a good thing and should not be confused with making good business choices. This is where the true danger lies. It is dangerous, and a waste of talent, to confuse opinion, or judgement, with the kind of blowhard tactics of those who find fault in everything and condemn not only the issue but the person. For example, if a certain position calls for ongoing accuracy and precision, it cannot be given to a maladroit, unfocused and unskilled person. Similarly if a high benchmark is sought, whatever does not meet the required standard should be rejected. These judgement calls, more often than not, unfairly provoke the reaction: “You don’t know me…You have no right to say I am not suited for this” or worse “Who are you to say I am not qualified/suited for this?” I cannot help but think of the fascination so many have with Simon Cowell. Does he voice the sort of thing we would love to be able to say ourselves?

We all, openly or clandestinely, make positive and negative judgments. Good business decisions depend on this innate human ability. Pretending we are not judgemental will lead to costly time-wasting, inefficiency and hopeless clutter. Perhaps the simplest guideline is to clear up the difference in our own minds between evaluation/judgment and gratuitous bigotry/condemnation!

New Year Message from Rodger Harding

admin — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:54:00 -0700

Dear Clients & Friends,

Since I first started the operation of Harding International & Associates Inc., I have often been asked why I don’t consider trimming, rather than growing, the array of services on offer to better develop a more distinctive brand. Ten years on I am glad I trusted my instincts. The changing requirements of clients have dictated the expansion of our services. Looking back, I have also noticed that client program hiring patterns closely match the sequential business progression of any organizational operation:

Corporate Intelligence Awareness investigates economic, industry, competitor and product realities to ensure effective Competitive/Strategic Planning
Leadership Enhancement explores the ability, creativity and willingness to meet market demands and drive innovation
Collaborative Management, Negotiation, Team-Building, Conflict Management, Problem-Solving and Effective Communication support organizational leadership by securing full/effective employee contribution
Risk, Change, Performance & Project Management initiatives ensure sustainable viability in time of crisis/innovation/chaos
Presentation, Etiquette & Business Writing/Report Writing, facilitate internal external communication excellence as well as the important representational factor of every member of the organization
Mentoring/Coaching & Career Development/Transition modules assist individuals/teams in all aspects fully investing their innate/learned ability

Underpinning all my program development and delivery is the unshakeable belief that organizations and individuals should strive to deploy their unique ability and experience to meet their own aspirations. I am persuaded that it is this single factor that decides whether or not I establish the all important client/vendor fit. In a good client relationship, I find I not only enjoyably utilize all my ability, but continue to evolve on both professional and personal levels.

The sustainability of service and surviving the vicissitudes of running a boutiquish operation would not be possible without those of you who request our services, ask for proposals, share information, send articles, meet for a chat and, most importantly, who have given so generously of yourselves over the years. Although we might not always meet frequently my gratitude for your support, insight, collegiality and friendship is ongoing. You allow me to find unbelievable fulfillment in what I do!

My very best wishes for a happy, safe & prosperous 2008! I look forward to renewed contact throughout the year!

Warm regards,

Rodger

Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) Members: Leaders of the Digital Revolution

admin — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:59:00 -0700

The following is a related interview with Richard Cloutier on Radio CJOB Winnipeg:

[mp3:Record.mp3]

The month of November sees a nine-chapter nationwide roll-out of the Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) Navigating Your Career in a Digital World Program. The events are designed to provide members with a realistic overview of how to transfer, refine and enhance existing career competencies from traditional to relevant and emerging roles in a changing and redefined industry.

With preparations in full swing, I cannot help but reflect on the distinct excellence of the hundreds of CWC women I have encountered over the last five years. Through my involvement inthe CWC Mentorship Program as well as the delivery of a One-to-One Career Excellence Validation Program, I have found an overwhelming majority of the members have the rare quality that I call the Analytical/Creative Mix. This competency enables the simultaneous juggle of the detail and accuracy of known frameworks with an exploration of innovative solution providing and problem solving. Simply put, these women seem to have an innate and awe- inspiring change management capacity that brings order to chaos and calm to crisis.

