Cultural intelligence is essential for leaders, especially those operating in international environments. It enables them to understand how to effectively manage diverse teams, navigate challenges, and lead organizations toward success. Cultural intelligence is becoming an increasingly important skill in business because of how it impacts team building. One of the best parts of managing a team is getting to work with team members with each bringing a unique perspective and skillset to the table. Learning to lead with cross-cultural empathy, factor in different cultural backgrounds, and come to the table with cultural knowledge are all ways to improve your leadership skills.

Multicultural teams benefit from a diversity of opinion. To unlock the impact of a diverse team and build team synergy, you need to manage and encourage teamwork. That’s where a higher CQ (Cultural Quotient) comes in.

In today’s interconnected and globalised business landscape, cultural sensitivity is not just a virtue but a strategically  imperative for leaders. The ability to lead with cultural sensitivity has become a defining trait of successful leadership. It’s not merely about understanding different cultures; it’s about embracing diversity, fostering inclusion, and leveraging.

Cultural misunderstanding in the workplace is a miscommunication between individuals of different cultural backgrounds, which can lead to misinterpretations and negative consequences. It can occur when people assume that their own culture’s customs and norms are universal. It also arises when there are differences in language, values, beliefs, and expectations. At times even hand gestures are misunderstood by diverse cultural employees.      

Cultural misunderstandings can be harmful to an organization, as they can lead to confusion, conflict, and even decreased productivity.

Cultural sensitivity involves awareness, respect, and consideration of the values, beliefs, norms, customs, and traditions of diverse cultures. In global organizations this extends beyond the organisation’s internal culture to encompass the multicultural aspects of the customer base, employees, and partners worldwide.

For example, some team members are probably more comfortable with direct communication and feedback, whereas you might have other team members who are more comfortable with indirect feedback. Identifying what each team member needs to feel heard and welcomed at work is the best way to make them feel comfortable in a team. Many businesses operate on a global scale, serving customers from different regions, languages, and cultures. Cultural sensitivity enables CXOs to create experiences that resonate with diverse customer segments.

P&G is driven to make life better, not just within the company, but across the globe. P&G strives to make life easy of their employees who come from diversified countries, their consumers, and for people everywhere. As a part of the P&G team, everyone is committed to share that commitment. The organizations oversee teams that often span multiple countries and cultures. Being culturally sensitive fosters a more inclusive and collaborative work environment, driving innovation and employee satisfaction.

​​​​​​​P&G aims to be a model global corporate citizen. As organisations expand into new markets, understanding and respecting local cultures is critical for market entry and growth.
The company believes in transparency  in its business dealings, and it works to support good causes. All over world wherever P&G has its presence it strives to protect the environment and provide an appealing place to work to its employees; they are treated well and are given the opportunity to be all that they can be.

P&G hires people with high IQ, and at the early stages of career, employees have good opportunities to learn and grow. Upward mobility is not so easy. The management structure grows mostly from within.

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. This happens because P&G provides branded products of superior quality and value to improve the lives of the world’s consumers. Mishandling cultural nuances can lead to reputational damage. CXOs must ensure that their organisations are seen as culturally aware and respectful. This results in leadership sales, profit and value creation, allowing employees, shareholders and the communities in which we operate to prosper. Cultural sensitivity is not a static quality but a continuous journey of learning and adaptation.

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is a brand giant. The world’s first maker of household products courts market share and billion-dollar brands. Its business is divided into three global units: beauty, health and wellbeing, and household care. It also makes pet food and water filters and produces soap operas. Some 25 of P&G’s brands are billion-dollar sellers, including Gillette Fusion, Always/Whisper, Braun, Bounty, Charmin, Crest, Downy/Lenor, Folgers (which it reportedly plans to spin off), Gillette, Iams, Olay, Pampers, Pantene, Pringles, Tide, and Wella, among others.

P&G consists of over 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries. It began as a small, family-operated soap and candle company now provides products and services of superior quality and value to consumers in more than 180 countries. In P&G, every employee’s culture is respected. Their commitment begins with P&G’s Purpose, values and principles, in which sustainability is embedded, and manifests itself in a systemic and long-term way. They try to make their company better.  At P&G the workplace is made as inclusive as possible.

leaders need to be culturally sensitive because it helps them build strong teams, improve communication, and foster innovation. Leaders who are culturally sensitive can create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. This can improve morale and collaboration, and lead to better performance. They can improve communication by being mindful of language barriers and recognize how people from different cultures communicate. Foster innovation. Good leaders have leveraged on cultural diversity as a strategic asset to foster innovation and learning. This helps them to build better client relationships. When leaders respect other’s culture, they can mitigate risks. Leaders can avoid cultural insensitivity and make informed decisions to mitigate reputation damage and financial losses.

At Google different cultures are celebrated in a few ways. Inter Belief Network (IBN) are created where a network of member chapters that aims to create a culture of inclusion and tolerance for a variety of beliefs. The IBN also ensures that the voices of belief-based communities are represented in Google’s products. Asian Pacific American Cultures hub is a platform created in partnership with Google Arts & Culture partners to celebrate the history of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated. In this month with initiatives to uplift AAPI small business owners and creators. Google Arts & Culture celebrates festivals from around the world, including Diwali, which is a festival of lights that is important for Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs. Google Arts & Culture also celebrates the sports history of Mexico. Google’s culture is built on mutual respect, collaboration, and support. The company values individual differences and recognizes the importance of cultural diversity in achieving organizational success. 

Organizations which recognize cultural differences and celebrate them can easily avoid potential biases. Respect individual needs and beliefs by adapting leadership approaches to accommodate unique needs. Be open to diverse backgrounds by bridging cultural gaps to build meaningful relationships.

