What other tips can you add to the list.

Cheers!

Shirley

Now I have read many reviews regarding their participation in the Olympics.Talk about pendulum swings! There have been reviews that have hailed a new day for women because Saudi Arabia “let “ two females enter the Olympics and on the other end of that “pendulum swing”, there have been reviews that totally refused to acknowledge the occasion claiming that it is a token meaningless gesture (quite a giggle really considering that just the act of commenting on the news in essence acknowledges the participation). In this post, I have chosen to focus on the person, or persons, in this case. In order to do that and to truly begin to appreciate the journey of these young ladies (teenagers), we need to add the context of their environment. Their country.

Culture

In Saudi Arabia women and girls are banned from practicing sports this includes in colleges and schools. Actually, there are many daily activities that are taken for granted in my world that are not permitted in Saudi Arabia. Many in Saudi Arabia considered the participation of Sarah and Wojdan as disrespectful to their country’s traditions and values and have rejected their  participation in the event. In fact, what is perhaps not widely known is that with the new guidelines introduced by the IOC after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, if Saudi Arabian women were not allowed to participate in London2012,  the country would have been prohibited from sending teams to future Games.

Training

Whereas many Olympian athletes trained for years preparing for the event, Sarah and Wojdan were given only two weeks to prepare. In fact, the only thing they received from their country were uniforms emblazoned with the Saudi logo on the back and chest. Furthermore, Sarah has US citizenship and did her  training in the USA .Wojdan on the other hand (as far as I understand) had never been outside her country or performed in front of a large crowd until the Olympics. Now that takes courage on any level.

Saudi Arabian Media Coverage

These young ladies have been subjected to less than complimentary personal attacks as a result of their participation. Their morals have been called into question; morals that have been called lose by many in Saudi Arabia. Most of the Saudi Arabian media outlets avoided covering the female athlete’s performance, choosing to focus on the Saudi equestrian show-jumping team, led by Prince Abdullah al Saud. The few media outlets that did cover them, like the Saudi Gazette, faced strong criticism.

So what does this mean to these young female athletes? Recognized as token gestures by some, hailed as a symbol of change by others.

Wojdan Shahrkhani

Sarah Attar

Although the act of putting someone forward to represent an organization, or country, with little preparation for that person to succeed is known as tokenism, the person who has to “live” that label has to deal with the consequences and stigma of that label. For that very reason, I tend to cringe at the word knowing how much work and conflict that person has to overcome. Although there may be a short-lived feeling of elation for at least being counted, behind the scenes this person has to deal with the reality of not being accepted by the majority of their country or organization. They will have to confront a heighten level of resistance and conflict as they continue their often lonely rally for social change and acceptance. History has shown that change is a long journey that starts with a special person taking that first single step.

As I reflect, I ask the question. “How many leaders have the inner strength to take the first step in the name of change?” To take that first step, knowing that they will most likely lose the first “race”. Knowing that they will have to confront major conflict back in their organization or country. Knowing that they do not have the training or experience  to win in the beginning of their journey but will  take the first step alone, knowing it is the right thing to do if they are to change the culture and direction of their organization or country. Very few. Even though many know it is the right thing to do, the two questions  that I often hear are 1) Who else has done this? 2) What are the numbers ie the value?  The reality is that  there are times  when you cannot answer these questions; you just know it is the right thing to do. It takes a “token” ~ a pioneer, an inner strength to go forward.

Sarah Attar crossed the finish line almost a full lap behind her competitors. My heart swelled with the reaction of the crowd. They cheered her every step of the way. For Sarah and Wojdan, this was not a sport to win a medal, this was a sport where their presence signifies the beginning of a race. Their presence created a slight crack in an age-old system that one day will be eroded to embrace change for another time.

My thoughts are with them, as the lights of the Olympics will not burn for another four years and they are left to  face their critics and  the consequences of being present back in their homeland. Yes, I am definitely inspired by these young ladies.

Thanks for popping by to read my perspective. As always, would really like to hear yours.

Shirley.

