The World is shrinking, Culture is important.

The Manila Diaries

The World is shrinking – Culture is important.

19 December 2012

84 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly cloudy, Humidity 75%

As we wind down the year, I reflect on what seems to have been an eventful time.  I began the year living and working in London and am finishing the year living and working in Manila.  I have been here for 7 months now.  How quickly events come to pass.

I thought I would reflect on my last 2 months which have been the most interesting for me from a work / business point of view.

I joined the main faculty of the Asian Institute of Management on 1^st October, 2012 and am still finding my way around being part of a new organization and their way of working.  Some of the highlights for me have been:

·         Realising and experiencing the true meaning and effect of culture on business and everyday life through total immersion.  Hofstede’s work on cultural dimensions is proving invaluable as a Brit, living in the Philippines and delivering programs across a variety of Asian countries.

·         Delivering ‘People Development’ modules on AIM’s MBA program and appreciating at first-hand the differences that exist between Western and Eastern values.

·         To have had an opportunity to travel to India to be part of a team working with a large US owned financial company that has operations there and to be struck by the enthusiasm and passion for learning shown by all the participants.

·         To be invited to be part of a group at AIM whose objective is to research and develop leadership concepts and frameworks that are specifically relevant for leaders and managers in Asia. 

·         To be collaborating with an AIM colleague on a research paper that is looking at personality and social media connections and to have had that paper accepted for presentation at a conference in Japan early next year.

I continue to support the UK Operations of Level Seven where appropriate, particularly around our innovation diagnostic framework (the LID™) and to look for consultancy opportunities for Level Seven here in Asia.  Partnerships, connections and collaboration seem to be at the heart of doing business here, of course, not that different from doing business in the UK except a cultural lens needs to be applied!

With good wishes to all for success and lasting friendships in the coming year.

Maligayang Pasko Po!

Signing off for now.

Our correspondent in Manila

 

 

The Manila Diaries

Same challenges, different contexts

20 September 2012

30 Degrees Centigrade; Humidity: 70%; Mostly cloudy

It’s been a while since I wrote for our blog and am sorry I have not been able to maintain the weekly discipline.  But I am feeling I have something more worthwhile to say about my life here in Asia.  Whilst I have met some lovely people in a social context, I have been yearning to get back to a more fulfilling role within a working / business context.

I am at last happy and pleased to announce that I will be joining the full-time faculty of the Asian Institute of Management or AIM (www.aim.edu) a respected Graduate Business School as an Associate Professor here in Manila, Philippines with effect from 1^st October 2012.  I am still very much involved with Level Seven  (www.level7live.com) back in the UK which is being superbly managed by my business partner Dorothy and a team of valued associates and am hoping that opportunities will present themselves for joint ventures between these two organisations in the future.

Asia is becoming a vibrant place for business to flourish both for local Asian businesses as well as international companies.  In fact the CIPD (www.Cipd.co.uk) has recently published a survey that focuses on Learning, Talent and Innovation in Asia.  Some of the key findings of the report include:

·         Talent Development is buoyant and focuses on retaining key staff, developing high-potentials and growing future senior managers and leaders.

·         A high proportion of Asian countries believe they will be a net exporter of talent in the future which could result in skills shortages.

·         Coaching and mentoring appear to be popular strategies for developing managers and raising skills generally.

·         Leadership skills are critical for leading and managing change.

·         Innovation and creativity also appear to be critical for business success but implementing innovation strategies is being hampered due to a lack of resources.

If you are reading this in the UK you may well agree that the above findings resonate with the challenges your organisation is facing.  So, worldwide we have similar issues but the context in which those issues occur is different, specifically the context of national and local cultures.

I am looking forward to embracing my role at AIM and the learning I will gain from working within a truly multi-cultural organisation.  Will starting a new job in Manila bring the same challenges as starting a new job in the UK?  I will be happy to share my insights with you as this aspect of my life progresses.

Your correspondent in Manila

 

 

It's Team Time!

