Global Workplace Success Blog with Pat Tith

Well the big show is over in Beijing. Being a “China” person I was fascinated by it all.

My first encounter with China was from a vantage point in the New Territories of Hong Kong. In those days you could only look at China in the distance over a duck farm. I was told, “there is China” …all I could see were foothills. I remember feeling so frustrated. I told myself at that moment that I would get to China one day.

I made that pledge many years ago and am happy to report I have been to China 12 times both living and working there, as well as traveling all over the country by train. I experienced the sleeping giant while it was still asleep for the first time in 1979. That was a very special moment in time.

BUT those times have changed and the sleeping giant is no longer sleeping in case you hadn’t notice. All hosting nations to the Olympics are like coming out parties. This coming out party was unlike any the world has ever seen, or for that matter will ever see again. China was out to prove to the world that it was back BIG TIME. It was a major investment in its future.

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The bottom line for global workplace success is well stated by Marcel Proust (1871-1922), French novelist and essayist.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscape,

but in having new eyes.”

In dealing with all the factors needed to make sure yours is a high-performing workplace, this is a good philosophical umbrella to keep in mind.

Happy Weekend!

P.S. I have this quote on the back of my business card.

In downtown Washington, DC, USA the atmosphere is unusual. Many buildings are gutted or in the process of being gutted. Turns out it is cheaper to do this than to renovate.

These buildings are on the average 50 years old.They are no longer useful, appealing, and functional into today’s global and technology driven world. The net result is a more attractive building that has all the bells and whistles needed to be efficient and competitive.

What about your workplace? Are you operating in outdated ways? Are you avoiding the inevitable by just tweaking this and that….and yet still feeling that all it is producing is inadequate results. If this is the case, you need to face up to your situation. You are being slowed down! High potentials don’t want to work in an outdated environment. Your company image does not look “with it”.

Today’s global workplace is not the “same old same old”. It is dynamic and up-to-date competing and performing with the best of its competitors worldwide.Think about it ….Maybe your workplace doesn’t need to be gutted like those Wash, DC buildings. But, chances are it needs, at a minimum, an upgrade just like your computer software.

What does this require you do? I welcome your ideas. More from me on the subject in upcoming posts

According to Conde Nast Portfolio, March 2008, the Democrats and the Republicans will blow ONE MILLION DOLLARS…$1 BILLION …. on getting a candidate elected this year! Is this a bargain?

Procter & Gamble spent $3.3 BILLION on media in 2006 to get customers to buy their products…products like Tide Laundry Detergent.

Beer marketers spent $1.2 BILLION during that same year to convince you to buy their beer.

What are you investing in developing your leaders to prepare them for leading global teams and working across cultures into today’s global workplace? In order to be competitive you need to engage your employees as well as get them ready to lead your company forward.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU SPENDING? Look at what you are offering to develop your future leaders. You may not need to spend $1 BILLION but….you get my drift.

Targeted training and employee development is the main way to engage your employees and keep them in your company. Are you INVESTING enough?

I hope the Chinese Year of the Rat brings you all that you wish for and more. More than 1 billion Chinese are celebrating Chinese New Year or as they say in China Spring Festival.

FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR SOME CHINESE NEW YEAR FUN.

Click on the link above, put your cursor to open the door. Move the mouse around the card. The fish will swim following your mouse. Swimming fish are symbolic for life and water represents the flow of prosperity! This greeting was sent to me by a Chinese friend.

The US Presidential primaries in many ways represent what you have in your workplace. The different kinds of employees that managers and leaders have to work with are reflected in these primaries.

Here are some of the differences I have come up with that we are seeing in the Presidential candidates and you are seeing in your workplace.
1. different genders
2. different races
3. different religions
4. different generations
5. different experience
6. different regional backgrounds and cultures
7. different communication styles
8. different approaches to the various issues
9. different opinions
10. different personalities – THE BOTTOM LINE!

A lot of “differents”! These differences are obvious to many of you. They are, unfortunately, not so obvious to many who are interacting with differences on a daily basis in their global workplace. They are not operating - leading and managing - with a global mindset. There are many reasons for this that will discussed in future postings.

We need to be aware of these differences and be reminded once again that it is not business as usual and hasn’t been for a long time!! You cannot keep managing and leading in the “same ole same ole” way.

Things WILL be VERY different if Hillary Clinton, a woman or Barack Obama, an African-Caucasian, or John McCann a 71 year old, or Mitt Romey, a Mormon become President of the USA. Things ARE ALREADY different in TODAY’S workplace…………Are you?

Cultivate Innovation and Creativity from Your Workforce

You may think that this is an odd first posting to my new blog on today’s global workplace, but I feel it is very relevant to improving today’s workplace. Let’s see if you agree.

I have had to accept the fact that I was born to shop! I love to shop. This love of shopping became very clear to me recently as I was busily going through a department story checking out the new styles for the season. I love to shop at the beginning of each season; I love to see what’s new, where the imagination of fashion designers has taken them, and what I’ll be tempted to buy.

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