Casual Articles - Business

The Fuss about Non-Disclosure-Agreements(NDA)
Suppose you have a technology company and a technology (which may be a trade secret or in the stage of patenting), you need to meet an investor (whether it’s a venture capitalist or business angel). How do you protect yourself from the investor stealing the idea? A partial solution is the use of a legal document called the Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA). What does this agreement entails? Notice that I use the word partial, because not all investors like NDAs. I will discuss the possible situations where it may be or may not be appropriate to use it and provide a template for those in Singapore who might need it.In short, A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), is a legal contract between at least two parties which outlines confidential materials or knowledge the parties wish to share with one an

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In Tokyo, I conducted my workshop in English and it was translated - or more accurately, interpreted - into Japanese. I learned that in Japanese there is no word for "you" that is not offensive. If I'm going to test out an inference I'm making about you (and your surname is Teramura) , it would roughly be translated as, "Mr. Schwarz is inferring that Ms. Teramura thinks that Mr. Schwarz will be late delivering the report. Is Mr. Schwarz thinking correctly?" I know the difference between the languages reflects deeper cultural differences; I'm just not sure yet what this example reflects. What do you think?

I also learned that, in Japan, if I'm testing an inference about you, it's "helpful" to frame it in a way that suggests that I was not so clever to thi

Marketing Your Business Opportunity Online - How Do I Adapt To The Internet?
The way we market business opportunities is changing rapidly. From VOIP, video conferencing, email support, telephone answering services, and of course… the almighty Internet. As small business owners, we are faced with hundreds of decisions our elders never had to contend with.Some keep hearing from other home business opportunity associates that Internet marketing is the greatest method of increasing business and building a foundation for repeat customers. The only problem is that you may be a beginner and have just learned how to send emails, let alone learning about SEO, web design strategies, content analysis, auto responders, pay per click, ROI, etc.The question is do you hire a Internet marketing company or do you learn how to do it yourself?Inv

It was a noble effort, even if I was naive. Last week I returned from a thirty-day trip to Germany, China, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. In each country, I led Skilled Facilitator workshops. Some of you reading this participated in these workshops.

For years, my clients have asked, "What do people outside the United States think about The Skilled Facilitator approach? Can it work in Europe and Asia, especially given the emphasis on saving face? How?" I set out on my trip, naively thinking that I could come back with ready answers. I have begun to form some answers; but mostly, I have developed more questions. If I have learned anything on the trip, it's that the issue of using the Skilled Facilitator approach in different cultures is a complex one. Mastering this topic in a one-month trip is about as realistic as expecting to master the approach itself in one month.

In this column, I'll share some of the things that my clients shared with me and that made an impression on me. In future columns, I'll share some of the implications for using the Skilled Facilitator approach in different cultures.

First, people in every country I visited have been using the Skilled Facilitator approach to guide their work. This may not be a surprise to you, but it was to me. There is a dedicated group of people in each country who are using the approach to inform their work, as facilitator, consultants, coaches, and leaders.

People from every country had concerns about using the Skilled Facilitator approach; almost all of these concerns were similar in kind (if not intensity) to the concerns my United States' clients express. Although participants in every country didn't name "saving face" as a potential barrier to using the approach, participants in every country did use face saving strategies.

In Europe, a participant who works in Eastern European countries impressed on me that when citizens in these nations used to share relevant information, sometimes they faced prison terms or worse. (This was similar to a comment my colleague Anne Davidson heard from our clients in the former Soviet Union). Fortunately, the other European participants in this workshop did not share this experience.

Participants in China, Singapore, and Japan talked openly about the need to save face and at the same time how saving face creates problems. In one of my conversations in Tokyo, a colleague told me that because Japan is such a homogenous nation, managers expected that their direct reports are able to correctly make inferences without testing them out. When I asked if this worked, she told me that it created problems. Making a gross generalization, among my workshops in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Singapore, my impression is that the issue of saving face was less an issue in Singapore. I don't know whether this was a function of the particular people in the workshop, my impression that Singaporeans seem to think of themselves as more Western than the others, or something else. Those of you with experience in Singapore and China and Japan: What are your thoughts?

I also learned that, in Japan, if I'm testing an inference about you, it's "helpful" to frame it in a way that suggests that I was not so clever to thin

Eliminate Painful Meetings
I remember being interviewed by a writer for an article about effective meetings that was to appear in a national magazine. The writer began the interview by saying, “I don’t want any of the old standard tips; I want new tips.”I replied, “Well, people wouldn’t need new tips if they used the old tips.” This isn’t what the writer wanted to hear, nor is this what many of us want to hear, but this is the truth. If we used what we already know, we could avoid a lot of problems -- including unproductive meetings.Have you ever sat through a meeting only to realize that the real issues were being discussed outside the meeting? Have you ever attended a meeting and asked yourself what the point was?Many organizations experience what I like to call the “soap opera effect” -- you go to one

Mastering this topic in a one-month trip is about as realistic as expecting to master the approach itself in one month.

