Maya Hu-Chan's Blog, page 7

You May Be Heard, But Are You Being Understood?

How often do you find yourself feeling surprised when a global team member or colleague reacts in an unexpected way to something you say or have asked them to do? Do you find yourself thinking: “They just didn’t get it!”

If this sounds familiar then I have news for you. Maybe it’s not that they didn’t “get it” – it’s more likely that you didn’t properly communicate it!

What do I mean by this?

There is a very big difference between being heard – and being understood. Communication is not simply about the transmission of information, it’s about the reception and understanding of it too. Everyone has different ways in how they like to receive information and if you add to this the complexities of working with colleagues from different countries and cultures, it’s easy for communication to quickly break down.

The growth of global businesses and global teams has increased the likelihood of working closely with colleagues whose first language is different from your own. Given that global team members can have a hard time understanding one another even when they’re all speaking the same language, it should come as no surprise that communicating with business associates who speak different languages can cause confusion and misunderstanding.

In my last blog post “When does Yes mean No”, I talked about the challenges and pitfalls for global leaders of communicating across cultures and shared some examples of how easily misunderstandings can occur.

Becoming an adaptable communicator is essential in today’s global business environment. In this second part focusing on communication, I would like to share practical tips for improving adaptability and flexibility, together with examples of best practices in communicating across cultures.

Let me start with a really positive story. One of my clients, who is originally from India, accepted a senior leadership position in a southern US state. He already had some experience of working in the US, but this was in the cosmopolitan, cultural melting pot of New York City where the business community is well-accustomed to welcoming colleagues from other cultures and the pace of both speech and business is fast and often aggressive.

Upon arriving in the Deep South, my client quickly realized that he would need to adapt his communications style to the more traditional business environment of Kentucky, where business – and conversations – tend to be conducted based on interpersonal relationships and where his accent and cultural background might represent more of a barrier.

Fortunately, my client is an excellent example of an adaptable global leader. “I am mindful of the regional cultures in the US and I adjust the way I communicate to ensure we understand each other. When it comes down to it, it is all about respect,” he said. “When people see me making a genuine effort to be respectful by listening and learning how things work around here, they open their arms and doors. I am truly grateful!”

It sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Being a flexible communicator is an asset in any environment, professional or personal – but for many people, it is not something that comes naturally.

For some people, it is a natural response to any new environment, yet for other people, it takes a conscious and concerted effort to adapt their natural communication style. For a very small minority, there is no attempt at flexibility, instead, they end up resorting to the outdated tactic of simply talking LOUDLY…AND…SLOWLY…to no good effect!

The particular leader in my story is often the model I use when coaching my other clients on communications challenges, simply because communicating effectively is an aptitude that he has developed and mastered to such a degree that it is now very natural for him.

Adaptability is a core skill of global communicators. To support clients who need to develop their ability to communicate effectively across cultures, I have used an approach called Style-Switching.

Style Switching is not a technical skill, it is a mindset. I work with my clients to create a communications mode that they can consciously practice until such time as it becomes a natural process. It is not about changing your personality or manipulating the situation. Rather, it is about understanding the other person’s perspective, remaining authentic, and retaining your core values through style switching, so that you are better able to adapt your behavior to the situation you find yourself in. And most importantly, your intention is to have a win-win outcome.

In the latest in my series of 100 success factors for global leaders, here are my top tips for becoming a better communicator by learning to switch your communications style:

1. Remember that your communication is your responsibility

It is all too easy to get frustrated when others don’t understand the point you are trying to make, but the reality is that it is your responsibility as a communicator to get your point across clearly and effectively.

If you always hold that commitment as a basic principle of your communication style you will learn to naturally adapt your message and delivery until understanding is reached.

2. Do your research

Try to find out as much as possible about the cultures, people, and language you will be communicating with.
Check with a trusted colleague from the same culture, on how best to adapt your communication to their culture – and pitfalls to avoid – or undertake research; there are plenty of useful resources online.

3. Create a positive and inclusive environment

Demonstrate warmth and willingness to put people at ease, especially with those who speak a different language to you.
People tend to be self-conscious and a little nervous when speaking a foreign language, even if they have a good level of fluency. So it will be helpful if you can be encouraging and patient with them.

4. Slow down your pace and keep it simple

Slow down key words in your speech, not the entire statement, and use signposting to make it clear when you are changing topics. Use short sentences and clear, consistent, simple words. For example, “They underestimated our capability.” would be more easily understood as “They don’t think we can do this”.

