Part One of a Two-part article: As we ring in the new year, here are six steps that we can all take to reduce our impact on the environment

As we head into 2012, many of us will be resolving to lose those few extra pounds, save more money, or spend a few more hours with our families and friends. But there are also some resolutions we can make to make our lives a little greener. Each of us, especially in the United States, can make a commitment to reducing our environmental impacts.

“The global community, and particularly people living in industrialized societies, have put unsustainable demands on our planet’s limited resources,” says Robert Engelman, President of the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental research organization based on Washington, D.C. “If we expect to be able to feed, shelter, and provide even basic living conditions to our growing population in years to come, we must act now to change.”

The United Nations has designated 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Broadening access to sustainable energy is essential to solving many of the world’s challenges, including food production, security, and poverty. “With so many hungry and poor in the world, addressing these issues is critical,” says Danielle Nierenberg, director of Worldwatch’s Nourishing the Planet project. “Fortunately, the solutions to these problems can come from simple innovations and practices.”

The Nourishing the Planet team recently traveled to 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and will be soon traveling to Latin America, to research and highlight such solutions. The project shines a spotlight on innovations in agriculture that can help alleviate hunger and poverty while also protecting the environment. These innovations are elaborated in Worldwatch’s flagship annual report, State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet.

Hunger, poverty, and climate change are issues that we can all help address. Here are 6 simple steps to go green in 2012:

(1) Recycle

Recycling programs exist in cities and towns across the United States, helping to save energy and protect the environment. In 2009, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to require all homes and businesses to use recycling and composting collection programs. As a result, more than 75 percent of all material collected is being recycled, diverting 1.6 million tons from the landfills annually—-double the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources necessary to generate roughly 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity—-enough to power a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years!

What you can do:

• Put a separate container next to your trash can or printer, making it easier to recycle your bottles, cans, and paper.

(2) Turn off the lights

On the last Saturday in March—-March 31 in 2012—-hundreds of people, businesses, and governments around the world turn off their lights for an hour as part of Earth Hour, a movement to address climate change.

What you can do:

• Earth Hour happens only once a year, but you can make an impact every day by turning off lights during bright daylight, or whenever you will be away for an extended period of time.

(3) Make the switch

In 2007, Australia became the first country to “ban the bulb,” drastically reducing domestic usage of incandescent light bulbs. By late 2010, incandescent bulbs had been totally phased out, and, according to the country’s environment minister, this simple move has made a big difference, cutting an estimated 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2012. China also recently pledged to replace the 1 billion incandescent bulbs used in its government offices with more energy efficient models within five years.

What you can do:

• A bill in Congress to eliminate incandescent in the United States failed in 2011, but you can still make the switch at home. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use only 20-30 percent of the energy required by incandescents to create the same amount of light, and LEDs use only 10 percent, helping reduce both electric bills and carbon emissions.

(4) Turn on the tap

The bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010, generating nearly $11 billion in profits. Yet plastic water bottles create huge environmental problems. The energy required to produce and transport these bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a year, yet approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not recycled—-they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans. And while public tap water is subject to strict safety regulations, the bottled water industry is not required to report testing results for its products. According to a study, 10 of the most popular brands of bottled water contain a wide range of pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, fertilizer residue, and arsenic.

What you can do:

• Fill up your glasses and reusable water bottles with water from the sink. The United States has more than 160,000 public water systems, and by eliminating bottled water you can help to keep nearly 1 million tons of bottles out of the landfill, as well as save money on water costs.

(5) Turn down the heat

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that consumers can save up to 15 percent on heating and cooling bills just by adjusting their thermostats. Turning down the heat by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours can result in savings of 5-15 percent on your home heating bill.

What you can do:

• Turn down your thermostat when you leave for work, or use a programmable thermostat to control your heating settings.

(6) Support food recovery programs

Each year, roughly a third of all food produced for human consumption—-approximately 1.3 billion tons—-gets lost or wasted, including 34 million tons in the United States, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Grocery stores, bakeries, and other food providers throw away tons of food daily that is perfectly edible but is cosmetically imperfect or has passed its expiration date. In response, food recovery programs run by homeless shelters or food banks collect this food and use it to provide meals for the hungry, helping to divert food away from landfills and into the bellies of people who need it most.

