Culture management

1. Culture Clash
Presented By
Faris Alami
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www.myISMinc.com

2. Presented by:
Faris Alami

3. Presented by:
Faris Alami

4. Building on Culture
“Leveraging a Multi-CulturealWorkforce
and Resolving Conflict”
Presented By
Faris Alami
4
www.myISMinc.com

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Program Objectives
• Understanding of multicultural environments
• Deep dive what happens when cultures interact
• What should we be looking for?
• How to intervene?

6. • Overview - Big picture
• Understanding Other Cultures
• Exercises
• Q and A
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Overall Agenda

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House Rules:

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Why Are You Here?

9. • Palestinian born in Kuwait
• Three months after the 1st Gulf War, came to the U.S.
• Started several businesses in Arizona while attending college
• Held Executive positions in small and big box retailers such as
Pure Beauty and Macy’s
• Turned around several companies and divisions
• Ran Troy staffing company
• Formed Integration Systems Management, Inc. in 2003
• Over 35 Professional Awards and 36 Educational Awards such
• Married with two children
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About Faris Alami

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Why Do Cultures Clash

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What Is Culture To You?

12. • Culture generally refers to patterns of
human activity and the symbolic
structures that give such activity
significant importance. (learned values,
beliefs and thought patterns to a
member of any social group)
• Determines how we view and perceive
ourselves and others around us.
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Culture

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So What Does That Mean?

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Why Is Culture Important?

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What Did We Learn?

16. • Any thoughts ?
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Why Do People Clash?

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Latino Population
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey

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Latino Population
Type of origin Number Percent
Total 44,252,278 100.0
Mexican 28,339,354 64.0
Puerto Rican 3,987,947 9.0
Cuban 1,520,276 3.4
Dominican 1,217,225 2.8
Central American 3,372,090 7.6
South American 2,421,297 5.5
Other Hispanic 3,394,089 7.7
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey

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Arabs In The U.S
*Excludes persons who identify as Chaldeans, Assyrians, or other Christian minorities in. Iraq
Based on Zogby International Survey

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Arab American Religion
Religious Affiliations of Arab Americans
*Catholic include Roman Catholic, Maronite, and Melkite (Greek Catholic)
**Orthodox includes Antiochian, Syrian, Greek, and Coptic Based on Zogby International Survey (2002)

21. • Arab Americans with at
least a high school
diploma number 85 %.
• More than 40% Arab
Americans have a
bachelor’s degree or
higher
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Arab American Education
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000

22. • 17% percent of Arab
Americans have a post-
graduate degree.
• Of the school-age population,
13% are in pre-school, 58%
are in elementary or high
school, 22% are enrolled in
college, and 7% are
conducting graduate studies.
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Arab American Grads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000

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African American/ Black Population
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey

24. • 40.2 Million (13.4%)
• 61.4 (14.6 %) Projected by 2050
• Largest Minority in Michigan
• 81% Have a HS Diploma
• 18% Have a Bachelor Degree or higher
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African American/ Black Education
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2006

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African American/ Black Society
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2006

26. Self awareness
Awareness of your and
others’ support systems
Openness to acknowledge
your biases
Engage with others who are
different from you
Ongoing, repeat all
four steps
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Bridging Cultures: The ISM™ Approach

27. What Defines Culture For Each Group

28. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Family Role
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

29. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Friends Role
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

30. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Society Role
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

31. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Gender Role
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

32. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Education Role
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

33. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Unspoken Rules
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

34. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Spoken Rules
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

35. Ethnicity Tell me what you think?
Religion
• African American/ Black
• Hispanic American
• White American
• Arab American
• Asia
• India
• Others

36. What Triggers Conflict

37. 7 Steps™ To Build A Learning
Community and Avoid Clash
• Listen to their side
• Understand their point of view
• Learn about their important points
• Ask them questions
• Engage them in the process
• Align the situation with local expectation
• Repeat

38. In his book, Patrick Lencion says:
• Absence of trust
• Fear of conflict
• Lack of commitment
• Avidness of accountability
• Inattention to results
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

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Conventional Wisdom

40. We need to work with their motivation….
You tell me
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Taking A Deeper Look/ Reality

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Embedded Norms

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People Need Positive Relationships

43. • Create a dialog on culture issues
• Conduct regular surveys
• Create a forum/ roundtable
• This is a process
• Actions
• Anticipation
• Ongoing
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Takeaways

44. • Train the trainer for dialog on culture issues
• Conduct regular surveys
• Create forum/ roundtable
• Bring outside resources
• Ongoing coaching/consulting
• Custom workshops
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What ISM Can Do For You?

45. Thank You!
Faris Alami
248-688-5353 Ext 2
faris.alami@myISMinc.com
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Questions