Avoid slang and idioms as these are generally culturally specific and watch your body language as certain gestures and body language can be positive in one culture, and very offensive in another. Make sure the body language you use is mutually understood and respected.

5. Check understanding

Great communicators operate in ‘receive’ mode as well as in ‘broadcast’ mode. Seek feedback, both verbal and non-verbal, to check that your communication has been properly understood.

How to Successfully Manage Conflict Across Cultures

Conflict on global teams can show up in ways you may not expect. Here are the skills to navigate these moments.

Ted and his team had reached a crisis point.

Ted is a senior leader with a global company. His team had been collaborating cross-functionally on a project with another team, but the project had come to a standstill. The relationship between both teams had broken down, to the point of non-communication, with a string of unanswered emails and phone calls.

In a coaching session, I asked Ted to describe his plan. What was his strategy?

His answer surprised me.

“I’ve asked my boss to intervene. There’s nothing more I can do.”

I asked him if he had tried to meet with the team.

“I can’t,” he replied. “They’re in Japan.”

The fact that the team is in Japan is not a trivial detail — in fact, the relationship had broken down precisely because Ted had been ignoring this crucial fact.

Ted and his team had been approaching the conflict with an American lens, following the guidelines of their own cultural norms and standards. This had caused missteps they were unaware of.

Repairing the relationship would require Ted to tap into a set of skills that were new to him, skills required to manage conflict cross-culturally. Here’s what he had to do.

Adapt behavior
I asked Ted what he would do to build a bridge to the other team. He replied, “I’ll talk to them. I’ll say, ‘We have to work together, so you need to start communicating with me.” With a Japanese team, this approach would not work. In Japanese culture, people are sensitive to hierarchies. Ted would be speaking peer-to-peer — how might such a demand land with the leader of the Japanese team, who is his equal? “Not well,” Ted conceded. Repairing the relationship would require Ted to adapt his behavior. I encouraged him to begin with an apology. In Japanese culture, saying “I’m sorry,” even in professional contexts, demonstrates humility and respect. It says, “I’m sorry this situation has caused you inconvenience and emotional distress.”

Embrace the values of the other culture
After further digging, Ted revealed that the biggest source of tension is that the Japanese team has reported feeling unappreciated for their contributions. While this need may not resonate with Ted as strongly, I encouraged him to embrace the values of the Japanese team. If feeling acknowledged and respected was important to them, he would have to work to change that dynamic. I encouraged him to genuinely enter the other team’s world and tap into the empathy he needs to understand their challenges. He realized he would have to reach out and, with humility, extend an apology and show appreciation for the other team’s work.

Lead by example by connecting a new mindset to business goals and mission
Embracing a new behavior — when it isn’t in your cultural vocabulary — can be challenging, and it didn’t come naturally to Ted. I encouraged him to define the reasons why it was important to do so. The teams need to communicate with one another to successfully collaborate. The relationship between the teams had deteriorated so badly that the project had been at a standstill for two months. Reflecting on these reasons gave Ted enough motivation to act. This process is referred to as “psychological customization,” which Andy Molinsky writes about in his book Global Dexterity: How to adapt your behavior across cultures without losing yourself in the process.

Engaging in a new behavior can create inner conflict. You can reduce that conflict by personally customizing your reasons, finding an explanation that fits naturally with your values, beliefs, or — in the case of Ted’s team — important business goals. By creating deeper, personal reasons for your behavior, you help make sure your words and actions come across as sincere and authentic. Focusing on the greater good can help, too. Lead by example and demonstrate these new behaviors in your words and interactions with other teams, encourage team members to do the same, and hold each other accountable.

Conflict across culturally diverse teams does not have to escalate to the point of crisis as it did in Ted’s case. Conflicts big and small can be managed by, first, having the awareness that not everyone abides by the same rules, values, and norms of your own culture. Adapt new behaviors, embrace the values of the other culture, and lead by example by connecting those new behaviors to your personal values and business objectives.

This article was originally posted on Inc.com

When Does Yes Mean No?

A trick question, right? I am afraid not.

This is a real issue for global business leaders and, every day, there are communication breakdowns occurring across the world as different cultural norms conspire to confuse and confound even the most sensible and experienced global leaders.