What you can do:

• Encourage your local restaurants and grocery stores to partner with food rescue organizations, like City Harvest in New York City or Second Harvest Heartland in Minnesota.

• Go through your cabinets and shelves and donate any non-perishable canned and dried foods that you won’t be using to your nearest food bank or shelter.

About the Worldwatch Institute:

Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute’s State of the World report is published annually in more than 20 languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org.

 Read 6 More Steps for Going Green in 2012

How Young People Can Learn to Connect Across Stark Cultural Differences (and Why They MUST)

The more culturally diverse our society becomes, the more adept we’ll need to be at collaborating with people who hold profoundly different beliefs. That means our kids may need to navigate some tough conversations. Janet Penn, executive director of Youth LEAD, a Massachusetts non-profit, offers some pointers for teaching them to do just that.

We parents spend huge amounts of time and money on raising well-rounded, prepared-for-the-real-world kids. We provide violin lessons to develop their brains. We send them to soccer practice to learn the value of teamwork. We encourage them to join multiple clubs to round out their education and to prepare them for college and the real world. But too often we forget one very important skill says Janet Penn—and it’s one they’ll have to have to succeed in an increasingly flat, culturally diverse world.

“With a rise in diversity comes a rise in the potential for disagreements,” says Penn, executive director of Youth LEAD (www.youthleadonline.org). “Chances are your kids will work with and live alongside people who have very different points of view on highly controversial topics. They’ll need to be able to have not only civil but productive conversations with these people—and the path to cultural harmony isn’t always smooth!

“People who can’t navigate tough conversations will be seriously handicapped in their ability to move ahead in tomorrow’s business world,” she adds. “Often we’re taught that certain subjects like religion and politics are taboo—but in a global society it gets harder and harder to avoid them. We must make sure our kids are equipped to respectfully disagree without getting angry or upset or feeling intimidated.”

A key goal of Youth LEAD is to help bridge what Penn calls the “difference divide” between people of different cultures and faiths. That means getting to them at a young age and helping them understand each other.

This is where Youth LEAD excels. This non-profit organization based in Sharon, Massachusetts, engages a diverse group of area high school students to inspire them to reflect upon their cultural values and beliefs, connect with others across differences, and act together to address local and global challenges.

Penn says its overarching goal is for youth to develop the skills they’re going to need to operate in an increasingly global, culturally diverse world.

“If your kids are never exposed to people from different cultural or religious groups, they may begin to believe things that aren’t true about certain groups,” she explains. “They need to see firsthand that such prejudice is unfounded, that Jews or Muslims or Christians are human beings like themselves. They need to organically learn that people from different cultures share both similarities and differences. And they need to practice the art of holding tough conversations so they’ll be able to do so when they’re adults and the stakes are higher.”

How can you help your teen begin to build a better understanding of cultural diversity and learn to communicate with those with whom they have fundamental disagreements? Indeed, how can they apply these principles to conversations with people from their own culture with whom they hold opposing points of view? (Let’s face it: Disagreements on hot-button issues like politics and abortion can get just as heated when both parties grew up in the same hometown!)

Penn says it may help to share with them the following tips, based on skills taught by Youth LEAD.

Get in touch with personal stereotypes and assumptions. Before you can begin to have productive relationships and conversations with those from other cultures, you have to get real with yourself by considering your own personal stereotypes. For example, have you ever found yourself agreeing that women aren’t as apt as men in science and math, or that Jewish people aren’t good at sports, or that deep down all Muslims want to bring down the U.S.? It’s okay to admit that you have these secret feelings, says Penn—in fact, it’s a necessary first step in breaking down stereotypes.

“Stereotypes are like pollution in the air,” she notes. “Sometimes it can be hard not to breathe them in. We are all capable of stereotyping and making false assumptions. It’s also important that we consider what stereotypes might hold a grain of truth. Being clear and honest with ourselves about our beliefs can help us manage these situations more openly and allow us to have more meaningful conversations.”

Connect to the root of your beliefs. Are your beliefs about other cultures based in fear? Are you afraid of the culture itself? Are you afraid that you’ll offend someone of a different race or religion if you ask them a question about their beliefs? Reflecting on times when you were afraid, confused, or closed minded can help you understand your beliefs and help you relate to someone you don’t agree with.