Related articles

• chaz2b: Saudi Arabian girl an unlikely Olympic hero | The Seattle Times (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Saudi female athletes: Heroes in London, ‘prostitutes of the Olympics’ at home (rt.com)
• Wojdan Shaherkani, first Saudi Arabian woman to compete in Olympics, loses in 82 seconds (washingtonpost.com)
• These Photos Are of the First Female, Saudi Arabian Olympians in History (theatlantic.com)

“Inspire a Generation.”

Having been fortunate enough to be in London at the time of the Olympics, I think it is fair to say, you were inspired regardless of the generation you belonged to.  Although it seems that the fever of the games was contagious, it was some of the life stories that overlaid some of the athletes that truly inspired and moved me.

London2012 is being hailed as one of the best for female athletes given it was the first time every Nation had a female athlete to represent them. An important milestone indeed. So for that reason, I have decided to write a handful of posts on those female athletes that inspired me and I am calling these posts “My London2012 Inspired Take-Aways.”

As there seems to be a lot of discussion in the media on the topic of a woman’s hair lately, I have decided to kick-off with Joanna Rowsell.

Without a doubt when Joanna Rowsell stood on th podium to collect her gold medal for cycling at the Olympics, sporting her bald head got as much attention as her gold medal. Without a doubt, you could not miss the glow of pride in her accomplishment , as well as the pride she extruded  in who she is and what she represented.  LOVED IT!

Now I have since learned that this proud and brave act was a result of a hard life journey. Joanna Rowsell suffers from alopecia; an auto-immune disease that results in hair loss. Joanna lost her hair at the age of 11 which resulted in Joanna being  very shy as a child and spending most of her time at home away from other children.

Alienated by her condition, she was drawn to her studies as a place where she could compete and be accepted in society. She became an A-student.  Joanna has shared:

‘Working hard was the only thing that stopped me from worrying about the future, about whether I would get a boyfriend or how I would face getting a job with strangers.

‘Then cycling came along and I applied the same work ethic. I worked through any worries I had about my hair and I focused solely on that. It made me who I am.’

So why am I inspired by a bald woman receiving a medal?

Well, Joanna’s  journey included a period of isolation due to being different. She did not fit. So she poured her energy and focus elsewhere to ensure a hopeful future and a reason why the world should not count her out. I think many can relate to this. Being different can be a lonely journey. So hearing this story provides hope to those who are struggling by being atypical.

Secondly, she came to a point in her life where she stood on the world stage and by that one-act said to the world “This is who I am”. The authentically of that act resonated with so many including myself. Quite frankly it elevated her medal from gold to platinum in my books.

Getting to the point of knowing who you are and taking pride in your person, is a key step before confidence can be gained. It is also key to being authentic both in your personal and professional life.

Society has a way of  belittling  your natural image especially if it not aligned to what mainstream media suggest is acceptable or beautiful.  So people like Joanna become role models by breaking the rules of what is considered acceptable  while driving to succeed and bringing a sense of reality to us.

Love Joanna’s story. Love the message.

Take pride in being yourself.

Do you have a similar experience you can share? Would love to hear it.

In the interim, I am going to work on my next story. Stay tuned.

Cheers

Shirley

Related articles

• Bald and bold (theage.com.au)
• Joanna Rowsell, who suffers from alopecia, on why she refused to wear a wig to accept her gold medal (dailymail.co.uk)
• Joanna Rowsell credits her gold medal success to best friend and fellow Olympian Lizzie Armitstead (dailymail.co.uk)

Well, I have returned from my home country, England! Yes, I was there for the Olympics (which is the reason why it has been a little quiet on my blog). I also took the opportunity to go down memory lane and just savor the delights and offerings of London and the country. So why am I sharing this? Well the city has changed so much on so many levels over the past few decades. The one change I want to bring to your attention, is the one of people.

Even though we are in the year 2012, there is still this mis-guided notion of the make-up of England. The Brits are not made up of white men in bowler hats. Okay, I am being a little extreme but I must say, as I sport my braids and obvious black frame in North America, a significant number of people are still surprised when they meet me for the first time regarding my British accent and place of origin. Seriously.

In business, we often talk about globalization as it relates to a product or service with little thought to the changing demographics of the people in many of those countries. The reality is, people are travelling and immigrating like never before in our history.   My own parents were enticed to the UK as part of the post World War II labor need  to rebuild the country. War, change in government are common reasons for immigration and with the ease of travel and immigration, it has meant a cross-fertilization of cultures and people.  The past 40 years have seen a significant movement of people across the globe.