Here’s a great example. A client rang me recently, very distressed. He is a senior global executive, based in Singapore and working for a US-based American boss. They have always enjoyed a great professional relationship with mutual respect and appreciation.

I asked him what had happened. “My boss told me I was stupid,” he said.

He went on to describe how humiliated and upset he felt and how he did not know how to react.
In the course of my work with this company, I had met my client’s boss several times and always found him to be reasonable, sensible, and professional. It didn’t make sense to me. So I asked my client, “‘can you tell me the exact words he used?”.
He replied, “We discussed a project I was working on; I gave him my views – and he said my idea was a ‘no brainer’.”

Ah.

The great news is that I was quickly able to transform my client’s perception of the phone call. I explained that ‘no-brainer’ in America is a slang expression meaning ‘complete agreement’. However this commonly-used US expression had been taken literally by my client, who is from Asia, and what he understood was that his boss thought he had no brain!
The bad news is that this example is symptomatic of a wider issue that has grown ever more acute in line with the growth in global business.

Although confusion can reign between any two cultures and languages, since English remains the global language of business, for now, let’s just focus on the issues that can arise between native English speakers and those for whom it is at best a second language.

When we communicate across cultures, we may think we are all speaking English and we may even speak the same words, but we may not be on the same page.

Oops. Did you see what I did there?

Page? What page! I can almost imagine low-context culture readers of this blog searching for an imaginary textbook as I type….because, like ‘no-brainer’ I’ve casually used a phrase that native English speakers will understand to be a commonly-used metaphor – in this case for ‘understanding’ – while those from cultures which take their language more literally will have heard me refer to a document or publication that for some reason they don’t have access to!

This challenge doesn’t only apply to complex phrases either. Even the simplest of words can be misconstrued – and that’s why someone responding with a “yes”, can often mean anything but.

How often have you felt there was agreement about something only to find later on that the agreed-upon actions or views were not truly supported?

In America and the UK ‘yes’ means ‘I understand’, ‘I agree’, ‘I will do it’ – but in China, Japan, or The Philippines, it simply means ‘I hear you’. Nothing is taken as agreed at all.

To confound things further, while a nod of the head in most cultures signals agreement, in Balkan states such as Bulgaria and Albania a single nod of the head up (not down) actually indicates a ‘no’. Furthermore, in Bulgaria shaking your head sideways actually means ‘I agree’. This is also true in India where the head bobble can mean anything from “yes”, “good” to “I understand”.

So, how should global leaders avoid accidentally appearing to call their valued team members brainless? The key lies in adapting your communications style to fit the audience.

Here are my top 5 tips for global leaders on clear cross-cultural communication:

1. Communication is always the responsibility of the communicator. If you are dealing with many different languages and cultures it is your responsibility to check understanding when you are communicating, rather than your audience’s responsibility to work out your meaning.

2. Keep it simple. Use short sentences and clear, consistent, simple words of less than three syllables. For example instead of saying ‘they underestimated our capability’ try ‘they don’t think we can do this.’

3. Slow down. Slow down key words, not the entire statement, and make it clear when you are changing topics.

4. Avoid slang and idiom. Each culture has its share of slang and idiom: ‘that’s a piece of cake,’ ‘let’s get the ball rolling,’ ‘catch-22’ etc. They are culture-specific and can make a piece of communication confusing for a non-native speaker.

5. Ask open-ended questions. Try to avoid yes/no questions such as ‘Do you understand?’ or ‘can you do it? And instead, use open-ended questions starting with ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘who’, ‘how’, and ‘why’. This may take more time at first but will reduce misunderstanding in the long run. It is well worth it!

In my next post, I will explore further what it means to be an adaptable global communicator.

Why Cultural Agility Is a Must-Have Competitive Advantage for Global Leaders

Cultural agility is the ability to bridge the gap across differences. Here’s how to start.

A commonly used American idiom has the power to completely ruin an otherwise strong professional relationship.

I witnessed this myself with Steve, an American executive within a global tech company. His team includes Ken, a senior executive from Singapore. I coach Ken, and on a recent call with him, I could tell something was off.

“I just had a call with Steve,” Ken explained to me. “I pitched him several of my ideas for a new marketing initiative, and he said I was stupid.” I was shocked. I have worked with Steve as well, and know him to be thoughtful, conscientious, and respectful. I asked Ken to elaborate — what exactly did Steve say?

“He said my ideas were a ‘no-brainer.’ I’m so humiliated. No one has ever called me stupid before,” Ken said.

