At the core of the Belief Tool are two assertions:
Cross-cultural conflicts arise most often when we respond to a behavior that conflicts with one of our core beliefs. We interact with one another at the level of behaviors. Our own beliefs may seem so obvious or “essential” to the way that we understand the world that we rarely articulate them, even to ourselves. We assume that the objectionable behavior carries the same negative significance for our counterpart that it does for us. As a result, we confront the behavior in the way it “should” be confronted according to our belief system. Very often, this simply concludes with further offense and misunderstanding.
In the midst of so much potential misunderstanding, how do we chart a way forward? First, we must make a decision to be curious enough to discover the belief, which will then help us to understand the behavior and to identify an effective response.
Used in business, the Belief Tool will help you discern the negotiating tactic of the person sitting across from you on a critical deal, understand the motivation and values of the entrepreneur you’re planning to invest in, or confirm the veracity of some vital business information reported to you by a local employee. Used diligently, it will help you understand the behaviors you see and the decisions being made and it WILL ensure you are more effective in frontier and emerging markets.
Of course, like every tool, wielding it effectively takes practice. Check out The Culture Key: Investing and Entrepreneurship in Frontier and Emerging Markets where I breakdown some of the most prevalent and important beliefs that shape (and misshape) business in these up-and-coming economies.
Use the Belief Tool as a lens to look through in every situation you encounter, whether it’s discerning the negotiating tactic of the person sitting across from you on a critical deal, understanding the motivation and values of the entrepreneur you’re planning to invest in, or confirming the veracity of some vital business information reported to you by a local employee. Used diligently, it will help you understand the behaviors you see and the decisions being made. More importantly, it will help you work out effective responses to any situation.
The Belief Tool is the core of this book and illustrates the book’s central tenet:
Every human BEHAVIOR comes out of a core BELIEF.
- Every action or behavior comes from a core belief; and
- A person’s actions are always consistent with his or her beliefs.
Cross-cultural conflicts arise most often when we respond to a behavior that conflicts with one of our core beliefs. We interact with one another at the level of behaviors. Our own beliefs may seem so obvious or “essential” to the way that we understand the world that we rarely articulate them, even to ourselves. We assume that the objectionable behavior carries the same negative significance for our counterpart that it does for us. As a result, we confront the behavior in the way it “should” be confronted according to our belief system. Very often, this simply concludes with further offense and misunderstanding.
In the midst of so much potential misunderstanding, how do we chart a way forward? First, we must make a decision to be curious enough to discover the belief, which will then help us to understand the behavior and to identify an effective response.
Used in business, the Belief Tool will help you discern the negotiating tactic of the person sitting across from you on a critical deal, understand the motivation and values of the entrepreneur you’re planning to invest in, or confirm the veracity of some vital business information reported to you by a local employee. Used diligently, it will help you understand the behaviors you see and the decisions being made and it WILL ensure you are more effective in frontier and emerging markets.
Of course, like every tool, wielding it effectively takes practice. Check out The Culture Key: Investing and Entrepreneurship in Frontier and Emerging Markets where I breakdown some of the most prevalent and important beliefs that shape (and misshape) business in these up-and-coming economies.
Use the Belief Tool as a lens to look through in every situation you encounter, whether it’s discerning the negotiating tactic of the person sitting across from you on a critical deal, understanding the motivation and values of the entrepreneur you’re planning to invest in, or confirming the veracity of some vital business information reported to you by a local employee. Used diligently, it will help you understand the behaviors you see and the decisions being made. More importantly, it will help you work out effective responses to any situation.
The Belief Tool is the core of this book and illustrates the book’s central tenet:
Every human BEHAVIOR comes out of a core BELIEF.