To make my point, here is a one minute video-clip of an East–end market in London to demonstrate this diversity.

Video link: Diversity in EastEnd London England

You will note that this English market is very vibrant which is true of any English market. You will also note how diverse it is!  Black, White, Brown… all shades and all colours. A variety of different cultural clothing and makeup.  The Londoner is no longer made up of a homogeneous race divided just by class. It is a living mosaic.

Other countries are also increasing their cultural mosaic. Once again, I would like to draw on my own background to make this point. Trinidad has a significant Indian population. Jamaica has a large Chinese demographic. Canada is known for its many cultures.

As leaders and travellers, it is so important to do your homework. Engage with people who have lived in the countries you will be visiting; read the daily news to get a sense of the people and current issues the country is facing. Get beyond the stereotypes. Get a handle on the real nature of the country. Countries and cultures evolve, so make sure you are current in  your thinking in order to make the most of your visit.

I would love to hear your experience. Do share.

Shirley

Some cultures expect that meetings should be formal, They see the meeting as a key management tool for debate and a place for decision-making. Other cultures expect that meetings should be mostly informal and unstructured with a focus on relationship building.

Now overlay this with different organizational cultures!

As a result, clarifying meeting expectations, approach and norms before a meeting especially if you are conducting a meeting with representatives from different countries, is so important. There are three major areas where cultural differences have an impact on expectations of the meeting purpose:

1. Tasks vs. Relationships

In a relationship-oriented culture the relationship needs to be strong before the task can be accomplished. Task-oriented cultures  have a tendency to ignore relationship issues in their quest to get the task done. What is important to understand is that the task  is important in both cultures and hence does occur in both cultures. What is different is that the tasks start at different points. Therefore when faced with these different “values” especially with different cultures, it is important to have time to establish some level of relationship before launching into tasks, negotiations or new business.

2. Informal vs Formal

In some cultures meetings are formal and structured – roles and responsibilities are well-defined and it is expected that an outcome will be achieved by the end of the meeting. However in other cultures meetings are more informal and “free-flowing”. As a result, again it is really important to discuss the expectations and your intent of the meeting at the beginning of your meeting.

3. Information synthesis vs. Information exchange

Now this is an important point to really understand. Some cultures see meetings to synthesize information so that you can attain a decision within the meeting. However, some cultures see meetings in a total opposite way- they see meetings to exchange information and the decision is often made outside the meeting. Again, you can see why it is so important to voice or make visible the meeting intent before the meeting.

So next time you are conducting a meeting, not only should you think about the meeting purpose but  you should also think about the cultural nature of your participants.

Thank you for visiting. I would love to hear from you  and your experience.  Do encourage others to join in and share.

Shirley

Photo by Funchye

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Anyone who has worked with me, or has crossed my path, will immediately experience my energy, drive and passion for getting the job done- on time. No, this is not a self- promotion piece. It is fact. The reason I share this is because my roots are Caribbean however British born and have worked in North America for over 30 years…. and have a perspective on “time”.

I made my first trip to Trinidad in my 20s. I walked, talked and did nearly everything faster than everyone else on this Island. I have a tendency to run my life by the “C” word.

The Clock.

Punctuality and time is very much part of what I do, how I live and is part of what defines me. Now dare I say it; these characteristics are not so much a priority in the Caribbean.

I was a totally anomaly to my extended relations on the Islands where time is an indicator, not a means to plan one’s day or even week. In my experience, the pace is much slower; people put more emphasis on the journey versus the destination. Not a cliché – they really do. A trip to the market would take all day. Why? Well how can you possibly walk to the market and not say hello to every person along the way? And when you arrive at the market , the appointment you made may no-longer be important and the produce you had ventured to get -is now sold out. No problem. You can just repeat the entire process and journey the next day. Perplexing to someone like myself; Normal to my related Islanders.

So what has all this got to do with leadership? Well, culture has a lot to do with how we see and relate to time. Let me expand.

In many cultures, timeliness is not of great concern and in others, being late could be internalized as being disrespectful. In Germany and North America, for example, one normally schedules a meeting for a specific time. Arriving late would not go down well in these countries. But in some countries such as in Central and South America, Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere, some delay is to be expected.