Now the situation was clear. After I explained the positive connotation of “no-brainer” to Americans, Ken was relieved.

Ken would have likely never communicated his feelings to Steve. In most Asian cultures, hierarchies are respected. Workers rarely confront or question their superiors. People are also group-oriented and socialized to maintain harmony in relationships rather than cause conflict. Ken would have kept his thoughts to himself, and their relationship would have suffered.

As the leader of a global team, Steve could have had greater awareness and adjusted his language to not include American sayings or idioms that confuse others at best or cause harm at worst. This awareness is called practicing cultural agility — the ability to understand multiple local contexts and work within them to obtain positive business results.

For today’s global organizations, cultural agility is the new competitive edge. Leaders who understand cultural differences and nuances are more adaptable and inclusive. They can more successfully navigate the complex dynamics of global, multicultural teams — and clients.

Here are some crucial points to think about as you develop your own cultural agility:

The first step is awareness — of yourself
We don’t often “see” our own culture and tend to assume everyone else is just like us and speaks the same language, laughs at the same jokes, and understands the same idioms and slang terms. To build awareness, get off autopilot and think of communicating cross-culturally as driving in a foreign country. The car may feel the same, but the traffic laws and signs are different. If you don’t pay close attention, you could get into an accident.

Understand that culture is complex
We often think of culture in terms of the things we can hear and see, like language, clothing, music, food, and behaviors. But much of what makes up culture lies below the waterline if we are to think of culture as an iceberg. Some of the most impactful elements are things we can’t see, like perceptions of time, problem-solving style, approaches to decision-making, attitude toward risk, concepts of logic and trust, dynamics of business relationships, and other assumptions, beliefs, and values.

Culture also goes beyond nationality. There can be cultural differences among identity groups, geographic regions, and even within departments of an organization. Cultural agility is a useful skill for anyone leading people different from themselves. As you learn about these differences, seek to understand them, not judge them. Adapting an open, curious, learning mindset can help with this step.

Bridge the gap
After you’ve built self-awareness and understood the cultures of the people you work with, it’s time to bridge differences by adopting new behaviors. In the example of Ken and Steve, because Steve was unaware of the impact of the situation, it was up to Ken to bridge the gap. This required him to do something that was a new behavior for him: confront a superior. I coached him on how to have that conversation in a positive, constructive way, and Ken was able to do just that. In turn, Steve was able to expand his own cultural ability with this new area of awareness.

Leaders who develop their cultural agility can effectively navigate multiple sets of cultural norms and build positive relationships. When leading across differences, remember to reflect on who you are, embrace a learning mindset, identify the gaps, and ask yourself, how can I adapt?

This article was originally posted on Inc.com

Belonging May Be the Key to Retaining Global Talent

When multiple cultures come together on a team, creating a sense of belonging is especially important.

Jack was facing a predicament that is common to many of the leaders I coach.

Jack is a senior vice president in a global technology company. An American, he leads a team of workers based in the U.S., the Philippines, and Singapore. Jack confided that he was unhappy with the performance of his team , but couldn’t pinpoint why things were breaking down. He had even recently lost several workers to other companies.

After interviewing the members of his team, the reasons became clear to me. The sense of belonging among the international team members — their feeling of acceptance and inclusion in the team — was suffering.

They reported that Jack and his American colleagues were insensitive to the cultural differences in their living situations, often demanding they be on camera during video calls, even after they’d expressed that conditions weren’t ideal for video at the moment. They would often call out the background noise of children and other family members, making them feel embarrassed. When engaging in pre-business conversation, Jack and his American colleagues made them feel out of the loop and excluded with their talk of American sports.

The team also highlighted a dynamic I often see with the leaders I coach and their teams: Their relationship with Jack felt purely transactional. Did Jack even know anything about them that wasn’t related to business?

This dynamic didn’t improve on the infrequent occasions that Jack met with his team in person. Although he often traveled to the Philippines and Singapore, from their perspective, Jack “parachuted” in and rushed them through back-to-back meetings about project updates and troubleshooting. He also wouldn’t let team members give details or background information, cutting people off with “Got it, got it, got it” when he’d heard enough.

While many companies try to fix retention issues with higher pay, greater financial perks, or “thank you” bonuses, they overlook the fundamental need for belonging. Belonging is a human emotional need for security and support, a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and connection for being part of a group. According to research from McKinsey, 51 percent of people who leave their jobs do so because they feel a lack of belonging, and 54 percent said they left their companies because they didn’t feel valued.