“We have all felt afraid, frustrated, and confused and have acted on those feelings,” says Penn. “Understanding the why behind people’s words and actions can help begin a discussion in a new way. For example, let’s say you have negative views of Muslims. Get to the root of those beliefs. How have you developed those views? If your only experience with Muslims is through reading about terrorist attacks in the newspaper, then of course your views will be negative.

“It’s your responsibility as a global citizen to break out of those confines,” she asserts. “Make an effort to learn more about the Muslim religion. Have discussions with Muslim neighbors or colleagues. And I would say for everyone, we have to remember that we shouldn’t fear asking each other questions. We won’t get anywhere if we can’t have conversations about our fears and concerns.”

Consider your gray areas. There is nothing easy about becoming a well-rounded global citizen. One’s education in doing so will require a lot of self-reflection, and some of the most difficult self-reflection will be parsing out those issues that fall into the gray areas. Can you think of a time when the values you hold dear related to a certain issue bumped up against other values that are also important to you? For example, maybe you are having difficulty opening up to the religious beliefs of someone else because they conflict with certain aspects of your own.

“This is when becoming a global citizen can feel like a struggle between right and wrong for some young people,” says Penn. “They know they should be tolerant of others and their cultural and religious choices, but they have difficulties reconciling these issues with their own belief systems. And this is why self-reflection is so important.

“A Christian or Jew who is secure in his own faith, who is not just ‘going along’ with what he thinks he’s ‘supposed’ to believe, is less likely to feel threatened by hearing beliefs that are the polar opposite of his own views,” she adds. “In fact, a democracy depends upon a citizenry able to understand why they hold their beliefs and how to defend them, rather than blindly following the pack.”

Set personal ground rules. When the time for reflection has ended and it’s time for the actual dialogue to begin, you must set a few ground rules for yourself. These will help keep you in check if a conversation turns contentious. Remember, you can’t control how the other party will handle a conversation, but you can control how you will handle it. In order to help their members create respectful conversations, Youth LEADers set the following ground rules for themselves:

1. I will speak for myself and from my own experience. (I will begin sentences with “I think” or “I feel,” as opposed to “You people” or “You think.”)

2. I will listen with an open heart and mind.

3. I will set aside the need to persuade others to agree with me.

4. I will not interrupt. (If someone else is speaking, I will wait until they have finished before I speak. I will not engage in “sidebar” conversations.)

5. I will “step up” to share my thoughts and experiences and then “step back” so others may share their thoughts and experiences. (I will try to ensure that everyone has a chance to speak.)

6. I will not attack a person or their faith.

7. I will ask a “clarifying question” if I don’t understand something that has been said. A clarifying question seeks to understand (e.g., “What do you mean by…” or, “Can you explain that to me?”).

8. I will “pass” if I don’t want to speak.

9. I will maintain confidentiality. “What’s said in here, stays in here.”

Understand the difference between ignorance and ill intent. Let’s say someone has offended you and your knee jerk reaction is to lash out angrily at her. Before you begin a conversation with her, ask yourself, Is this person intentionally being hurtful or is she unaware of the impact of her words and actions? At Youth LEAD this is called thinking about Intent vs. Impact.

“People who are ignorant of certain cultures may not know how inflammatory what they are saying truly is,” explains Penn. “For example if you’re bi-racial and someone asks you, ‘What are you, anyway?’ This question will very likely seem insensitive, but it is possible that it is coming from a place of positive curiosity.

“Understand that the person may genuinely want to learn more about you, but he has phrased his question in a way that he isn’t aware is insensitive. When these issues arise, you have to be able to quickly assess the person’s intent and the impact they were hoping to have, and then act accordingly.”

Use “I” statements to personalize thoughts and feelings. Personalizing what you are thinking or feeling makes it about you. It prevents you from making generalizations about an entire group or about the person you are confronting. When you use “I” statements, you keep what you’re saying focused only on you.

“This method asks students to express how a given belief or events have affected them personally,” says Penn. “Through ‘I’ statements they share their own life experiences without attacking the beliefs or experiences of others. For example, let’s say there’s a conversation about conflict in the Middle East. You’re Jewish and don’t agree with the Palestinian approach to getting statehood.