Without doubt, they have the ability to embrace uncertainty and boldly adapt to the changes that Digital Technology brings to the traditional communications industry. I see women who acknowledge their vulnerability and more importantly that of others. This single Leadership factor, that inspires others to move forward despite unbidden fear, is critical if change is to be effectively managed. I am excited at the prospect of the awareness the November events will awaken. I have no doubt that participants will emerge with a renewed sense of individual and team ability as well as the digital role they may choose to play in the months and years to come. They will create a ripple effect that will, across the board, raise levels of excitement at the prospect of redeploying innate and learned competencies together with existing experience in changing industry scenarios. To find out more about the CWC, visit

Canadian Women in Communications

Tenth Anniversary Review

admin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:19:00 -0700

Dear Clients & Friends,

Harding International & Associates Inc. opened its doors ten years ago. Exhilarated by my role in launching and directing the challenging initiative that enabled government officials to present the New South Africa to the world, I was inspired to open a consultancy that would utilize my legal and diplomatic background to successfully assist in the difficult task of fully marrying individual/team talent and expertise to greater organizational objectives/goals. A decade and several thousand consultations, seminars and speaking engagements later, I am strengthened in my vision that this may be accomplished to great advantage by accommodating people who want to be what they are rather than what others expect them to be.

Interestingly my original mission statement holds true to this day. I was not interested in growing a vast company with teams of people that needed to be managed, but rather in providing clients with a hands-on, customized and personal service that ensures residual value. This approach has attracted a diverse, yet like-minded core client base. New clients are as a result of referrals or when individuals move on to different organizations. I am deeply grateful for this, as selling is perhaps the most time consuming and challenging aspect of the job.

My own evolution mirrors that of the business. Sustaining the operation has been an exciting adventure that has fully brought to life resources that I did not know I had. Intrinsically I considered myself a creative person with little time for detail and process. This was especially so as prior employ had always provided an existing structure that allowed me to pursue what I considered to be the more important issues. Looking back, I have a distinct feeling of satisfaction at the administrative, technical and business acumen that I have developed without sacrificing spontaneity, originality or my strong sense of professional individuality. In client scenarios and in my own life, I am more and more conscious that we often have to pay prices for the choices we make. I believe making trade-offs and choices should be a normal part of the process of being true to who we really are. Encouraging this consciousness has become the key message of all my consulting and training initiatives.

Conflict Management, Strategic Communication, Leadership, Team-building & Presentation Skill Enhancement were the stalwart services of the early years. Career & Outplacement Counseling was added as a direct outflow from relationships built in client organizations. In 2002 our Corporate Intelligence Awareness Program evolved in direct response to corporate requirement to factor future uncertainty into planning, strategy and marketing initiatives. This is my favorite activity as it enables the contribution of every employee or team member in the competitive evolution of any organization.

My book Corporate Intelligence Awareness, Securing the Competitive Edge, published in November 2006 generated sufficient client interest and media attention to establish this program as a permanent service. In turn, delivery of the program has resulted in the increased demand for our Leadership, Negotiation, Strategic Communication, Relationship Building & Writing Modules, effectively bringing our service deployment full circle.

Words cannot express my gratitude to clients and friends for their support and encouragement over the last 10 years. I can honestly say that you have enabled me to reach a degree of fulfillment that I did not believe possible. I look forward to keeping in touch in the same spirit of collegiality in the years to come.

Warm regards,

Rodger

News: Canadian Achievers

admin — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:58:00 -0700

Rodger Harding featured as a Canadian Achiever

Rodger Harding was delighted to be featured as a Canadian Achiever.

Dick Drew writes contemporary stories of living Canadian Achievers - To read "Canada's Enthusiastic Immigrant" please visit:

Canadian Achievers

Seminar: Project Management Institute

admin — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:48:00 -0700

Southern Ontario Chapter
PMI-SOC Breakfast Meeting

On Tuesday, November 13, 2007 Rodger Harding has been invited to discuss Corporate Intelligence from a Project Management perspective.

The presentation will be entitled:

The Project Management Team, the Eyes & Ears of an Organization

Content will include:

Intelligence Gathering VS Espionage
Unnecessary sharing of information - What walks out the door
Information Gaps - What the organization needs to know
Establishing Client Confidence - The Human Factor in Information Gathering
Negotiation: Overcoming resistance – Ensuring relevance to decision-makers
Measurable Communication Success – Effective delivery techniques - An awareness of personal/team/company intelligence impact on others

For more information on the event visit:

http://www.soc.pmi.on.ca/cde.cfm?event=179233