Business_Spotlight_-_Nr.2_2020

38 Business Spotlight 2/2020 BUSINESS SKILLS

2. The challenges of change (BS 2/2019)
   In recent years, the vocabulary of “change”
   has given way to the vocabulary of “transfor­
   mation”. But regardless of whether we talk of
   change or transformation, many people experi­
   ence a reality of almost continuous disruption
   at work. So, in a dynamically changing envi­
   ronment, where technical innovation not only
   enriches but also threatens to undermine estab­
   lished business models, it is vital to engage with
   the phenomenon of change, to understand the
   different ways in which people might respond
   to it and to develop the skills that can help you to
   lead yourself and others through the experience.

QUESTIONS

A. How important is it to understand the

strategic drivers of change for your organ-

ization?

1. Extremely important. Understanding the
   big picture is vital.


2. Moderately important. It is useful, but it
   may not help you manage change in your
   team.


3. Not very important. It is more important
   to focus on specific changes affecting your
   team.


4. Not at all important. Strategy jargon is use­
   less when it comes to engaging people in
   times of change.

B. What are the typical stages of change that

people experience?

1. denial, anger, bargaining, depression, accept­

ance

2. excitement, optimism, engagement, compe­
   tence


3. worry, pessimism, anxiety, hopelessness


4. confusion, defence, exploration, discovery

C. Which attribute is key to helping peo-

ple overcome their initial resistance to

change?

1. assertiveness


2. resilience


3. confidence


4. empathy

D. How useful are consultants in driving

change in organizations?

1. Vital. It’s impossible to achieve effective
   change without external help.


2. Useful. They can provide different perspec­
   tives and can help to mediate conflict.


3. Not very. External consultants often create
   confusion in the change process.


4. Not at all. Consultants generally create chaos.
   3. Creating a healthy culture (BS 3/2019)
   “Culture” is a complex term that academ­
   ics continue to debate and disagree about.
   Yet business professionals all too often use
   the term “culture” in a simplistic manner to
   talk about differences supposedly related to
   national culture. They then use these “diffe­
   rences” to explain conflicts in their teams and
   performance issues in their projects or simply
   to describe their frustrations at the “peculiar”
   habits of individuals. Using culture in this way
   is problematic. Explaining complex individual
   behaviour by means of a national generaliza­
   tion often involves unhelpful stereotypes. It
   usually overlooks other, more important, basic
   factors, such as the professional skills of the in­
   dividual, their role or their high workload, all of
   which can play a key role in the “failure” of an
   individual to deliver or to collaborate according
   to expectations in an international team.

QUESTIONS

A. What is the first step to building a healthy

culture in a diverse international team?

1. Creating a clear team mission.


2. Having experts on the team.


3. Building relationships.


4. Clarifying salaries and bonuses.

B. What is the best way to handle serious

work-style differences in an international

team?

1. To do intercultural training focusing on na­
   tional cultural differences.


2. To ignore the differences. They will usually
   resolve themselves.


3. To encourage team members to discuss dif­
   ferences informally and in a positive way.


4. To help team members to define their own
   team culture.

C. What is the most important competence

for dealing with diversity?

1. technical experience


2. time­management skills


3. a positive mindset


4. communicating your message clearly

D. What should you do if you feel an interna-

tional leader is micromanaging you?

1. Be flexible and accept their leadership style.


2. Insist on more freedom.


3. Complain to your colleagues.


4. Question your own interpretation of “micro­
   management”.

affect sb. [E(fekt]

, jmdn. beeinflussen

anger [(ÄNgE]

, Wut, Ärger

anxiety [ÄN(zaIEti]

, Angst(gefühl), Besorgnis

assertiveness

[E(s§:tIvnEs] , Durch-

setzungsvermögen

bargaining [(bA:gInIN]

, Verhandeln

big picture: the ~

[)bIg (pIktSE] US

, das große Ganze

clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI]

, etw. (er)klären, erläutern

denial [di(naIEl]

, Verweigerung

disruption [dIs(rVpS&n]

, Störung; hier: grund-

legende Veränderung

driver [(draIvE]

, Triebkraft;

hier auch: Einflussfaktor

engage sb. [In(geIdZ]

, jmdn. einbinden

engage with sth.

[In(geIdZ wID]

, sich mit etw.

auseinandersetzen

micromanage sb.

[(maIkrEU)mÄnIdZ]

, jmdm. detaillierte

Vorgaben machen

mindset [(maIndset]

, Denkweise, Einstellung

peculiar [pI(kju:liE]

, eigenartig

resilience [ri(zIliEns]

, Widerstandskraft,

Belastbarkeit

resolve itself

[ri(zQlv It)self]

, sich (auf)lösen

technical [(teknIk&l]

, fachlich

vital [(vaIt&l]

, unerlässlich

workload [(w§:klEUd]

, Arbeitspensum,

-belastung