At a time when the Olympic Games are all pervading, our thoughts have turned to team working. It’s captivating to watch our athletes working together, striving for peak performance. How do they really perceive the balance between the euphoria of winning and the pride in taking part? To a large extent this will depend on the original goal - whether medals are a realistic prospect or not and how participants are then able to learn from their performance and take positives into the longer term from short term disappointment. Transposing this line of thinking into organisational life, the euphoria of winning equates with achieving stretching team goals that bring rewards for the team and help make the organisation successful. Pride in taking part resonates with the strong relationships that can endure longer term and pride in the company and employer brand.    

Looking at our Level Seven ‘7 Steps to Effective Team Work’ (http://bit.ly/QdOhsP) in the context of the Olympics, they are clearly relevant to sport as well as to business. 

Here are our thoughts – let us know what you think:

Step 1 – Create a common sense of purpose -  from ‘going for gold’ to ‘doing our absolute best’

Step 2 – Communicate – verbal, physical, emotional; before, during, after

Step 3 – Commitment to each other – the team is all; no blame; sharing glory and disappointment

Step 4 – Take calculated risks – exploring and supporting innovation

Step 5 – Learn from setbacks – reflection, analysis, energising change

Step 6 – Build on success – celebrate the highs, acknowledge the lows and grow stronger

Step 7 – Create space to learn and grow – ongoing philosophy of continuous improvement

Go for it Team GB!! 

Our UK Correspondent

The Manila Diaries

Experiential Learning

20 July 2012

79 degrees Fahrenheit, scattered thunder storms, Humidity 90%

I am pleased to report that notwithstanding a number of formalities I hope to soon be joining the faculty of the Asian Institute of Management www.AIM.edu  during my stay in Manila.  My responsibilities will include delivering corporate programmes to a range of AIM clients as well as delivering inputs into degree programmes such as MBA and Masters in Management programmes.  I will also have the opportunity to undertake some collaborative research and write this up for publication.  In addition, part of my time will be promoting joint consultancy opportunities between AIM clients and Level Seven’s portfolio of services.

Level Seven’s leadership and talent development programme, Putting Your Talent to Work is based on the notion that experiential learning is an effective way for adults to learn.  I have the opportunity to engage in this methodology first hand when joining AIM as I believe I will learn more about myself, culture and management and leadership style experientially through taking up this post with AIM than merely sitting on the sidelines of expat life.

I anticipate a start date in early August and so am using this time to expand my social network, learn how to play mah-jong, as well as indulge in some thinking about possible research ideas and workshops.  All positive activities.

Weather is still variable.  We had a tremendous storm last Friday and I have heard murmurings today of a typhoon about to strike!

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Being or Doing

6 July 2012

82 degrees Fahrenheit, Scattered Thunder Storms, Humidity 76%

It’s been a week of ups and downs.  The Ups relate to emerging positive opportunities to do with work and business, the Downs are that each situation is taking longer to progress than I would have thought and therefore causing some anxiety and frustration.  So this down-time has given me space for some deep reflection.

I thought I would take some time-out and follow my instincts in terms of what I would do each day.  This reminded me of the debate that sometimes comes about when talking about the difference between ‘Being’ and ‘Doing’.  I know that often when asked to describe who I am I usually end up describing what I do as for me my identity is strongly linked to what I do and in most social situations (rather than academic debates) this is the sort of answer that is expected to the question, who are you?

With some time on my hands I tried a little experiment these last two weeks.  I have tried to just ‘Be’ in the world, i.e. not worry too much about taking specific actions (Doing) and actually just trying to go with the flow.  However, unless I sit still and contemplate or meditate then I have found that trying to ‘Be’ is intrinsically linked with what I do.  So, it seems that Being and Doing have a causal relationship.  However, what I have found that is interesting is that in trying not to worry too much about what I am doing has released my thinking process and allowed me moments to think about my thoughts and reflect on what these could mean in terms of possible future actions.  I have also been able to become a keener observer of what is going on around me. 

My feelings in the first week of this experiment of anxiety and frustration seem to have now taken a back seat and I am feeling more at ease with both my current and potential situations.  The ability to ‘let go’ has been liberating.