“Rather than make a statement that attacks their efforts you might say, ‘I’m Jewish. I’m uncomfortable with the actions Palestinian leaders are taking. I think they are continuing to impede the peace process. While I support the existence of the Palestinian people, I don’t support the mentality of their leaders.’ Using ‘I’ statements prevents the conversation from becoming accusatory. You’re expressing an opinion, not making an accusation. Opinions can be discussed, but it is very difficult to keep an open conversation going when accusations start flying.”

Start with an agreement. At the beginning of a conversation with someone with whom you have a fundamental disagreement, try to find some common ground.

“That’s true even when you’re talking about an issue as polarizing as school prayer, for example. If both parties can agree that they believe in freedom of religion, knowing you have this core value in common will keep you from demonizing or dismissing each other,” notes Penn. “Finding this common ground will help you both approach the conversation from a more open, understanding place.”

Get to the heart of the matter. Youth LEAD teaches its members to get to the heart of others’ core principles and beliefs. In order to do that members are taught to ask the right questions.

“Most questions we might ask serve us and our positions,” explains Penn. “But if we can learn to ask questions out of genuine interest in another person, it can turn a conversation in a new direction. For example, you might ask, ‘Do you have a personal connection to this topic?’ Or, ‘What about your life experience has influenced your beliefs?’ These questions show that you’re genuinely seeking an understanding of that person, and they help you to have a more complete understanding of where they’re coming from.”

Remain silent. In order to benefit from the questions mentioned above, you have to listen deeply to the other person’s answers. And in order to listen deeply, you have to remain silent.

“You can’t listen deeply when you’re thinking about the next thing you’re going to say,” says Penn. “When you know you can’t speak, it’s much easier to listen. And when you are a better listener, you can ask better questions. Eventually the other person comes to see that you do care about what they have to say. You might not be able to reach a complete agreement, but you can reach mutual respect.”

Learn how to take greater action. Of course, there will be some situations that are instant, aggressive, or for some other reason it is not safe or effective to engage another person.

“In these kinds of cases at Youth LEAD, participants are taught to take their feelings and reactions and turn them into social action and local and global change,” says Penn.

“They do this through dialogue, community events, workshops, etc., but anyone can do it by becoming more educated on a topic or volunteering to work for a cause they believe in. This is what being a global citizen is all about: actively learning and participating in ways that make the world a better, safer place for everyone.”

“The skills taught at Youth LEAD and organizations like it are invaluable in the working world,” says Penn. “People who master them are able to resolve conflict more quickly and come up with better solutions, build stronger workplace relationships, and create more productive, enjoyable work environments. These are the kinds of skills employers will increasingly expect and demand—and the kids who develop them at a young age will thrive.

“Of course, it’s not all about business,” she adds. “These are the kinds of skills that help people get along with friends and family as well. They’re the yarn we use to weave the tapestry of a richer, happier, more interesting, and more harmonious life.”

About Youth LEAD: Youth LEAD, Inc., (YL) was founded in 2004 to inspire and motivate youth to reflect upon their values and beliefs, connect with others across differences, and act together to address local and global challenges. YL’s Leadership Program trains high school students to reach across religious, ethnic, and racial divides to increase understanding and to turn fear of differences into hope and positive action.

Business Opportunity in a Globalized World

By Jack S.Katz

Today those wanting to venture into international business for the first time will face the same challenges and uncertainties that Columbus experienced on his journey to the New World. Just as America saw the East to West expansion 150 years ago, the ‘BRIC’ countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China are expanding by modernizing using the tested knowledge of others. There are hundreds of small to medium sized businesses that have over the years expanded internationally paving the road for you. Most began the process by taking their business to Canada or Mexico. Depending on your product or service this could be a good place to start and takes less effort than planning and overseas assault. Your goal is to identify the global trends and opportunities specifically for your company and act upon them.

The Challenge

Every market has unique characteristics including language, customs, and traditions that must be appropriately understood to communicate the right message and encourage the sale of the product or service. When a product or service is marketed globally a company needs to cater to the tastes of the local consumer. In the case of McDonalds in Japan, their menu includes fish and miso items not found on mainland US menus.

The historical challenge for any business is to find new ways to grow product sales and increase market share not only in the local market but on an international scale. Messages that sell product, share knowledge, create awareness or convey a need are now able to reach with ease any consumer anywhere in the world.

For the U.S. business that believes their market is impenetrable, competitors are emerging in every industry sector. These days any job can be outsourced. Global market insight and product knowledge is the only continually reliable competitive advantage.

