The Barnes & Conti Resource Library

Excerpt: “...In recent years, the U.S. economy has dealt with the result of a good deal of erroneous thinking on the part of senior business leaders, resulting in scandals, arrests, business failures, and a temporary (one can hope) loss of faith and trust in the soundness of American business practices.

Certain thinking errors frequently occur in decision making and can be extremely costly to businesses and careers. Some aspects of organizational culture support errors in thinking. Cultural values and norms can be very positive, but if leaders are not careful in interpreting them, they may work against strategic and critical thinking....”

Excerpt: “Following are a few indicators for estimating where a group (national culture, organization, subgroup) lies on each of the four dimensions and some implications of each for negotiation and conflict resolution. These are suggestions only and must be modified to fit the group you are considering. It is important to note that neither position is intended to be presented as “good” or “bad.” Any such implication is a result of the author’s cultural limitations....”

Excerpt: “Communication means moving thoughts and ideas from one mind to another. Clearly, no meaningful debate happens without it. There are two basic directions for communication and both need to be operational in order for meaning to be transferred.

• Receptive communication: the ability to draw information and ideas from others; to listen and to understand
• Expressive communication: the ability to frame information and ideas in a way that can be interpreted clearly and correctly by others...”

Excerpt: “Some of what passes for debate in today’s polarized media sounds rather more like a screaming match or playground name-calling contest. Unfortunately, as more and more people are exposed to this style of (non) communication, some of it has filtered into corporate meeting rooms and teleconferences. You may one day find yourself facing such a situation, and it is best to be prepared....”

Excerpt: “We like to think of ourselves as a rational species—but recent evidence from behavioral science research suggests otherwise. We tend to seek information that supports our views and disregard facts that are counter to our belief systems. This is known as the confirmation bias, and explains why people with conservative political views watch and read conservative media sources and liberals watch and read liberal sources. We hold fast to ideas even after we have been shown evidence that they are untrue or impossible. ...”

Excerpt: “...We continue to learn that people are often moved toward seemingly irrational decisions by values they hold dear and, perhaps even more strongly, by the pull of emotional needs. As influencers, we can’t afford to ignore them and can benefit by considering how to align with them. Something that doesn't make rational sense to us may meet a deep need or fulfill an important desire for someone else. ...”