My conclusions are that I feel fortunate to have had this luxury of being able to take time out from what would normally be a busy schedule but the benefits resulting from having some ‘thinking  time and space’ may well enhance different areas of one’s personal life.  I would recommend taking time out even if only for short bursts, as it does help to re-charge the batteries.

And finally, the weather, it is still very hot with longer bursts of rain but with the rain comes a cooler temperature and I’m all for that!

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Open or Direct

22 June 2012

90 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly Cloudy, Humidity 83%

Something I’ve come to notice is how open or direct Filipino people can be.  For example, when meeting someone for the first time, I smile at some of the questions I am asked about myself and my family.  Apparently this is just a way of getting to know you and actually I don’t find anything wrong with this.

I have also noticed that it is not just Filipino people who engage in this past-time here in Manila.  I have been struck by the number of strangers (non-Asian people) who strike up a conversation with me in the street and almost immediately I have swapped some personal details with them which if I was back in the UK I would probably not be so willing to divulge to someone I have just met.  I think in this situation it could be something to do with familiarity (a European / White face among a crowd of Asian nationalities) and a feeling that this person could be a potential friend / acquaintance / source of information, etc

It reminds me about Will Schutz’s theory about the development of interpersonal relationships (FIRO) and how our needs for Inclusion / Control and Affection (Openness) are met.  According to the theory these needs are met in a sequential way, after our needs for inclusion or involvement are met then the relationship goes onto deal with issues of control and once these are satisfactorily dealt with the relationship is able to deal with how open or affective the relationship can be.  That is why sometimes, Team Building events get off to a challenging start because the event goes straight into dealing with openness without first taking the time to address issues of inclusion and control.

Either way, I am getting to accept that culturally what I would normally think of as directness can be just another way of accelerating openness within a relationship.

And finally, the weather, it is still very hot and sticky!

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Culture

18 June 2012

91 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly Cloudy, Humidity 77%

Culture is a word that often finds its way into discussions in the world of Leadership and Organisational Development and in my working experience as a Consultant I have been involved in trying to help organisations and teams develop or change their culture.  Living and working in the UK I have had little exposure to the effect of national culture on organisational culture as I have usually been part of the majority, not the minority.  However, now that I am immersed in a different culture to that which I have been used to is giving me a lot to think about as a developer of leaders and talent.

I had the privilege recently to attend a seminar delivered by a Filipino University Professor aimed at HR professionals on how to assess organisational culture.  Being the only European, female in attendance, I was definitely in the minority but was welcomed into the group through the use of warmth and humour.  I learned a lot about Filipino culture both from listening to the discussions as well as from the actual experience of being there.  For example, we started the seminar with a prayer which everyone participated in; what in the UK would be a mid-morning break with coffee and biscuits turned out to be more like lunch and the seminar was delivered in a mix of English and Filipino languages.

Some of the discussions focused on the challenges faced when trying to merge organisational culture with national culture and the message I took away is that national culture will tend to over-ride organisational culture and understanding and sensitivity to these issues are critical.  The phrase which has stayed with me is, Think Global, Act Local: A useful phrase that Managers and Management Developers could usefully embrace to help minimise conflict.

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Opportunity

8 June 2012

86 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly cloudy, Humidity 83%

This week has been one of opportunity.

This has caused me to reflect on - do we ‘take’ opportunities or do we ‘create’ opportunities?  I think we do a bit of both.  Taking an opportunity implies that something has been offered to us or created for us and we are the grateful recipient of something useful to us; creating an opportunity implies we have been purposeful or self-motivated to take action that might provide us or someone else with something gainful.  The former suggests we are passive and wait for opportunities to float by, the latter suggests we need to be proactive, take responsibility and be responsible for the consequences.

A friend one called me opportunistic but went to lengths to explain that she felt that was a good thing.  I had to agree, I have always been open to opportunities, both taking and creating, but I think the difference for me has been that it has been easier to pick up on something created by another and to use it to my advantage.

This week I created an opportunity that may be very beneficial not only to Level Seven’s presence here in Asia but also for me personally.  However, it is too soon to say whether the opportunity will yield the results I would hope for. 

