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World
Bytes
Global
Learning
by
Terrance Malkinson
A Thought to Chew
On
Organizations and
institutions around the world are reflecting upon their role in building
a free and democratic world. As professionals, it is our responsibility
to use our experience, skills, creativity and innovation to facilitate
this noble cause. We need to ensure that we are educated to understand
the world, the cultures in which we do business, and the diversity of
people with whom we live, work, and play. The complexities of the business
environment and globalization will continue and escalate. Along with
technical abilities, career-savvy individuals must have in-depth
understanding of human behavior, religion, history, language and culture.
These life components are essential for a balanced education and build the skills necessary for career success.
In the IEEE's Institute
(25(11): November, 2001) IEEE President-Elect Raymond Findlay discussed
how IEEE can assist with this effort and how this will be the focus of
his 2002 term as president. This is also one of the goals of this
column: providing insights and different points of view about the global
engineering community and their application to your career.
Take the time to equip
yourself with critical skills by reading, traveling, and interacting
with people from many different backgrounds. A good place to start is
the award-winning magazine Transitions Abroad — The Guide
to Learning, Living, and Working Overseas (www.TransitionsAbroad.com).
This bimonthly publication offers a wealth of information on how to go
about living, working, studying, or vacationing alongside the people of
your host country — and the key words here are "alongside the
people of your host country."
Think deeply about
your responsibilities as world citizens and about the legacy you
want to leave behind. Think about the recent passing of musician and
lifelong spiritual student George Harrison; read what is being written
about him as a person and think about the far-reaching legacy that he
left behind.
You, too, can make a
difference.
Other Bytes and
Tydbytes
- In "The
Leadership Lessons of Mount Everest" (Harvard Business
Review, 79(9): 51-58, 2001) author Michael Useem describes
leadership experiences in one of the world's most stunning yet
demanding classrooms by a team of 20 individuals. The uniqueness of
the experience was its environment, where risk is high and decisions
may literally make the difference between life and death. The four
major lessons learned are discussed in detail: Leaders should be led
by the group's needs; inaction can sometimes be the most difficult
but wisest action; if your words don't stick, you haven't spoken;
and leading upward can feel wrong when it's right. Each lesson
learned has applications we can all use in our careers.
- "Ready, Set,
Rotate" is the title of an article by Martha Frase-Blunt (Human
Resource Magazine, 46(10): 46-53, 2001). Frase-Blunt offers a
discussion of the advantages of entry-level rotational training for
new employees and includes examples of how this method of employee
orientation is increasingly being used by organizations. This is a
win-win situation for both the employee and employer; it assists in
the final placement of new employees based on their interests and
skills; attracts the best employees; allows deep immersion into the
organizational business and culture; opens up new experiences
increasing self-confidence; and provides a diversity of
cross-training for grooming future managers and executives.
- "Harnessing
the Science of Persuasion" by Robert B. Cialdini (Harvard
Business Review, 79(9): 72-79, 2001) notes that persuasion
skills exert a far greater positive influence over others than
authority hierarchies do. Cialdini describes six fundamental
principles of persuasion: liking, reciprocity, social proof,
consistency, authority, and scarcity. He also describes their
appropriate application to steer decisions correctly.
- "Getting
Better All the Time" is the title of a special feature in The
Economist (361(#8247) 10 November 2001). Each of the seven
articles discusses how science and technology is rapidly improving
the lives of both the poor and the rich. Innovations in agriculture,
pharmaceuticals, the Internet, e-learning, infrastructure policy,
micro-improvements, and technology and society are discussed, with
the common factor being that technology increases the power of
individuals and does not necessarily drive out the old.
- "Speeding Up
Team Learning" is the title of an article by A. Edmondson, R.
Bohmer, and G. Pisano in Harvard Business Review (79(9):
125-132, 2001). Using lessons learned from a study of 16 cardiac
surgery teams when implementing a new procedure, the authors provide
intriguing insights into how teams can adapt successfully to new
ways of working. They wrote that three essential characteristics for
success are a design for learning; motivation to learn; and
leadership behavior that creates an atmosphere of psychological
safety and fosters communication and innovation.
- "14 Things You
Should Know About E-Learning" is the title of an article by
Patricia A. Galagan in Training and Development (55(11):
69-72, 2001). This article discusses critical features of e-Learning
that can be quickly escalated to organizational strategy.
Accompanying this article (pp. 74-77) are the results of an
e-Learning survey conducted by Training and Development that
provides a "snapshot" of e-learning practices from 671
respondents.
- "Radical
Change the Quiet Way" is the title of an article by Debra E.
Meyerson in Harvard Business Review (79(9): 92-100, 2001).
The author provides tips and techniques on how to bring about
cultural change in organizations without damaging your career. A
quiet-tempered approach may be most effective in bringing about a
change in an organization, as opposed to a direct confrontation that
will only provoke resistance. Implementing change in this way will
prove to others that you have the leadership skills of value to the
organization. As the author states, "their end is sweeping but
their means are mundane."
We welcome your
feedback as to how we can continue to provide the insight and points of
view that will meet your needs best. Please send your thoughts, views
and comments on this column to todaysengineer@ieee.org.
Terrance
Malkinson is a proposal manager/documentation specialist with GE Capital
IT Solutions Inc. |