McDonald’s, one of the world’s most recognizable brands, has successfully implemented a “Think Global, Act Local” approach to cultural sensitivity. This strategy recognizes that while McDonald’s is a global brand, the customer experience must be adapted to local cultures. Here are key aspects of McDonald’s approach are  as follows:

Menu Localization: McDonald’s offers region-specific menu items to cater to local tastes and preferences. For example, in India, where beef is not widely consumed, the menu includes a variety of vegetarian options.

Festivals and Traditions: McDonald’s often runs special promotions and menu items aligned with local festivals and cultural celebrations. This not only reflects cultural sensitivity but also strengthens the brand’s connection with local communities.

Inclusivity McDonald’s is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion. Its workforce comprises people from diverse backgrounds, and the company actively engages in community initiatives to support cultural diversity and education.

When you remember your school and college days, what do you recall the most? I am sure you must be remembering some of those great teachers for their delightful classes, some for their sense of humor, and some for their craft, for their methodology of teaching and for their compassion and many more virtues of theirs.

Can we forget names of our teachers, can we forget their personalities? No, we cannot for a simple fact that they are an element of our life like our parents and siblings are. I think we all literally characterize the subjects with some good teachers we had; Maths, Language, History, Geography, Science, Civics, Drawing, Craft, Physical Training – all of these and many more in later years. A competent teacher has the enchantment – he/she can make the class fall in love with a subject. What students take away from a school/college usually centers on teachers who can instill passion and inspiration for the subjects! It’s difficult to measure success, and in the world of academia, educators are magicians who continually find new methods, new techniques, of re-evaluating how to quantify learning.

Teaching as a process is so interwoven and complex, that it is difficult to be explained.  It has three important sources. First and foremost, each subject taught is as large and complex as life, therefore the familiarity of the subject is always flawed and partial. No matter how a teacher devotes himself/herself to reading and research, teaching requires a command of content that always evades some student’s grasp. Second, the students themselves are larger than life and even more complex. To understand them, their capacity as learners and their queries and respond to them wisely in the moment, requires a fusion of Einstein, Freud and Edison! A teacher achieves this with lots of hard work. Let’s not undermine their commitment and their craft; like we mature as students they also mature as teachers. They need time. It takes few years for them to grasp the teaching-learning process and techniques.

Third, if students and subjects account for all the complexities of teaching, the teachers have to literally be on their toes to keep up with the class which often consists of some bright, extraordinary, some average and some laggards. Isn’t it challenging for a teacher to keep pace with variety of students? Some are mischievous, some are feeble, some are fighters, and some are sensitive – the teacher knows it all. He/she learns enough techniques to stay ahead of the student psyche. But there is another reason for these complexities – friends they teach us the way they are. After all, they are not robots, they are human like us. Like all of us even they have their whims and fancies.

Teaching is a truly human activity. Everybody cannot teach; it emerges from one’s inwardness, for better or worse. In my opinion a teacher projects his/her inner personality, their soul onto their students. In their interaction with the class which is usually very short in schools (a class is conducted for 30-45 minutes) they mold the young and supple hearts. They try to correct the thinking of the children, their character, their spirit and their disposition as citizen of a nation. The teachers give the world entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, and chartered accountants, CEOs, Prime Ministers and Presidents! They grow with their students.

Successful teachers have clear objectives. They have a sense of purpose; they see a big picture because they have a full class before them. Every child is unique, the teacher looks at the topic from every child’s point of view. A teacher who doesn’t listen to students fails and one who always listens to students will ultimately fail. It is no simple endeavor to know when to listen and when not to listen. Unconstructive energy zaps creativity and it makes a nice breeding ground for fear of failure. Good teachers have an upbeat mood, a sense of vitality and energy; they see past passing setbacks to the end goal. Positivity breeds creativity. Remember, they always want their students to succeed.

Humor and wit enlightens the class; it reduces stress and frustration, and gives students a chance to look at their circumstances from another point of view. All of us remember humorous teachers don’t we?

In order to avoid becoming the stuck and stubborn teacher, good educators take time to reflect on their methods, their delivery, and the way they connect with their students. Reflection is necessary to resolve some awkward issues in class rooms. Good teachers always give emotional support to their students. They understand that learning does not happen in a vacuum. Depression, anxiety, and mental stress have a severe impact on the educational process. A good teacher takes the whole person into account. When a child is suffering trauma in his life, the teacher reaches out with all might. And that’s a true teacher.

Friends, teacher’s job are not an easy job.  Most often their roles are undermined by cruel world. Their vacations, their pay scales are always discussed without understanding their responsibility –all of these ignorant and annoying comments just go to show that people who aren’t in education simply can’t understand all of the work that goes into being a classroom teacher. Teaching is simultaneously instilling in a child the belief that he can accomplish anything he wants while reprimanding him for producing shoddy work.

I can’t resist giving example of an ever beautifully made movie on teachers “To Sir with Love” in 1967 which stars Sidney Poitier as Mark Thackeray, an engineer who takes a temporary teaching job. The kids are rough, arrogant and uninterested in school, and ignorant to the possibility that they could become more than they are. The gentlemanly Mr. Thackeray, called “Sir” by his students, is as much a culture shock to them as they are to him.

To Sir, with Love is like a time capsule of the late 1960s: Sentimental optimism contrasts with the grittiness of poverty, illiteracy, teenage rebellion, and rapid social change. There is a sense that Mr. Thackeray’s class is staggering wildly toward dead-end or delinquent adulthood, and he has a few short weeks to reach at least some of his students before they are lost. His greatest asset as a teacher, though, has nothing to do with cutting-edge curriculum or teaching “best practices.”