On reflection of why it felt easy to take the action I did; these are my conclusions.  I felt I had nothing to lose, I was at a point that I needed to have a purpose for action for my self-worth and for the business and I felt confident that I had something to offer and I didn’t think too long about what I was doing (i.e. I did not analyse the situation for too long but acted on an evidence-based impulse).  Of course this situation and ultimate decision only concerns a few people; sometimes opportunistic action may affect a greater number of people and the consequences may be more far reaching but unless we have the courage to develop and act on a level of self-belief we may be in danger of missing out on all manner of things.

My challenge to you is to develop your opportunity spotting antennae and to be courageous and act on it when you believe it is right to do so.

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Having a purpose

86 degrees Fahrenheit, Scattered thunderstorms, Humidity 82%

I have spent this week setting myself small objectives, all with a common purpose, either to achieve something around the domestic or personal side of things or to think of some ideas that will contribute to Level Seven’s presence here in Manila.  I have always found a way to self-motivate has been to think about the word ‘Purpose’ and how it can help me to  focus. 

Regrettably I have not made much progress on the business front.  I am waiting for a number of things to happen (or am I just procrastinating?)  such as the Broadband to be installed and membership information from the Chamber of Commerce which in my mind will mean I have a focus and purpose for communication.  I do, however, feel as though we area starting up a new business and all the challenges that go with it.  The one advantage I have on my side though is experience in that I can recall what it was like setting up Level Seven years ago and how enthusiasm and optimism carried us through many an unsettling time.

Networking will play an even bigger role in getting to know people and how specific business practices work here.  So, I am currently formulating an idea that will help to position Level Seven generally so that individuals and organisations can understand what we have to offer.  I will relate more on that when I have a firmer view on things.

Lastly, the Manila Women’s Association coffee morning enabled me to learn about life in Manila and to find a useful source of helpful information.

Of course, I cannot sign off without commenting on the weather.  The rainy season is just around the corner, we’ve had a couple of real downpours and I can only imagine what it will be like when the rain is more plentiful.  On the plus side though, it does get cooler after the rain!

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Taking things for granted

25 May 2012

90 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly cloudy, Humidity 81%

Taking things for granted is a theme that I have reflected on this week; having a good night’s sleep without waking up feeling like I am sleeping in a sauna, being able to get into my car and drive to where I want to go and keeping in touch via the internet.  All these things I had become used to in the UK and had taken for granted but now living in Manila means that I need to adapt and change.

Sleeping with the air conditioning on is now becoming the norm.  We gave in the other night and kept it on low and it was bliss.  I slept through the night and woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy.  I hadn’t realised how much the temperature drains my energy levels.   During the day I try to walk to places but again the heat seems to get the better of me so I have to rely on taxis to get me around, particularly when doing everyday things like going shopping.  This is not a problem but it is sometimes quicker to walk because of the volume of traffic.  At certain times of the day, Makati gets grid-locked and it is more frustrating sitting in a hot car, not moving.  Finally, we are waiting for our Broadband to be installed and so I have to rely on wi-fi locations in coffee shops for the time being.

My biggest frustration this week has concerned directions.  I’m slowly getting used to the fact that the address someone gives you bears no relation to the actual location.  For example, I had to find the Philippine equivalent to BT and armed with the address being ‘Ayala Avenue’ I mistakenly thought the building would be along that street; but no, the actual building was tucked away at the back of the main avenue.  I experienced the same situation when meeting someone at a coffee shop, the address I was given bore little relation to the actual site of the coffee shop.  I think the address acts purely as an indicator.  No harm done, at least I am getting familiar with the area in which we are living.  The lesson that this has taught me is that communication is key.  I need to have a better strategy for checking understanding (both mine and the person I am communicating with).

On the plus side though, it’s nice to feel we have moved into a more permanent place with more space and even after a week am feeling more settled.

I shall be attending my first Ex-pat Woman’s forum coffee morning next Monday and am keen to find out how such groups work.  Everyone has been very welcoming with friendly emails and I am sure I will be able to find answers to some of my more basic questions.  To keep things in balance, we’ve been invited to a Filipino Karaoke evening this Saturday which would not be my usual choice for an evening out but nevertheless I think it will be entertaining!