Creating belonging can be especially challenging — but crucial — for global teams, when the nuances of cultural differences and physical distance leave much more room for misunderstanding and exclusion.

Here are some steps Jack took to better foster belonging for his team.

He became aware of his own cultural background

To better understand the nuances of the cultures represented on his team, Jack had to first understand his own cultural background and how it informs how he engages with others. I encouraged Jack to have a “beginner’s mind” and learn about others’ perspectives and experiences with openness and curiosity. This mindset also helped him develop empathy.

He went off autopilot

Like many leaders, Jack’s interactions with his team were focused on business tasks and goals alone. But creating belonging requires an awareness of how our words and actions affect others, and we can’t have this heightened awareness when we’re on autopilot. I encouraged Jack to “raise his human antenna” and scan for the nonverbal cues he may often miss — the changes in body language, facial expressions, and tone that clue us into how people are feeling.

He led by example by adapting his own behaviors

Those who feel most included are those who fit in dominant norms. They have the ease of not having to adapt — and often don’t even notice that others are struggling. On the other hand, it’s typically people who feel excluded who have to adapt to the norms of the dominant group. I encouraged Jack to flip the script: As a leader, who holds the responsibility to adapt and shift styles?

Armed with a better understanding of his team members’ cultures, newfound empathy, and a raised “human antenna,” Jack adapted and established new norms. He allowed people to stay off-camera and never called attention to background noise. During one-on-ones, he listened more deeply, letting his employees share as much information as they felt necessary without interrupting. And he always started meetings with a relationship-building conversation that had nothing to do with work (and less often about American sports).

After a few months, I checked in with Jack’s team once again. They reported that they felt much more listened to, appreciated, and valued. They had started to feel like they belonged.

Creating a sense of belonging among a global team can be challenging, but the rewards are more than worth the effort. Be willing to embrace a beginner’s mind, develop empathy, go off autopilot, and be the one to adapt, and your team can feel that belonging, despite cultural differences.

This article was originally posted on Inc.com

Introduction of Saving Face (In Mandarin Chinese)

As I was writing the book “Saving Face: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust”, I asked myself the question of what is the biggest worry for the thousands of leaders I’ve coached over the years? Don’t think too long, I have the answer. Interestingly, their concerns are rarely about not earning enough money. Most of their concerns have to do with Face.

Of course, they don’t necessarily use the word ‘face’, but they often say, ‘I don’t think my boss affirms my ability to work.” “My colleagues don’t respect my ideas.” “My team members are not proactive enough.” etc. At the end of the day, these worries are all about Face.

The concept of face originated in China, but the concept is universal. It enables authentic connections between people, builds a sense of trust and long-term relationships. In today’s complex and ever-changing workplace, managers and professional workers must adapt to diverse customers, employees, and business partners. Building authentic and lasting human relations may be the most important calling for leaders in this century.

Why is Face so important? Face represents a person’s self-esteem, honor, status, dignity. “Face” is the new social currency in today’s world. The greater the face, the easier it is to get things done. It permeates all levels of social and business interactions.
This is the first business book on the topic of Face. While the primary audiences for this book are business leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals whose work requires them to interact and engage with people of diverse backgrounds, I also seek in this book to benefit any individual who wants to improve how they relate to others—how teachers relate to their students, how parents communicate with their children, and in many other social contexts.

I look forward to sharing this book with you all.

Face: The New Social Currency

As I was writing the book “Saving Face: How to Preserve Dignity and Build Trust”, I asked myself the question of what is the biggest worry for the thousands of leaders I’ve coached over the years? Don’t think too long, I have the answer. Interestingly, their concerns are rarely about not earning enough money. Most of their concerns have to do with Face.

Of course, they don’t necessarily use the word ‘face’, but they often say, ‘I don’t think my boss affirms my ability to work.” “My colleagues don’t respect my ideas.” “My team members are not proactive enough.” etc. At the end of the day, these worries are all about Face.

The concept of face originated in China, but the concept is universal. It enables authentic connections between people, builds a sense of trust and long-term relationships. In today’s complex and ever-changing workplace, managers and professional workers must adapt to diverse customers, employees, and business partners. Building authentic and lasting human relations may be the most important calling for leaders in this century.