It is culture. “Sir” is a living example of another world which his students could choose to enter, if only they could see themselves in it. Through him they experience, for the first time, what it is to have dignity. As the teenagers begin to awaken to their own self-worth, they start to grasp why people have manners, respect others, and behave in ways that draw respect in turn. They take interest in the written word and the process of intellectual inquiry. This movie shows how education is more than transmission of facts; it’s an invitation to explore the world of the soul, of human creative capacity, and of the physical universe. It shows when the right adult (teacher) comes in a misguided teenager’s life at the right time how things fall in the right place.  Please do watch this movie to understand a teacher.

Today I salute my all teachers from the core of my heart; for they made me what I am today. I am indebted to all of them. They truly have transformed my life.

]]> https://drvidyahattangadi.com/a-big-salute-all-our-teachers/feed/ 0 https://drvidyahattangadi.com/what-is-cage-distance-framework/ https://drvidyahattangadi.com/what-is-cage-distance-framework/#respond Mon, 24 Aug 2020 00:01:00 +0000 http://drvidyahattangadi.com/?p=6567

Expanding abroad allows domestic businesses to get out of a saturated market. It gives an organization access to new customers and in a market where its competitors do not operate. One of the reasons why businesses expand globally is to be able to provide a reliable service to their international clients. The Expansion through Internationalization is the strategy followed by an organization when it aims to expand beyond the national border.  

Companies habitually overestimate the attractiveness of foreign markets; they get dazzled by the sheer size of untapped markets, they lose sight of the difficulties while pioneering new, often very different territories. The problem is rooted in the analytic tools the most prominent being country portfolio analysis that managers use to judge international investments. By focusing on national wealth, consumer income, and people’s propensity to consume, managers emphasize potential sales, ignoring the costs and risks of doing business in a new market. Most of these costs and risks result from the barriers created by distance. Here “distance,” however, does not refer only to geography.

Pankaj Ghemawat is an international strategy guru who developed the CAGE framework to offer businesses a way to evaluate countries in terms of the “distance” between them. Pankaj Ghemawat’s “Distance Still Matters,” article in Harvard Business Review became world-famous. He explains distance is not only the physical geographic distance between countries but also the cultural, administrative, geographic and economic dissimilarities between them. The CAGE framework offers a broader view of distance and provides another way of thinking about location and the opportunities and affiliated risks associated with global arbitrage (taking advantage of price in two or more markets). 

Ghemawat provides an example of a North American fast-food company. In which he explains that on the basis for fast-food company to grow is per capita income. Countries like Germany and Japan would be the most attractive markets for the expansion for the North American fast-food company. However, when he plots the CAGE analysis using the CAGE framework, he shows that Mexico ranks as the second most attractive market for international expansion for the fast-food company, far ahead of Germany and Japan.

Another example provided by Ghemwat is of Dell Computers and its efforts to compete effectively in China. The vehicles it used to enter China were just as important in its strategy as its choice of geographic arena. For Dell’s corporate clients in China, the CAGE framework would likely have revealed relatively little distance on all four dimensions: Cultural, Administration, Geographical, Economical parameters. The fact that many personal computer components have been sourced from China by the mega computer manufacturing companies; however, for the consumer segment, the distance was rather great. For example, Chinese consumers don’t’ regularly buy over the Internet, which is the primary way Dell sells its products in the United States. One possible outcome could have been for Dell to avoid the Chinese consumer market altogether. However, Dell opted to choose a strategic alliance with distributors whose knowledge base and capabilities allowed Dell to bridge the CAGE gap in Chinese market

The impacts of the distances and differences figured out by the CAGE Framework between the countries have been demonstrated in a quantitative manner via gravity models. It is an excellent analytical tool for the various companies and organizations that develop international strategies with an intention of the global expansion of their businesses.

One most important parameter in CAGE framework explains that when looking to expand business into a foreign market, the cultural differences between the two countries are hard to change whereas differences due to the legal and economic structures can be changed easily.

Cultural Distance

It includes languages, different ethnicities, different religions, and different social norms.

Language

International business activities are always accompanied by language-related barriers as companies are confronted with multiple local languages and a multinational workforce. To increase the efficiency of corporate communication, documentation and cross-national teamwork, an increasing number of companies have implemented common language policies in both their headquarters and their foreign subsidiaries and made English their official corporate language.

Language differences present a common stumbling block in international business communication. It has been observed that whenever one party is using a second language or a translator, the potential for misunderstandings increases. Even if you’re bilingual, slang, jokes and figures of speech can cause problems. Try speaking slowly and clearly in these circumstances. If you’re giving an oral presentation, a clear hand out in simple language helps avoid misunderstandings. For example, BMW is easy to pronounce in English but say it like the Germans do – ‘bey-em-vey’. The ‘w’ is pronounced as ‘v’.

Ethnicities

Meaning traditions and mannerisms in ethnic groups.  For example, in Japan and the U.K. people tend to avoid the outward show of feelings, while the United States, France and Italy accept a stronger show of emotions, even in business. Some cultures have strict dress codes for business. For example, in Muslim countries, women must avoid sleeveless tops, short skirts and low necklines. In Japan, conservative business suits in dark colors are essential to make the best impression.

The advice is, when new to a culture, observe what others wear for business. Start out with conservative outfits in neutral colors until you learn what’s respectful and appropriate,

You can unknowingly cause offence when meeting foreign clients one-on-one. In Japan, you should bow rather than shake hands unless the other party offers a hand first. The exchange of business cards is a requirement in many cultures.

