Body-language and nonverbal communication

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On intercultural management: Interview with Frank Bannys

Here is the actual interview with the author of the book “Intercultural Management”. The first book, which addresses in a really integrated way the various aspects and the complexitiy of the issue in real life. It`s worth reading:

EIM: Mr. Bannys, this year you published your book “Intercultural Management“. What distinguishes your book from others?

Frank Bannys: I have read a lot of really good books about this subject in my more than 20 years as a manager in the international environment. But these books very often just looked at some few aspects of the whole subject and transferring those from theories or models into a practical implementation I found very difficult. My aim was to cover such important subjects for intercultural management as cultural research, leadership, management, personality and behaviour, all of which I would have liked to see in just one book. And with a pragmatic approach, with a lot of examples, a practical orientation and written in an easy to understand language……….more….

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How do different people interpret nonverbal communication

Let’s say that you’re traveling to a country where you don’t speak the language. You didn’t have time to pick up a dictionary or a book of common phrases, so you’ll have to get around using only hand gestures. At a restaurant, you try to indicate which dishes you’d like by nodding or giving the server a thumbs-up, but all you get is the opposite of what you wanted and an offended look. No one will look you in the eye, and ………….

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250 million children cannot read nor write – a scandal –

Results of newest surveys of the UNESCO on the issue of leteracy show that about 250 Million children can neither read nor write. This is a scandal in the world.

Being able to read and to write is a human right.

Writing about body language and nonverbal communication, believing that this a very important part of communication, I at the same time, especially being aware of these results, want to underline how important the competence of literacy is. It is a basis competence intensely connected with the competence of nonverbal communication.

The one cannot exist without the other.

Don`t ……………….forget this. Don`t forget to read, to write and to reflect what happens around you in the world.

especially with children. Children are our future.

“Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. It is fully essential to social and human development in its ability to transform lives. For individuals, families, and societies alike, it is an instrument of empowerment to improve one’s health, one’s income, and one’s relationship with the world.

The uses of literacy for the exchange of knowledge are constantly evolving, along with advances in technology. From the Internet to text messaging, the ever-wider availability of communication makes for greater social and political participation. A literate community is a dynamic community, one that exchanges ideas and engages in debate. Illiteracy, however, is an obstacle to a better quality of life, and can even breed exclusion and violence.

For over 65 years UNESCO has worked to ensure that literacy remains a priority on national and international agendas. Through its formal and non-formal literacy programmes worldwide, the Organization works to realize the vision of a literate world for all.”

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/

http://www.spiegel.de/schulspiegel/ausland/bild-861580-133463.html

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Two political giants? – a really brief look on Obama and Romney –

Well last night millions of people worldwide watched the duell between Obama and Romney on TV. Lots of opinions and comments being written within the last few hours.

Looking at one of the typical photoes enables to find an own position towards all those comments. Let me try a very brief look on the two politicians, just judging this one photo. Let`s have a look at their habits. I am not interested in details. I know about this special perspective and the possible comments on this. Nevertheless, I don`t want to tell you a so called truth, or another truth among all those others truths in the www. No I just want to invite you ……………

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Change (3) and  Palaver – Traditional African Decision making

Maybe you have heard about palaver. In Germany we understand palaver as talking this and that, small talk and things like this.

But: palaver in Africa is a very old, important communication model of social and political discussion/discourse. Psychoanalysts and ethnologists did a lot of research on that in the 1920s. Here is a short picture about palaver in those days.

“They sit under a tree and talk until ……………

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 Change (2) and integration

Some days ago I talked about change, mergers and development in China and Europe. Today I want to line out another model of approaching change.

To begin with I want to remind you about how a merger usually functions in western countries.

Mostly there’s a strong partner and a weak partner. Mostly the strong partner tries to get the small partner (though often this is not addressed too directly and openly). Then, to make it short, management tries to find synergy effects, tries to reduce costs and to bring people together in a team or in a unit being convinced that if the employees are put together they will work together sufficiently and successfully.

As I told you already this kind of management fails in about 70-80% of those mergers.

If change develops like this, this process often …………..

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Integration  :  a short short-story

I have the money,

 I have the body,

We follow our heart.

 

Both decide big change in their life.

She is killed in a car accident.

He brings her dead body back to her family in China.

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/medien/ard-mittwochsfilm-im-jahr-des-drachen-auf-dem-holzweg-1.1491785

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Change and decision making: Traditional – modern- or how ???

Last week I listen to some experts at a symposium at Bochum University ( http://dbs-lin.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/osaforum/showthread.php?tid=452 ).  A management expert who had worked for different companies in China and in Germany and who nowadays supports companies as an intercultural consultant focused one special Chinese habits like this: China often keeps up traditional organizations and at the same time, so to say parallel to this, they begin with a new model of organization. He also explained that many of these Chinese projects follow the function of: Does it work out or not? If it works out, the new kind of organization can more easily be taken over and integrated in society or business. Instead of the other.

Many western people or organizations or companies will think differently about ……………..

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Enjoy your (traditional) culture – a model of connected thinking

When talking to Chinese here in Germany I often face a strong affinity to their own culture. Once I heard that an ancient book, probably written three – or four hundred years ago, is still listed on the book charts. It is and that astonished me really very, very popular regarding younger people. This could not be as possible in Germany as it is in China. 😉

When showing my astonishment the Chinese looked at me not understanding my astonishment. They were convinced that being connected to their cultural roots is a self-evidence.

Two weeks ago I talked to a Chinese woman who finished her IT-study and who had decided to earn her income not by working as an IT-specialist but by painting.

Of course she had been busy as an artist for

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The Importance of Nonverbal Communication for expatriats

 Using effectively nonverbal communication when moving and relocating overseas is quite an important issue for people who go a country where they will meet very different cultural influences. I right now do not think especially about tourists but about people who have to live in a foreign country for quite a long time, as student, manager, representative of some organisation andsoon.

Spoken language is only7% to 35% of communication. The majority of our feelings and intentions are sent through nonverbal communication. Moreover we tend to search for signals when verbal messages are unclear or ambiguous.

Wordless messages or kinesics are the way we communicate by ………….

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