Frank Garten

22/06/2020

I produced and presented my podcast "Clarity in Conversations" Season 1, and it was fun! So many great guests in Season 1, like Caroline Webb, Laura Janusik, Renita Kalhorn, Erik Boers, Joseph McCormack, Mieke Coupé, Geof Cox, Scott J. Miller, Celeste Headlee and of course weekly co-host Els De Maeijer! Thanks so much to all!

In the last episode of the season, the roles are reversed and I'm being interviewed myself.

Whether there will be a Season 2, and in what form an format, is to be decided over the coming summer months! Any tips and ideas are welcome!

https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/my-guest-frank-garten/

11/05/2020

Buyer beware: don't invest in cross-cultural training you don't need!

No, I'm not actively out to cannibalize my own training. But years of cross-cultural training have learned me why they often don't work.

Together with my colleague Jamie Gelbtuch, MBA, PMP, ACC, I wrote this article for the May/June 2020 issue of Training Industry Magazine.

In the article, we describe why cross-cultural training is often the right solution to the wrong problem. And we argue that an open attitude toward differences is more important to learn, than studying the behaviors that you may encounter in another culture.

29/04/2020

I like this quote by William Bridges: “Change comes more from managing the journey than from announcing the destination.”

In Episode 11 of my podcast Clarity in Conversations, you hear many guests from the first 10 episodes give practical advice on managing change. Because in change processes, clear communication is even more important than in day-to-day business operations. Change comes with uncertainty, with different degrees of dependency on the changes, and with different personal reactions to a changing environment.

Hear many insights and practical tips on dealing well with change and uncertainty:

https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/conversations-in-times-of-change/

06/04/2020

In Episode 10 of my podcast Clarity in Conversations, I speak with Geof Cox. Geof has his own consultancy company New Directions and helps teams and organizations improve their results.

We’ll talk about Geof's model for effective influence: the model he uses as the starting point in his book Getting Results without Authority. When you have to rely on personal rather than positional power when influencing somebody, you’d better recognize the preferred style of that person and choose consciously which style to use to achieve results. The four styles - ACTIONS, PROCESS, PEOPLE and IDEAS, are distinctly different.

In the podcast, we talk about the importance of adapting to different styles when you want to have a high-quality conversation. Yes, you want to provide clarity. But for one person clarity consists of concrete actions, for another person it consists of clarifying the vision, and for someone else, it’s all about giving a logical and rational explanation for what you need to get done.

https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/were-all-different-and-we-all-prefer-different-styles-of-communication/

23/03/2020

We all have this one particular colleague. The guy who walks in and starts rambling. The guy who keeps on talking. Only a rude interruption or a fire alarm seems to be able to stop his sea of words. Is he effective? Not at all, as the time he needs to explain his point of view largely exceeds the average attention span of his audience.

In the latest episode of the Clarity In Conversations-podcast, I speak with author Joe McCormack. Joe is the author of “Brief. Make a bigger impact by saying less” and recently of a new book “Noise. Living and leading when nobody can focus”.

Being brief is essential. But brevity is not learned in school. Joe teaches executives, managers but also US Special Operations in the essential leadership skill to craft your message in such a way, that your audience gets it straight away.

https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/the-power-of-being-brief/

16/03/2020

https://frankgarten.nl/become-a-great-listener/?fbclid=IwAR0JuBHG1vPuHM88VNIcbcvOpCzhwbIfS7cfunxw27ickz0SRr7VsFT8k-k

Train your mind for unconventional approaches in 10 weeks We all think that we are reasonably good listeners. At least... Read more

10/03/2020

Do you know people who are guilty of “conversational narcissism”? This term – invented by sociologist Charles Derber – indicates the tendency to bring any conversation instantly back to yourself. Of course, you know people who do. And by the way: you do it yourself as well. And I do: you see?

Celeste Headlee talks about this – and many other practical tips for having great conversations – in episode 8 of Clarity in Conversations. She learned the hard way: as an interviewer, she constantly had to think about what works to create great conversations, and what doesn’t.