In Arab countries, you should accept the card with your right hand, while in China and Japan you should use both hands. In China, you can show respect by taking a Chinese name. In Brazil, business acquaintances stand close to build trust, so backing away may be construed as a rebuff.

Gift-giving etiquette is a complex subject that can be difficult to master. In China, gifts are the norm and expected, while in other countries, the wrong gifts are insulting. Avoid bringing bad luck in China – don’t give a clock or a gift with blue, white or black wrapping paper. Keep offering your gift, because Chinese recipients usually refuse three times before accepting.

If you comply with a request for a bribe in any country, corruption charges are a likely complication. It’s illegal for US nationals to bribe foreign officials, although sometimes gifts legal in the host country are allowed.

Following local customs builds better relationships at business meetings. For example, Canadians are clock-watchers and expect everyone to arrive on time. In Japanese meetings, often only the most senior person for each side talks, while others typically remain silent.

In China, business dinners often include many toasts, so pace you’re drinking accordingly. To maintain the respect of Asian contacts, avoid etiquette mistakes that cause you to lose face.

Religion

Religious observance is widespread and continues to influence managerial behaviour in many parts of the world. However, its role in international business negotiations has not received much scholarly attention. Lot of research proves that some of the key ways in which religious belief shapes negotiation behaviour.

Administrative Distance

It includes political environment, money (Currency value) political relationship (either friendly or hostile relation) government policies and institutional weaknesses.

Political Environment 

The political environment can be studied in terms of the central government, the citizens of a country, rules, and regulations or international relations. Examples of political factors related to the central government of a country are levels of bureaucracy, corruption, and government stability.

Political risk in international business results from various factors that can negatively affect a company’s income or complicate its business strategy. These factors include macroeconomic issues such as high interest rates and social issues such as civil unrest. Since the past year Lebanon is protesting also known locally as the October Revolution, for a series of civil protests taking place in Lebanon. Trade between India and Lebanon during Jan-June 2019 stands at $ 181.00 million, with Indian exports to Lebanon being $ 171.00 million and Indian imports from Lebanon amounting to $ 10.00 million which is now hampered because of Pandemic and unrest in Lebanon.

Currency Value

The balance of trade is the value of a country’s exports minus its imports. It’s the biggest component of the balance of payments that measures all international transactions. It’s easy to measure since all goods and many services pass through the customs office. India imports goods from China priced in Yuan and imports goods from U.S priced in Dollars. Both currency price changes less frequently.

Political Relationship

India’s closest friends in world include the Russian Federation, Israel, Afghanistan, France, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the United States. India is labelled globally for many things; a regional power, a nuclear power, a nascent global power, and a potential superpower, among others. With a growing international influence, by playing influential roles in various global matters, India has always held its head high when it comes to maintaining peaceful bilateral relationships with various countries, excepting its neighbouring countries in the subcontinent. Given the current scenario of the country’s relationships, it can be imagined that the farther away a country is, the more likely it is to have a strong relationship with India.

Geographical Distance

It includes parameters such as physical remoteness, lack of common border, lack of sea or river access, size of country, time zone, weak transportation reach or communication reach, differences in climate.

Physical Remoteness

All the great empires in the world have been based around trade routes, and these are almost always maritime transports (near the sea). There are notable exceptions; the medieval Mongol empire led by Genghis Khan was based on the Silk Road from China to the west. Many of the world’s poorest countries are severely hindered because they are landlocked; they are situated either in high mountain ranges; or lack passable rivers, long coastlines, or good natural harbours.

Climate

One of the most important factors in development is geography, where the country is in the world, and climate. It’s no coincidence that the poorest countries are in the tropics, where it is hot, the land is less fertile, and water is scarcer, where diseases flourish. Conversely, Europe and North America profit from huge tracts of very fertile land, a temperate climate, and good rainfall. In extremes of climate, either hot or cold, too much energy goes into the simple business of survival for there to be much waste of energy for development.

Lack of common borders

China has three of the world’s busiest ports, and so does the US. With ports you can raise money through tolls and shipping services. If you have no access to the coast, not only do you miss out on these services, you have to transport everything by land, which is much more expensive. And what if your neighbours don’t like you? Ice-bound on its northern coastlines, Russians have quarrelled for centuries over access to a warm water port, the Crimean War being the most serious one. Countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, Malawi, or Bolivia are all hindered by access to ports. Other countries, like Ethiopia or Lesotho, are not only landlocked, but mountainous as well, making trade even more expensive.

Economic Distance

It consists of parameters such as consumer income, natural resources, financial resources, human resources, infrastructure, intermediate inputs, information or knowledge.    

Consumer Income  

Money per capita can refer to income per capita, money supply per capita, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, or even net worth per capita. Countries like USA, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Australia are always an attraction in International Business. There is plentiful evidence that tradable goods are more expensive in countries with high per capita incomes.

Natural Resources

Natural resources have made countries richer. It takes infrastructure to capitalise on these, but some places have a distinct advantage over others. Oil is the most obvious. Nobody is any doubt about how Saudi Arabia or UAE make their money. Among other advantages, gold and diamonds have helped South Africa build the most successful economy on the continent. These are all non-renewable resources; once they’re gone, they’re gone, but while stocks last there is wealth to be made.

Besides these there are renewable resources; forests, fish, stocks that, if correctly managed, will refresh themselves. Much South American development has been based on the Amazon rainforest in natural rubber and then timber.