Why is Face so important? Face represents a person’s self-esteem, honor, status, dignity. “Face” is the new social currency in today’s world. The greater the face, the easier it is to get things done. It permeates all levels of social and business interactions.
This is the first business book on the topic of Face. While the primary audiences for this book are business leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals whose work requires them to interact and engage with people of diverse backgrounds, I also seek in this book to benefit any individual who wants to improve how they relate to others—how teachers relate to their students, how parents communicate with their children, and in many other social contexts.

I look forward to sharing this book with you all.

5 Steps to Becoming an Effective Strategic Leader

Many people get stuck in the transition from technical expert to strategic leader. These steps can help you cultivate a strategic mindset.

Many professionals face a unique challenge when reaching a certain height in their careers: the transition from technical expert to strategic leader.

Whether they made their name in IT, marketing, finance, or any other business area, many leaders struggle to broaden their lens beyond their area of expertise. They resist embracing a strategic mindset.

Some reject strategic work, having seen too many strategic plans that didn’t materialize exactly as they were envisioned. Others would rather be doing “useful” work, like focusing on today’s problems, not those of a hypothetical future.

While it’s true that most strategic plans don’t turn out exactly as written, and while day-to-day problem-solving can feel more immediately gratifying, there is immense value in having a strategic mindset — and failing to embrace it can have repercussions.

When leaders can’t transition from technical expert to strategic leader, they often stay narrowly focused on their one area of expertise. They get in the weeds with technical details that leave others feeling lost. These leaders tend to steer every business discussion to their area, even when the matter at hand affects the company as a whole. They lack big-picture perspective and focus on reactive problem solving and putting out fires. They are less likely to make an impact in their roles and can experience career stagnation.

Strategic leaders, on the other hand, have a broad, forward-thinking perspective. They think long-term, identifying possibilities and opportunities the company can put into action. They help steer day-to-day decisions in the right direction.

I’ve coached many leaders who have been at this career crossroads. Here are some of the tools and techniques that have helped cultivate their strategic mindsets.

1. Look ahead to future possibilities
Your thinking will need to shift to include future goals in addition to present-day challenges. Before making decisions, ask yourself, how will what we’re doing now position us well for the future? What is the organization doing today to stay relevant five years from now? Focus your observations from a short-term and long-term perspective.

2. Think big picture
It can be difficult to switch gears from narrow technical expert to broad-thinking strategic leader. Start by connecting your work to the broader company strategy. “How does this align with our strategy and key priorities? How will this decision impact other departments? Can I contribute to that effort somehow?” Assess situations from multiple angles and from the standpoint of key priorities for the company, division, and business unit.

3. Pay attention to emerging trends
Study emerging trends inside and outside your field and tap into future-oriented resources such as think tanks and internal groups that focus on market research and industry trends. Listen to thought-provoking speakers live or online. Meet with visionary leaders to discuss how events and trends may impact your organization’s strategy.

4. Translate possibilities into breakthrough strategies
Do a competitive analysis of your organization’s products or services or position in the marketplace, and present it to the people involved. Solicit their input, listen to their perspectives and priorities, and fold them into your vision. Consider the financial impact on the entire organization. Develop a plan and a strong message to share with individuals who are impacted by your ideas.

5. Make time for strategic thinking
Technical experts often have a hard time letting go of the work they’re passionate about. They can easily fill their days with tasks they could be delegating, often falling into the trap of micromanaging. But higher-level, strategic thinking requires practice, focus, and time. Block out white space on your calendar exclusively for the task of high-level thinking. Make it a habit until it becomes a part of your regular working rhythm.

Technical experts who are transitioning to strategic leaders don’t have to abandon the work that brought them to this point in their careers. They can bring that same energy, passion, and enthusiasm to cultivating a strategic mindset and enjoy the best of both worlds.

This article was originally posted on Inc.com

7 Steps to Take Managing to the Next Level

With record numbers of people leaving jobs and starting new ones, it’s time to re-think how people “manage up.”

The Great Resignation has meant not only millions of workers leaving jobs, but millions of workers starting new jobs, too, with new rules, expectations, and relationships to navigate. Of those relationships, among the most challenging — and impactful — is the relationship with supervisors.

The skill of navigating this relationship is often referred to as managing up. I like to include the concept of “face” in this framework, which places dignity, trust, and respect for all parties at the forefront.