My goal next week is to shift the focus from domestic issues onto business ones.

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

The Manila Diaries

Settling In

18 May 2012

88 degrees Fahrenheit, Cloudy, Chance of thundery showers, Humidity 70%

It’s been a frustrating week concerning the process of finding somewhere to live.  Using the services of a broker seemed to have slowed everything down and ended up with us losing out on two apartments, so taking things into our own hands and on the advice of others, we decided to ‘do-it-ourselves’.  We have just signed a contract today for an apartment that suits our needs with some additional benefits that we had not even considered, such as a reduced membership to the Makati Sports Club.

Again referring to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, having now met the basic needs of shelter and safety, I thought I could move onto working on the psychological needs of relationships.  So, I decided to apply to join the British Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines to start the networking process and to shift my focus onto business issues.

I attended an interesting event about the growing sector in the Philippines of Business Process Outsourcing or BPO as it is commonly referred to.  The scope of this sector seems to offer advantages for companies wishing to outsource to the Philippines as well as creating employment opportunities for local people.  The speakers discussed the issues of recruitment, retention and development, not so different from the people management needs expressed by UK organisations.  It will be interesting to know whether solutions that seem to bring about positive results in the UK could have a positive impact here in the Philippines. 

Finally, I have met some very interesting and genuine people wishing to help with my queries, questions and concerns and all of whom have made me feel very welcome.

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

Level 7 Goes East – First Impressions

The Manila Diaries

11 May 2012

93 degrees Fahrenheit, Partly cloudy, Humidity 66%

The build up to re-locate to Manila has been tremendous both from the personal and business perspectives but I am now here and already noting differences and similarities to life back in the UK.  Clearly life in general will be a huge adjustment; living in a high-rise apartment, dining out more, being the ‘stranger’ in town whose physical appearance is different and so gets stared at but in a nice, friendly way and of course the climate!  High temperatures and high humidity are some of the biggest challenges I will need to address but then I keep telling myself this is all part of the experience. 

My first impressions of Manila are that it is very like other big, bustling cities with lots of people, traffic and high-rise buildings.  The people are very friendly, welcoming and honest.  I am already greeted by my first name in the local coffee shop and I had an interesting experience the other day that made me reflect on values.

Many organisations espouse organisational values of trust, honesty and integrity but the other day I experienced these values in action.  I was looking for my mobile phone (an Apple i-phone) one morning and having searched the apartment thoroughly could only think that it must have fallen out of my bag the previous evening whilst sitting in the local coffee shop.  I returned to the coffee house the next day with little hope in my heart of ever seeing the phone again, but yes, the phone had been found and it was waiting in the office, in a sealed bag, waiting for its owner to come and claim it!  I would like to think I would have experienced the same outcome in the UK, but I suspect this might not be the case (I once had my laptop stolen from my desk at work, never to be seen again).

My key objective over the next couple of weeks is to find a permanent place to live for me and my partner after which time I can then focus on business opportunities for Level 7.  I am reminded of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which suggests that unless our basic, physical needs are met fulfilment and self actualisation need to take a back seat.  Whilst Maslow is considered somewhat old hat, personally, I still think his theory helps us to put our purpose and actions into perspective.

Finally, technology is making the move to the other side of the world less traumatic; keeping in touch with the UK is easy, I just need to remember the time difference!

Signing off for now

Our Correspondent in Manila

Relationship Building: Influencing Stakeholders

Relationship Building – Influencing Stakeholders

The building and sustaining of relationships is important for business success. Our 7 steps to successful relationship building highlight the importance of stakeholder analysis and understanding. We combine this with the application of appropriate influencing styles to suit specific stakeholder values and needs to support improved and sustainable business performance.

1.       Identify stakeholders – Who are the people and groups affected by your business and what you do?  By engaging with the right people and groups in the right way you can make a big difference to the achievement of goals and outcomes.

2.       Analyse relative power - Which people/groups are important to your value creation process[1]? Conduct a power- interest[2] analysis in order to understand the degree of their power over your organisation and their interest in your business.