Finally, there is what is sometimes called ‘flow resources’. These are renewables that need no management, wind, tide and solar resources. The Earth Policy Institute describes the American Great Plains as ‘the Saudi Arabia of wind energy’, while sunshine-rich places like California, Sicily and Portugal are able to invest in solar power. No natural resource is a license to print money, and there are plenty of poor countries who are rich in resources, but then the fact is that have not been able to manage it.

I want to illustrate my point here with one of relevant examples how corporate invest for growing in new markets, found on Internet: when McDonald’s tried to enter the Russian market, it found an institutional void: a lack of local suppliers to provide the food products it needs. Rather than abandoning market entry, McDonald’s decided to adapt its business model. Instead of outsourcing supply-chain operations like it does in the United States, McDonald’s worked with a joint-venture partner to fill the voids. It imported cattle from Holland and russet potatoes from the United States, brought in agricultural specialists from Canada and Europe to improve Russian farmers’ management practices, and lent money to farmers so that they could invest in better seeds and equipment. As a result of establishing its own supply-chain and management systems, McDonald’s controlled 80% of the Russian fast-food market by 2010. The process, however, took fifteen years and $250 million in developing its Russian market.

Human Resources

Globalization forces companies to go international and enter new markets. All the corporate values and strategies change after internationalization. Human resource management (HRM), as a part of key business functional dimensions, faces a high level of development as well. Globalization has had far-reaching effects in business but also in strategic HRM planning. The signing of trade agreements, growth of new markets such as with India and Malaysia is because of young, trained and English speaking labour.

An example of dealing with an institutional void and changing the institutional context is by the “Big Four” audit firms (i.e., Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu, and PricewaterhouseCoopers) when they entered Brazil. At the time, Brazil had a untried audit services market. When the four firms set up branches in Brazil, they raised financial reporting and auditing standards across the country, thus bringing a dramatic improvement to the local market. The Big Four invested in training and development the accountants in Brazil.   

Labour law

The legal system in labour law practiced in a country has a great effect on the types of compensation; union issues, how people are hired, fired, and laid off and safety issues. Rules on discrimination, for example, are set by the country. In China, for example, it is acceptable to ask someone their age, marital status, and other questions that would be considered illegal in the United States. In another legal example, in Costa Rica, known as a thirteenth month salary is required to be paid in December. In Costa Rica, All rank-and-file employees who have worked for at least one (1) month during the calendar year, are entitled to receive 13th month pay regardless of the nature of their employment and irrespective of the methods by which their wages are paid. This perilous labour law distracts many firms from starting business in Costa Rica.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure matters to trade mainly because it decreases the cost of trade and ensure the ease of doing business in host economies. Lower trade costs raise the potential for increased export markets. Firms can choose the strategy of staying away from a market with infrastructural voids. For example, Home Depot Inc. the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, supplying tools, construction products, and services requires institutions like reliable transportation networks to minimize inventory costs and the practice of employee stock ownership which motivates workers to provide great service. The Home Depot has decided to avoid countries with weak logistics systems and poorly developed capital markets because the company would not be able to attain the low cost–great service combination that is its hallmark.

For developing good writing habits you need to accomplish two things; first, start writing regularly. Write in a journal, start maintaining a diary, write letters, write small passages on your social media accounts. Make a beginning by ensuring that you write regularly. You have to actually write. I suggest write with your hands that using the computer key pad. Second tip is – select minimum five topics on which you will write regularly; by writing regularly, you get plenty of writing practice, and your work improves.

You cannot write without having the knowledge on the topic; so read up as much as you can recurrently on the chosen topics by you. By reading and discussing you will gather lot of knowledge on everything related to your topics which you might want to mention in your writing. Remember lack of reading will be apparent in every sentence that you write. Therefore, for good writing skill reading as much as you can is very important. Both habits go hand in glove. For example, if you want to write on the topic of ‘present digital advertising scenario’ you might want to write the emergence of digital media – time line – it’s strengths and weakness, other media vehicles – it’s cost advantage and the strong players in digital advertising. Now you see a writer has to educate himself before writing on a topic like this. Your writing has to be realistic, lucid and stimulating. People will not read if it is dull and recurring. You need to have original ideas to make it interesting. Good writing needs intuitive mind also.

What are you writing – a report, a letter, a power point presentation, a note, an introduction? And, whom are you going to present it to? Remember nobody has time to read lengthy and prolonged writing. You need to be sensitive and you need to have keen understanding of the nature of people to whom you are going to present your work. Your written communication needs to be crisp and accurately worded. It should be a thoughtful discourse.

Finish what you start. One of the worst habits is leaving your writing halfway. If you take breaks you should be smart enough to reconnect to where you have left your work. Shiny new ideas are always tempting to add. Don’t go out of the context. Your communication must be understood; therefore, concentrate of the choice of words, the grammar, spellings, punctuation, logical flow and ending of the communication. I once again stress on the point of avoiding lengthy writing, nobody has time to read. Be specific and crisp in your communication.

Read what you have written twice/thrice and correct your presentation. Show your work to some senior colleague; ask him/her to correct your work if possible. Polish your work before you make a final copy. You should be good at editing your own work. Again, it comes with regular writing practice. Format your document correctly.

Some people detest writing. All across the world people say that writing is one of the most difficult, most underestimated activities. Some people write as a profession while others write because it is required for them in their education or career. There are even some unique people who write because they enjoy writing; no matter what you are writing for, developing a daily writing habit can be extremely beneficial to different areas of your life.

You must develop writing as a daily habit because it’s a great ability to have. It is a great skill of ably and coherently getting your thoughts onto paper in an interesting and engaging manner. It is no small feat. And my dear friends, once you get the hang of it, you start to see how it helps you communicate with others in an effective way. And, when you write daily, you develop a bigger sense of self. Even when you’re not writing about yourself, you become skilled at understanding how you perceive things or what your outlook is on certain subjects.