In some cultures, time is to be managed as if it was a limited resource. In others, not so much~ it is a limitless resource, a constant that is always there where managing it, would be thought of as on the borderline of being futile. Why manage something, where you have no control and is infinitely there?

So what does that mean? In cultures where time is seen as a limited resource, punctuality becomes a virtue and so it is seen as  disrespectful to waste someone’s time. These countries are often referred to having a monochron culture ( sequential tasks, on time, a ridge and structured time-sense). In cultures where time is seen as limitless such as in the Caribbean, India and parts of South America, making people wait is a way of life. The journey is far more important. These countries are referred to having a polychron culture (multiple tasks at any given time – time is an indicator not a dictator – a very flexible and a more relaxed-view point of time).

Polychron cultures tend to rely on trust to do business. Monochron cultures, where time is seen as limited, don’t have time to develop trust and so create other methods to replace trust ( or at least they think) such as long contracts and meticulous laws. Because of the way polychrons see time, they are often late as they don’t see exact times and dates as being  really meaningful or important. Whereas monochron cultures, time is everything. Time is money.

Of course these are extreme definitions. However, with this knowledge, you can immediately seen potential conflict with these two very different values as it relates to time. I have attached two interesting posts by Harley Hanh (Time Sense. Polychronicity and Monchronicity) and Hans Bool (Time Sence and Culture) that describes scenarios in the workplace and at home where the two views can easily be at odds at each other.

Now, I believe we are somewhat products of our environment. I personally can relate to both cultures. I tend to juggle many, many interesting tasks at any given time ( polychonic) however driven by the clock which is dictated by my birth country and having lived in North America for 30 years (monochronic). As I reflect on my first visit to Trinidad, I totally understand why I presented such a curiosity to my relations and vice versa! LOL!

So perhaps it is not punctuality that is a leadership characteristic. Perhaps it is more what you do within the time, that reflects leadership qualities that counts?

What do you think?

Let me know.

Thanks for stopping by!

Shirley

Photo byĐāżŦ

Related articles

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So that is why  I ask the question, “As leaders, are we really sure what we are conveying with our gestures?”

I recall a contract I was working on where I had the role to assess an organization’s readiness for an enterprise system implementation. The senior management for the most part were from North America. Middle management and most of the employee base ( about 80-90% ) were Asian. In fact, new immigrants to Canada. In a session of reviewing the orgnaization’s performance, the senior management was totally animated. Arms, hands flapping and pointing- pleading for feedback from their employees. The pleads were sincere however totally ineffective.

In fact the more animated the pleads, the more withdrawn the employees became.

The reasons were so obvious to me and yet perplexing for so many in the room.

Culture, my friends. Values, protocols totally mis-aligned and consequently ineffective motivators.

Gestures are taboo in many Asian countries. Depending on that gesture it could be perceived as being totally disrespectful. Needless to say, gestures such as pointing, especially with the index finger, are taboo although directing with the full hand is usually acceptable.

Using the left hand for any public purpose usually is unacceptable in many Middle Eastern countries.

Another good example is the gesture below.

In a brief post on cultural differences, they do a good summary of the use of the North American O.K. sign in different cultures.

In Brazil, Germany, Russia, Denmark, Italy and Guatemala

• This sign is an insult! (post publication: my readers have shared it is not really an insult in Germany and Italy- good to know)

In Japan

• This gesture stands for coins and money.  So you need to watch your gestures  in Japan in that it could be  misinterpreted as requesting a bribe when making a transaction! So if you are feeling good about a transaction, you are better off saying so and not using this sign.

UK and US

• It means O.K.  An approval or a feel good sign.

So as a leader, if you find that you are being ineffective in certain situations you may want to do a “mental replay” of a meeting or incidence to better understand what could have been the reason. Take a closer look at your own body language and animation.

….And be careful on how you wave your hands around! LOL!

Cheers!

Shirley

Related articles

• Global Leadership: How Much Skin Is Enough? (williampearl.wordpress.com)
• Interesting Cultural Difference (DITTO Translation Agency)
• Talk With Your Hands

Photo by aussiegall (great pics)