And someone who has written two books with the titles “We need to talk” and “Do nothing” must be an interesting person. But then she argues nobody is interesting when there’s not a curious person trying to find out all about them.

A fascinating interview with journalist celebrity Celeste Headlee: https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/

19/02/2020

We can feel uncertain in the office at times. Not sure about ourselves, our opinion or our intentions even. Our natural response is to hide these feelings of vulnerability, as we don't like these feelings. And we certainly don't want others to notice them.

Although... there is a good case for showing your true, uncensored, real self at times. But that takes courage. It requires us to embrace discomfort and speak up.

I talk about this intriguing subject with Mieke Coupé in the lastest episode of Clarity in Conversations, available now through all Podcast outlets, and on my site www.frankgarten.nl/podcast.

The podcast has the length of a typical commute and educates and informs. In each episode, Els De Maeijer reflects on the main interviews, and practical tips for improving your conversations are included!

From vulnerable positions to courageous conversations When we feel uncertain at work about our actions or we’re not sure how others will react, these feelings are… Read more

11/02/2020

In the week of February 24-28, I will be in southern Finland for client workshops on "Conversations in Leadership". During this week, I am available for company introductions, intercultural workshops, individual coaching and lectures on culture, conversations, and diversity.

Did you realize that from a cross-cultural perspective Finland - just like my home culture The Netherlands - is the exception and not the rule? A half-day/full-day program is enough to give your team insight into the perceptions other cultures have when working with them.

See also my blogs on the Finnish business culture, seen through the eyes of other cultures: https://lnkd.in/e4Cqdmt

20/01/2020

Socratic dialogue in the Boardroom or during your department meeting? I would not immediately reject the idea, even if your first association is 'vague' or 'time-consuming'. Some conversations need more depth than others. And a Socratic dialogue can bring this depth, helping participants investigate their own thoughts and opinions, and having a conversation that matters.

In this episode of my podcast Clarity in Conversations, I speak with Erik Boers. Erik is a philosopher who helps companies and organizations to have deeper conversations about topics that matter. He owns his own company Het Nieuwe Trivium to facilitate deeper dialogues in organizations, and he educates other professionals in this ‘art’. Erik is a colleague of mine, with whom I work already for many years. His interventions in teams, boardrooms, and the public space are very powerful, and in this episode, we will learn more about his field of work.

https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/

09/01/2020

Do you recognize the disadvantage of skills training:

- Many hours out-of-office
- Things you learn not directly applicable to your work
- Good intentions in the classroom, no behavior change in reality
- Training on the job: "This was the 10% training: now sort out the other 20%+70% yourself!"

Although useful for leadership development and for communication & influencing skills, classroom training does not meet the needs of many of my clients.

Teams run into daily issues in their cooperation with other cultures. Issues that are not addressed in cross-cultural training. Time for learning FROM the job: a weekly 30-min online session where we tackle the daily challenges your team faces. Hand-on, on-line and effective. No time out-of-office.

A new offering that runs already with 3 of my clients, and can also help your team!

Let me not write a lengthy introduction but get to the point straight away. Learning in classrooms is often ineffective.... Read more

06/01/2020

One of the most frustrating things in conversations when you are enthusiastic about something. You do a proposal, and the other person says: “Yes, but…” and then shares his own ideas. It feels like your idea was rejected. In a polite and friendly way, but still… rejected.

In episode 4 of Clarity In Conversations, I speak with Renita Kalhorn. Renita is an executive coach, working with leaders and their teams to perform on top of their game. She is based in New York and Paris and works with top-level companies to strengthen their leadership. She also works with Special Ops and Navy SEAL candidates, strengthening their mental toughness and leadership skills. Renita has an MBA from INSEAD, is a trained concert pianist, speaks fluent Japanese and holds a martial arts black belt.

https://frankgarten.nl/podcast/