 Another great reason why writing daily is beneficial is because it helps you develop critical thinking skills that you learn through your writing and it helps you become a better orator, thinker, and doer. It certainly heightens your outlook and perspective on any given topic. Once you begin to write your thoughts and feelings on paper, you feel compelled to write about them again the next day. Please try doing it for a month.

And last but the least reason that I have for you is that writing trains you to learn about the English language, you automatically start using a better diction while talking because of your daily writing practice. You learn more words (synonyms and antonyms), your learn punctuation, grammar and spellings, whether it’s indirectly through contextual examples or directly from a dictionary. You automatically start to develop your thoughts with best words, ideas, and phrases that you can use at any given time. In fact you can start talking extempore. This gives you more of a chance to make a real difference with your words, not only on paper but orally as well. Start writing everyday; do it for a month and see the difference.

]]> https://drvidyahattangadi.com/reasons-why-you-should-develop-a-daily-writing-habit/feed/ 0 https://drvidyahattangadi.com/what-is-lethologica/ https://drvidyahattangadi.com/what-is-lethologica/#respond Thu, 20 Aug 2015 00:05:27 +0000 http://drvidyahattangadi.com/?p=2606 What is Lethologica?

 It happens to us so many times when we intently get engaged in discussions with somebody, we forget important words; how much ever we try to recall those words it becomes difficult for the mind and brain to recall them. If you cannot recall the precise words for something, you are facing the problem called ‘lethologica’ which may lead you to awkwardness sometimes.

Especially when addressing a conflict with somebody, such as a colleague, a boss, or somebody important the words matter. Sometimes, despite of how good your intentions are, if you use some wrong words, it can further upset the person and just make the issue worse. Other times you might say the exact thing that helps the person go from seemingly mad to cool as a cucumber.

When we forget the right words during discussions, the flow of conversation gets hampered.  And, listeners also get irritated. There are many other theories that attempt to explain the phenomenon lethologica. One more interesting thing about it is that when you are in a group of friends, the probability of everyone forgetting the world increases. When you seek help from others to recall the blocking word the discussion may go haywire. Most of the times, topic gets diverted. This is a common occurrence for most of the teachers/professors. While talking to the class, suddenly they forget the right term, the right expression, or the right phrase and the class is disturbed. The chances are, after the session these genius people remember the word. Sometimes people remember the word after a month or a week.

In psychology this phenomenon is known as “presque vu” or informally “tip of the tongue”. According to which when we make a query to get back some word from our memory, it often happens that the brain obtains a related word which is not the one we really asked for and is incorrect. Now this word then blocks the recovery of the correct word and that is why since this word is generally closely related to the word we want, we usually tell the first letter or some other characteristic. These blocking words are the phonological neighbors of the target word. This is quite common and for God’s sake don’t blame your memory for that. It’s just the way our brain works.

Do you know human memory has 3 parts: learn, store and recall. You need to see which part is faltering. When we don’t get the right word there could be a number of reasons. You could either be stressed which disturbs the recall mechanism. Or you get distracted by something more important, or you could also be multi tasking – thinking of many things at a time.  Human brain can think of one thing at a time. That’s about it. Multi tasking contributes to mind wandering. Age can also hamper brain’s recall system.

Making smaller statements can help. Smaller combination of words is nice to talk and also to hear. Every language has its uniqueness; if words are not properly used, meaning can change.

We should not worry about making mistakes. Nothing should hold us back more than trying to get the discussion to logical and rational. The moment we get worried about making mistakes our fear will prevent us from taking part in productive conversations and making productive contributions. Never get stuck.

Everybody makes mistakes even while speaking their own mother tongue or native language. They are called ‘slips of the tongue’. What is important is getting your message across, not whether you use all the right words, modulation, tenses, and so on. So, if you can’t think of the exact word, try saying things in another way. Even your facial expressions or body language can express what you want to say. Its common thing: 9 out of 10 people undergo this problem. Lethologica is termed as a psychological disorder that periodically hinders a person’s ability to clearly articulate their thoughts and they temporarily forget names in conversations, words and phrases.

When you are engaged in discussion, try to listen better. If possible, help the person who is getting stuck with a word and allow him/her to make the point clear. Memory improvement and listening better works to an extent, but training the brain in this regard needs to be done with care and deliberation.

What is XOXO, TMI, SOL, ROFL, LMAO, RBTL or OIC?  Yes, these words sound dribbling and irksome but still they have become part and parcel of the lexicon. Our desktop messaging has shifted to our smart phones and tablets and spelling and grammar have gone for a toss. Hundreds of texting jargons have replaced meaningful information and the bizarre texting has made us lazier mentally as well as physically. They have added new tool of string to our communication; so much so that these days the examination answers sheets also consist of some of the texting language.  So friends, computers, laptops, iPads, iPods, and Kindles have some disastrous effects on today’s written and spoken communication. And lately, the abbreviated messaging has found its way into business communication.

The pen and paper is replaced with computer and mobile key board with an added icing – the smiley.  About 23 years ago on 3^rd Dec 1992, a young British engineer named Neil Papworth sent the world’s first text message from a computer to his boss’s cell phone. It read: “Merry Christmas” this brief and crisp message revolutionized communication globally. Today, more than million text messages are sent every second in the world. The old bulky mobile phones of the 1990s have progressed into multi-tasking smart phones and text messaging has become part of our daily interactions. A recent World Bank study estimated that about three quarters of the world’s population now has access to cell phones. Trillions of text messages are sent around the globe every day. Some experts says that texting may soon become a thing of the past, as more people turn to instant-messaging and voice-messaging apps on their smart phones.

