Saturday, July 05, 2008
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Management - Miscellaneous
Cultural Diversity
 Managers of
employees from a variety of
cultures should invest a few
hours of research
on the behavioral norms
of these cultures.
The result
can be much more productive and
rewarding management.
With multiple
cultural backgrounds, it is likely
that miscommunication will take
place. A lot
of misreading can occur due to
various
differences in non-verbal messages.
 Example:
Latin American backgrounds
usually
get close when talking
(little personal
space).
North
Americans / European
backgrounds usually
want a larger
personal space.
Many Asian backgrounds
will want
a even greater personal
space than
North Americans.
If problems are
arising among employees
themselves, some time spent
discussing
these differences (with no
right or wrong)
are likely to decrease
potential tensions
and increase mutual respect...
and in turn,
productivity.
** Also see Non-Verbal Communication and
Cultural Diversity.
Employee Input
Do not assume
that your employees will
verbalize concerns.
Actively
encourage their comments,
observations and suggestions.
Just saying
there is an "open-door" policy
does not make employees "safe"
enough
to enter.
Non-verbal
communications may give them
other messages.
When employees
do feel comfortable enough
to verbalize concerns, make sure
that their
concerns are addressed in a
positive
manner immediately.
Stay Informed
Keep informed
on what other businesses,
competitors, other departments/divisions or
subsidiaries are doing --
especially work that
may impact you and/or your area.
When your staff
knows the activities of other
areas, incorporate these points
into your
area whenever possible.
Not only will
your area benefit, but a better
understanding of the whole and
how it relates.
This can strengthened inter-area
relationships.
Remember:
Activities of other
areas are also
important.
Company Vision
A vision
provides your company with the idea/
view of how things might be and
a sense of
how to arrive at it safely.
It is vital that
the company vision is shared
with all members of the company.
Meetings
Consider
expense of a meeting before holding
one.
Bad meetings
can be expensive:
A person
earning $40,000 a year could
cost $300.
$400
per hour including salary and
benefits.
Consider
the expense of 6 or 8 people
spending 1 1/2
hours in a non-
productive meeting.
Eliminate
travel time for participants whenever
possible.
Use
non-traditional meeting techniques
whenever possible.
Consider
options such as: video-
conferencing, telephone,
e-mail,
Intranet / Internet....
Have participant
brain storm before attending
the meeting.
Male/Female
Management Styles Differences
(NFWBO 1994 study)
Both women
and men entrepreneurs agree
that there is more to success than
monetary gains.
Women,
however, derive satisfaction and
success from building relationships
with
customers and employees; having
control of
their own destiny; and doing
something
they consider worthwhile.
Men entrepreneurs,
on the other hand,
describe success in terms of
growing,
self-satisfaction for a job well
done and
achieving desired goals.
Women business
owners are more evenly
balanced in their thinking between
logic and
intuition. This makes it easier
for them to
switchamong multiple tasks. They are
also
more likely to seek out opinions of others.
(NFWBO 1994 study)
Despite
differences, women and men;
entrepreneurs are, in large part,
more like
each other than they are like the
general
working population.
(National Foundation of Women Business Owners
1994 study)
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