I also learned that, in Japan, if I'm testing an inference about you, it's "helpful" to frame it in a way that suggests that I was not so clever to thi

Escape Planning - Using Fire Exits To Get Out Safely
Fire exits should be strategically located, with an outward opening door that has a crash bar and outward leading signs on it. Knowing where to find the emergency exits in a building that you frequent can save your life. Inward opening, rotating and sliding doors are unacceptable for use as fire exits, as they might need to be fixed open using a latch or chain if the door is needed as an exit route.In the UK, one exit is satisfactory for buildings where no more than 60 people work, as long as that the building is on the ground floor level only. The outsides of fire exits need to be kept clear and marked with a suitable keep clear sign. Whenever the building is in use, the exits should be well lit by normal mains lighting. Once your workplace follows a course of scheduled assessment, unsafe co

all of these concerns were similar in kind (if not intensity) to the concerns my United States' clients express. Although participants in every country didn't name "saving face" as a potential barrier to using the approach, participants in every country did use face saving strategies.

I also learned that, in Japan, if I'm testing an inference about you, it's "helpful" to frame it in a way that suggests that I was not so clever to thi

RFID Technology Simplifies Distribution
Toronto, ON, Nov, 2006 - There are many applications for how RFID systems help manufacturers and warehouse operations; these applications can be as unique as the enterprise they help. However, there are some common areas in these industries related to their logistics of getting the finished product to the customer or to another distribution center. Bottlenecking of the goods at the shipping door has implications on the costs to ship goods, lowers revenues when there are fewer shipped goods to bill and puts a drag on productivity gains you have made in other areas of the enterprise.As product moves onto pallets, cases, boxes or whatever the means of preparing it for shipment, an RFID tag is read that is attached to the pallet, as an example. With the appropriate applications software, then all

ace and at the same time how saving face creates problems. In one of my conversations in Tokyo, a colleague told me that because Japan is such a homogenous nation, managers expected that their direct reports are able to correctly make inferences without testing them out. When I asked if this worked, she told me that it created problems. Making a gross generalization, among my workshops in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Singapore, my impression is that the issue of saving face was less an issue in Singapore. I don't know whether this was a function of the particular people in the workshop, my impression that Singaporeans seem to think of themselves as more Western than the others, or something else. Those of you with experience in Singapore and China and Japan: What are your thoughts?

I also learned that, in Japan, if I'm testing an inference about you, it's "helpful" to frame it in a way that suggests that I was not so clever to thi

9 Winter Driving Tips for Truckers
There are no secrets when it comes to winter driving. If there's ice on the road, it's dangerous. The big truck flying past you at 55 mph when everyone else is crawling along at 15 or 20 mph doesn't have the inside track on the winter roadways. You're liable to see him in the median a few miles up the road.If you're driving on ice, you won't know it until you need to stop. It doesn't matter if you're in a sedan, a 4-wheel drive or a big rig: brakes are the great equalizer.Tip #1 Ice on your windshield means ice on the road.The ice doesn't have to be packed up on the roadway to be dangerous- a thin sheet of ice can develop quickly into a thick problem.Tip # 2 Keep an eye on the temperature.Water freezes at 32 degrees. The roadways t

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I also learned that, in Japan, if I'm testing an inference about you, it's "helpful" to frame it in a way that suggests that I was not so clever to think about this, but that you were the one to think of what I'm saying. This is one of the many ways that people show humility and respect to others. I still don't understand how you do this if you are the one testing the inference; but then I realize that my thinking is limited to both the English language and the frames associated with it. In Japanese, it may be relatively simple. Japanese colleagues: please help me understand how you accomplish this.

One of my biggest surprises came in Australia (and was reinforced in New Zealand), when participants told me that Australians are reluctant to give positive feedback. They called it "tall poppy syndrome": those who receive feedback stand up tall only to get cut down like the tall poppies growing in the field. When I asked where this notion originated, several participants told me that most Australians today were descended from convicts (the British sent their prisoners there), and people did not like the idea of others acting above their station. I'm not certain whether the motivation to withhold positive feedback is to protect people from being subsequently being "cut down" or because they do not want people to feel better than others. Australian colleagues: please help clarify this.

In almost every workshop, I asked participants if they could use some elements of the approach in their work, and if they could adapt it effectively to use within their culture. Almost all participants thought they could even though the approach was countercultural. What I took from this is that people believe it was possible to honor the core values and principles of the approach even as they adapt it to their particular cultural context. For example, in Tokyo, one participant told me that he believed it was possible to test inferences directly with a superior as long as he could convey the respect he had for the other person and could also convey his pure intent for testing the inference. To me, this seems like a combination of compassion and transparency. Still, I don't want to mislead you; the issue of saving face and protecting others does have a cultural layer in the Asian countries I visited that is not present to the same degree in the United States.

I had many more experiences, which I'll continue to share in future columns. I just wanted to give you some initial impressions. What are your reactions or own experiences about this? Please join our conversation at the Mutual Learning Action Group on using the Skilled Facilitator approach in Asian cultures.

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