Many studies show that texting and using other types of instant messaging such as Facebook or email actually hurts relationships. Though texting is a practical tool, it lacks tone, sentiment, facial expressions, body language, and eye contact completely.  Many times it causes misinterpretation, confusion, and sometimes even deception. It simply diminishes social skills of people. Words and phrases such as ‘whatever,’  ‘too much information’, ‘as far as I know’ and ‘end of discussion’ is commonly misinterpreted because it has more than one meaning. Texting is a too drab and dry style of communication.  In the world of business and professional writing, the figure 4 does not mean ‘for’ and 2 does not mean the same as to or too. I think because of too much of texting and always glued to their smart phones younger people even in face to face communication look emotionless, less interested and plain. In serious business communication these texting abbreviations and short-cuts have no place.

When you communicate through messages you tend to end your chat very soon. On the contrary, telephone calls and face-to-face conversations take longer time to end.  The reason is that you get tired while typing and talk to the point. Talking to the point is only a surface level communication as we are not aware of the emotional state of the person we are chatting with. Another reason why texting ends in short-cuts is because texting take a lot of time and you get tired while typing words. So you prefer to be crisp and brief while writing.

Shortcuts with spellings, punctuation and using engendered acronyms have spoiled the language skills of today’s generation. Do you know, texting interrupts brain function and takes away concentration? Texting distracts focus on work at hand. It does not allow peace of mind to work.

But, on the other hand, texting may prove beneficial to those who are introvert. They prefer just expressing their emotions in shortcut. But it will not allow them to come out of their shell. They will remain shy and normally, such people are seen with stammering problem as well. For many adults like me, the task of understanding text messages from the younger generation is often bothersome. I think smart phones are reducing productivity of people using it 24X7. It’s better to maintain distance with it little by little by developing some diversion.

Education is the most powerful tool to change mindset from an older setting to new one. It has the power to change the way people execute. Progressive nations in the world invest in education of teachers and youth to empower a new generation of leaders. Nelson Mandela said that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Education is not all about studying to get good marks. It is a medium to discover new things. It helps us understand new concepts; new skills, new meaning, and new vocabulary thus increase our awareness. An educated person has the ability to differentiate between right and wrong or good and bad. It is the most primary responsibility of a society to educate its citizens.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to two-thirds of the world’s 370 million indigenous peoples, speaking 2300 of the world’s 7000 languages. 70 ethnic groups live in Thailand, and neighboring countries such as Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar have more. Do you know that countries not known for their cultural diversity, such as Taiwan and Brunei, each boast more than a dozen indigenous groups speaking their own unique languages? The Asian continent consists of multilingual countries. India is one such classic example of being a multi lingual nation with one billion people in 28 states and 7 union territories with more than 114 languages.

If children study in their mother tongue, they grasp better. Suppression of indigenous languages and cultures often results in the exclusion of indigenous peoples from basic social services, such as health care and education, lack of access to land and resources, and limited employment opportunities. This is particularly true with education. If children are forced to study unfamiliar concepts in a foreign language which they don’t understand, they can only do rote learning but don’t grasp the grass root of concepts. Native children fare worse than their non-indigenous peers in terms of school enrolments, retention rates, literacy levels and academic achievement. This is a fact noted by UNESCO.

For example in Vietnam, 83 percent of Hmong men and 97 percent of Hmong women are illiterate. This is why the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) emphasized the right of indigenous peoples to receive education “in their own languages” and “in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.”

Macaulayism is the conscious policy of reducing original culture of a nation through the planned substitution of the foreign culture by a colonizing power through the education system. The term is derived from the name of British politician Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859). He was actively involved in the introducing English language as the medium of instruction in higher education in India. The term Macaulayism is usually used in a belittling fashion, and it suggests one’s disloyalty to one’s country and one’s heritage. The Hindu senior citizens often blame Macaulay for producing a generation of Indians not proud of their heritage. They take pride of speaking English.

The following scanned copy of Lord Macaulay’s speech is self explanatory. It does not need any illumination further.

Humans communicate with one another using amazing array of languages, each differing from the next in numerous ways; in style of expression, pronunciation, grammar and meaning. One very settled question therefore arises, and that is do the languages we speak shape the way we see the world, the way we think, and the way we live our lives? Do people who speak different languages think differently simply because they speak different languages? Does learning new languages change the way we think? Does a multilingual person think differently when speaking different languages? The answer is YES. This point of view has occupied a whole lot of philosophers, anthropologists, governments, scholars, linguists, and psychologists, and they have been working on important inferences for politics, law and order, and religion of course.

The language in which we learn and study so many aspects of life touches on nearly all facets of our thinking, our decision making and the way we grow in our life. Yet, despite of constant considerations and debates, very little empirical work is done on these questions until recent times. For a long time, the idea that language might shape thought was considered simply wrong. One research on this topic at MIT has helped reopen this question. For the purpose of research data was collected from all around the world; from China, Greece, Chile, Indonesia, Russia, and Aboriginal Australia. The research has proved that people who speak different languages do indeed think differently and that even usage of grammar can profoundly affect how we see the world. Thus, language is a unique human gift. It is the central to our experience of being human. We must appreciate its role in constructing our mental ability, our existence, and to understand the very nature of humanity. Language is so elementary to our experience of life. It is as deeply ingrained in us as a part of being human. It’s so sad that we abuse the usage of language for committing crime, for doing so many wrong things.  That’s the power of language; it actually shapes our thoughts.