Face is a centuries-old Chinese concept of personal dignity. When we “lose face,” we lose some of our dignity and self-esteem. When we “save face,” we recover it. We can “honor face” for others by helping them build that dignity and self-esteem. In this way, face serves as a kind of social currency, allowing us to have a deeper awareness of how much trust we have built-in a relationship.

Trust is the most crucial element in employee/boss relationships. The following tips can help new employees build that trust, placing a lens of “face” on the tactical skills of managing up.

1. Build alignment on priorities and expectations
First things first: Get on the same page as your boss. Understand their top priorities and make sure your work aligns with those goals. This isn’t a one-time conversation, as priorities often change. Checking in with your boss proactively can ensure you stay aligned. Know what your boss expects from you in terms of work performance and work diligently to meet or even exceed those expectations.

2. Establish communication systems
Learn how your boss prefers to communicate. Do they pick up the phone for day-to-day communication, or do they prefer emails or texts? Establish a system for information updates, too, defining frequency, format, and level of detail. Do they want a once-a-week bulleted list or an in-depth daily report? By seeking this information early in the relationship, you’ll avoid miscommunications and misunderstandings — which can lead to losing face — and show that you are attuned to your new boss’s needs, which honors face and helps build trust.

3. Meet deadlines and commitments
It seems basic but establishing that you’re reliable and dependable gives your new boss peace of mind. Take stock of your time management skills. What do you need to do to ensure you don’t miss deadlines or let details slip through the cracks? In the case of a possible missed deadline, early communication is key: Be transparent with your boss ahead of time and work on a solution (rescheduling, additional support) together.

4. Offer solutions to problems
When problems inevitably arise, bring them to your boss along with possible solutions. Present solutions in a way that helps your boss analyze available options, and communicates you’ve done the work to think things through: “Here’s the situation with X. I’ve thought about A, B, and C, and I think we should do C because ___. Does that sound good to you?” Over time, you’ll build your own problem-solving skills, too.

5. Seek and take constructive feedback well
Feedback is key for continuous growth and improvement. It lets us know when we’re making progress and when we need to make adjustments. When presented with feedback, accept it with a positive attitude, embracing the feedback as a gift. This can help your boss be even more invested in your growth.

6. Don’t cause your boss to lose face
The trust you’ve built with your new boss can quickly evaporate if you cause them to lose face — by questioning them, correcting them, or trying to upstage them in public. If you spot an error that needs correcting, deliver the feedback respectfully in private. If you unintentionally cause your boss to lose face, mitigate the damage with a sincere apology and a promise to never repeat the mistake.

7. Find opportunities to honor face
The act of honoring face builds self-esteem and dignity for someone else. You can do this for your new boss by publicly giving or sharing credit on accomplishments and accolades. But honoring face doesn’t have to be public — showing appreciation for your boss’s everyday support, guidance, and advice can do the same. If we think of face as currency, these small actions are like deposits in a bank, building enough “face” to cover any future, unintentional withdrawals.

With so much to learn, a new job can feel overwhelming. Remember to keep face in mind as you manage up — you’ll enjoy a relationship based on trust that can help you both thrive in those early days and beyond.

This article was originally posted on Inc.com

Saving Face: The Art Of Tough Conversations With Dignity

You’ve heard of Facebook. But have you heard of Face Bank? The term might be unfamiliar to many, but the most effective HR professionals count on it to overcome cultural barriers, resolve interpersonal conflicts, and preserve dignity for all parties involved for a win-win outcome.

Face represents one’s self-worth, identity, reputation, status, pride, and dignity. It is a universal concept beyond its origins in Asia. The concept of face permeates all levels of social and business interactions. It speaks to the common human desire to be accepted and respected.

For over 25 years, as an executive coach and author, I have witnessed the ways most effective leaders galvanize and incentivize their teams to do their best work.

In this recording from my keynote, I shared the essential concepts of honoring, losing, and saving face so HR leaders can effectively manage tough conversations, build authentic relationships and create a culture of psychological safety for their teams and organization.

In this keynote presentation and subsequent workshop, you will learn:

What does it mean to apply the concept of Face at work, and why is losing face such a bad thing?How do you build up the “face account” and avoid the risk of “overdraft”?How do you help others save face while holding them accountable when delivering negative feedback?How do HR leaders apply the BUILD model to create psychological safety, accountability, and forge authentic relationships with colleagues across cultural, generational, and gender differences?