3.       Identify appropriate influencing styles –Use of the push/pull framework[3] offers a range of alternative influencing styles to suit different stakeholders.

4.       Tailor strategies – By combining the power/interest and push/pull analyses, strategies can be tailored to suit each stakeholder or stakeholder group.

5.       Prioritise actions to achieve quick wins and develop a forward strategy to ensure stakeholder satisfaction and achievement of organisational goals on a short, medium and long term basis.

6.       Implement – importance of designated responsibilities for implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Constant review is needed to take account of the changing status of stakeholders and groups over time as the busines environment changes.

7.       Gather feedback and refine strategies to support continuous improvement in stakeholder relations.

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[1] R Edward Freeman on value creation: http://bit.ly/yvyNLF

[2] Mendelow’s (81) Power Interest Matrix adapted by Johnson and Scholes (99): http://bit.ly/yK0xww

[3] Ashridge Business school on Influencing Skills: http://bit.ly/wpx4pf

The Human Factor

We recently had the opportunity of presenting to a group of fellow IOD members on the topic of communication styles and influencing strategies.  Our starting point was to explain why we felt the need to remind ourselves why it is important to remember that in any interpersonal communication there are two or more human beings involved and the complexities that this brings to any interaction.  Our business model is built on People in terms of how we do business and what we do.

This was all set against a backdrop of the digital world and the social media environment in which we all inhabit to a greater or lesser extent.  This too brings a range of personal and business challenges to the themes of personal and mass communication.

Our final point was to advocate a balance of use and appropriateness towards the personal and digital worlds of communication.  They can co-exist perfectly and can provide effective and efficient ways of reaching out to our target audience but in the words of one academic:

“It’s so rewarding to connect with human beings. It’s so good for our bodies to do this. Everything we know as psychologists tells us it’s the most wonderful thing. So if we’re losing that, I think that is distressing.”

Sara Konrath, Research Assistant Professor, University of Michigan

Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, 2010.

In a recent article by McKinsey, business people are called to think about the effect of the human factor on the subject of service design and delivery.

https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Marketing/Sales_Distribution/The_human_factor_in_service_design_2922

What’s your view?  What impact will the digitial world ultimately have on the human factor?

Innovation Challenge Week 7 - Curiosity

What is curiosity?  For me, the essence of it is being able to open up my mind to possibilities and what might be ....

Spending time with family and friends over the festive holidays has meant that I have spent time in the company of young children and it has been fascinating to observe their inquisitiveness.

Present opening, I am sure like in many other households, was enjoyable and frantic.  Very small children seem to prefer playing with the wrapping paper or the box in which the toys came and sometimes disregarded the actual item itself.  It started me thinking about the value we assign to items once we are in a position to understand what the word value means.  With very little experience of the world, babies tend to place equal value on items until through learning and reinforcement they come to realise that some items have more or less value to them than other items.  Next year will be interesting to see whether they are still more excited by the wrapping paper or by the actual gift itself?

So what have I reflected on in terms of my own curiosity over the last couple of weeks?  It has been difficult to assign equal value to objects or aspects of situations because my experience and knowledge which I cannot un-know causes me to apply my own set of personal filters to those objects and situations causing me to come to a biased conclusion.

When working with business people to help develop their creative thinking skills, I often encourage people to: try and see something through the eyes of a child (i.e. be non-judgemental, place equal value on aspects of the object / situation, experience the object or the situation as if for the first time) but this week has reminded me that this is sometimes easier said than done.  But following one of my principles which is start making a change by taking small actions, I have been trying out new experiences such as: 

·         Reading a section of the newspaper that I would normally discard

·         Watching a film or a TV programme that I would normally find myself saying “I’m not interested in ......”

·         Finding an alternative walking route to the station / shops

·         Researching a subject but from an alternative / unusual perspective

This has reminded me that there are new things for me to experience that are within my immediate reach, no matter how inconsequential that experience may seem and which will help to retain my child-like curiosity!

On the other hand, we can take a leap of faith and immerse ourselves in some of the bigger questions life throws at us.  http://curiosity.discovery.com/