Thinking Outside of the Box

Having an Engineering background, I often tend to over analyze situations and find logical ways to address problems. Today's sessions reminded me that this is not always possible when dealing with people, and cultural dilemmas require thinking outside of the box. Fons Trompenaars clearly illustrated this by showing how linear models often miss the mark through his example on the value of integrity. As professionals in the field, we often get bogged down with theories and forget that people don't always fit inside the box. I was grateful that Mr. Trompenaars was so passionate about reminding us that there does not have to be one right and one wrong answer to every dilemma. We must ask the right questions in order to encourage people to come up with innovative solutions which incorporate a combination of preference, rather than simply pushing a position we think is right.

Throughout the day I was reminded that real people have real emotions and as basic as that sounds, it is often easy to forget when we are overwhelmed or stressed out. However, the sessions today constantly brought this to mind for me. I began to reflect on the practical methods presented today in light of my work in the field of Education. I often work with teenagers, and I can adapt the games which Dr. Harris led us through to lessons in cultural awareness and effective communication. More importantly, thinking outside of the box, I can see the deeper implications of these lessons and how students respond to them beyond the obvious goals. Ray Leki also brought up mindfulness and the fact that when we are mindful, we can better observe our responses to situations, thus regaining control in stressful situations. This is especially useful when working with teenagers who often do not know how to refocus or re-center in intense situations.

Overall, I learned many new techniques and other helpful information today, but for me the most important aspect of the conference so far has been this realization that we constantly need to think outside of the box. As people grow and change, we need to constantly develop innovative ways to meet their needs. And, in our fast-paced society we need to remember to take the time to be aware of ourselves, our emotions, and the emotional responses of those with whom we work and serve.