The question whether or not Lord Macaulay proclaimed in the British Parliament that the only way to rule India is to make the Indian culture seem inferior is debated even after two centuries. But, the fact remains that the original culture of India, its value system and its richness of thoughts did change radically with the introduction of English language.

Our heritage is all that has been passed to us by previous generations. Heritage refers to something inherited from the past. The word has several connotations. Natural heritage refers to, an inheritance of fauna and flora, geology, landscape and landforms, and other natural resources. Cultural heritage refers to the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society – man-made heritage. Food heritage refers to recipes and ingredients and procedures of cooking, industrial heritage refers to monuments from industrial culture. Virtual heritage refers to an ICT (information and communication technology) work dealing with cultural heritage. Inheritance of physical goods after the death of individual; of the physical or non-physical things inherited. Heredity refers to biological inheritance of physical characteristics. Birthright refers to something inherited due to the place, time, or circumstances of someone’s birth. And, Kinship refers to the relationship between entities that share a genealogical origin.

It is all around us. It is in the houses we live in, our educational institutions, our places of work, the transport we use, our places of worship, our parks, our gardens, beaches, the places we go to for our social life, in our language, literature, music, sports, in the ground beneath our feet, in the shape of our landscape and in the placing and arrangement of our fields, villages, towns and cities. Heritage is also found in our moveable possessions, from our national treasures in our museums, to our own family businesses, and in the intangible such as our history, traditions, legends and language. While all that we inherit is strictly our heritage, the term has become synonymous with the places, objects, knowledge and skills. I strongly feel that we must learn to value our inheritance for reasons beyond their mere utility and their functional use.

This is because each heritage is unique and exceptional; it is the responsibility of the current generation to preserve it. It’s so sad that due to us – the citizens of this nation and our government’s sloppy attitude we have lost a lot of historical, geographical, cultural heritage. This clearly shows we lack respect for our history. In order to build a great future every nation must connect with its past. Our past is loaded with brilliance, heroism, ethnicity, empires, inventions, also a lot of suffering and sorrows. The peaceful native people were massacred and virtually wiped out by invaders. Our history has experienced slavery in its most brutal and oppressive form. I have this strong belief that all generations born after independence have taken governance, rules and regulations, law & order for granted. They grew up in a very different world where a transition began towards Western culture.

We achieved independence but forgot the freedom fighters, we won so many wars but forgot the warriors, we believe in equality today but forgot those great rebellions who struggled for it,   and we are enjoying industrialization today but forgot the first generation of industrialists who had to bear the brunt of the Britishers; who were not given good treatment and equal chances. We have some of best musical inheritance, paintings, artifacts which we are hardly bothered about. We are so callus to not even make a mention of all those mammoth contributions made by thousands of people to create a powerhouse economy in our country due to which we can boast of many other laudable achievements today.

Our national accomplishments are the result of long journeys and numerous processes. It is these processes and journeys that we have no detailed records of and the very few persons who still remember may not be around much longer. There were long and sometimes painful steps that had to be taken to create the country we have today.

India is home to some great traditions. What are they? The first is spirituality of India. Nowhere else in the world will you find such profound and deep spirituality that can win over the hearts of people and make them blossom from within. The second is Ayurveda, it is such a unique tradition in which the medicines have no side effects, and only work to protect and enhance our mind and body. The third is Yoga; regardless of the country, people all over world are rapidly adopting and incorporating Yoga in their lives. The fourth tradition is music. India is home to so many different types and schools of music. I don’t think in any other part of world you will find such a rich diversity in music and dance.

The other mentionable heritage is of the language and dialect. You will find that after every 200-300 kilometers, the language or the dialect changes; the music and dance changes; the local culture and beliefs change. You will not find such diversity anywhere else in the world. Music, dance and drama (full of Navarasas) are inseparable from our culture. How can we forget our food? India has a fantastic basket of variety of recipes across the country. Next is our dressing and attire; you will see such a variety of clothes and dressing styles, and even the opulence of ornaments and accessories worn along with them. We decorate our idols in temples also with beautiful fabrics and ornaments. Due to such fascinating diversity in all aspects of life Indian tourism stands tall in the world. I have to mention proudly about our Sanskrit language. Do you know that Sanskrit fits the bill to become a computer language? Forbes in 1987 reported that Sanskrit is very suitable to use in computer as a programming language, because of its perfect syntax. Interestingly, Sanskrit has very little room for error as well. We have to take all efforts to nurture and conserve Sanskrit by compulsorily teaching it from primary standards in schools.

Our national anthem mentions about all regions, language, geographical inheritance, natural resources and culture of India and it advocates the people of India to preserve and cultivate its rich cultural heritage.

Albert Einstein said “We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.”

Max Mueller, German scholar has quoted “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India”.

Anthropology, as a discipline of Humanities can do quite a lot in treasuring and nurturing our rich heritage. Universities can take some positive steps to stimulate Anthropology branch with adequate facilities and infrastructure; so that many youngsters opt for this branch of study. Besides collecting and preserving the narrative of our past, we should also be proud of it. We lack any real nationalism and pride. This is ruthlessly demonstrated in the way we treat our environment, how shabbily we have kept our heritage monuments, forts, architectural sites. We are very poor because we have not preserved our rich heritage.

Ignorance and shame regarding our own country is not only limited to the younger generations, the older generations are no less to hold closer the western culture with much fervor. Look at any Indian soap operas – they project unreasonable and unsound culture and customs.

I feel unless we wake up from our deep slumber to accept who we are, our authenticity, and begin to take pride in it, we may lose whatever little inheritance is left with us. We should take enormous efforts to maintain our uniqueness of heritage. We cannot displace our past, and if do so, we will become a bland and soulless country.