Keep Your Bags Packed

It is important to recognize that innovative ideas travel well. A global outlook is required just to keep pace with foreign companies quick to copy your ideas. These companies are ready to enter new markets just to survive which in turn would weaken your product sales.

Networking with foreign chambers of commerce will only get you so far, entrepreneurs need to get out and explore new markets first hand. The demands for growth require that insights be drawn from a deeper, broader and richer experience. These insights must then translate directly into meaningful action.

For the entrepreneur and small business, the entire world is now within your reach in ways that weren’t possible before. Venturing into the arena of global trade presents both opportunities and challenges for the entrepreneur and small business.

Are You Ready?

What makes an export-ready business? Simply put, the business has a marketable product or service as well as the capacity, resources and management commitment to compete on a global scale. The trick is to figure out whether this is true of your company – and if it isn’t, how to make it happen. Your future just may depend on it.

About the Author: Jack S. Katz author of Competing for Global Dominance: Survival In A Changing World http://tinyurl.com/26gf2kd is the CEO of Novusglobe LLC, www.novusglobe.com an international business and market development consultancy and research company. He founded the firm after three decades of successful executive management for several well-known international corporations.

Identified as one of the ten top people to know by Technology Decisions Magazine, Jack is noted for his knowledge and delivery of technology and business solutions that have had a dramatic impact on the bottom line of global companies. He is in frequent demand as a keynote speaker for professional and technology organizations and has delivered talks on three continents.

Although I’m sure that most people assume that they are perfectly understandable to others when they speak English (especially my American colleagues!) in my experience they all might as well be speaking entirely different languages. The solution is not to speak English. The solution is for ALL of us to STOP speaking English and START speaking GLOBAL English.

I’m not a linguist, but here’s a few things I’ve learned about effective communications among global teams:

Do your L.A.P.S.s.s.s!

• Loud – Speak loudly so people can at least receive the soundwaves.

• Attention – Make sure you visually make contact with the person you’re talking with before starting to speak to them. Eye contact varies greatly across cultures, and can be uncomfortable, but is critical to beginning a conversation.

• Pause – Many non-native English speakers are “translating in their head”. Although not ideal, it’s a reality that they will need a few seconds to grock (sorry!) what you said.

• Slow – Speak slowly . . . painfully slowly. Imagine you are speaking in molasses, then slow down even more.

• Simple – Use simple words. Native English speakers use over 5000 different works, but non-native speakers use something like 500 – 1500. Don’t go showing off your vocabulary if you want to be understood.

• Short – Short sentences. No long-winded phraseology, with obscure references to previous clauses.

• Smile – If they can’t understand you, at least they’ll like you!

Oh, and a couple more no-nos:

- No idioms, slang, obscure references.

- Don’t never use no double negatives!

There are a lot of cool tools to help you learn to speak Global English. Here are a few and how to use them:

1. Many people only use 500 words in their typical daily speech. Here’s a list of the 500 most common English words. If you’re NOT a native speaker – learn them! If you ARE a native speaker – stick to them as much as possible!

2. Smart people prefer complicated solutions, but here’s a simple one – The Simple English Wikipedia. This not a place to show how smart you are, but rather a place to make concepts easily understood. The fact that this even exists gives me hope that someday we will all be able to communicate.

3. The Pimmsleur Method – Actually this method is useful for learning any language, and I have personally experienced learning Japanese this way. You learn the same way you learned your original language, by listening and speaking, not by studying grammar and boring drills. Although my Japanese vocabulary is small, when I do speak I am told my accent is perfect, and when I listen I can pick out words and meaning, even though I can’t understand everything being said.

In my experience, it’s not just non-native English speakers who need to change how they communicate. EVERYONE needs to adopt Global English in order to assure that 21st century global company teams can understand each other.

STOP speaking English! If you are a so-called “native” English speaker, DEFINITELY stop speaking English! START speaking GLOBAL ENGLISH. It’s better for you, it’s better for your colleagues, it’s better for your company, and it’s better for your business profitability.

If we truly are going to realize the dream of a global economy where we collaborate across time zones and cultural boundaries for mutual benefit, we ALL need to change the way we communicate. Let’s not wait for “other people” to change so that it’s easier for us to communicate. Let’s all share the responsibility for improving communication and moving toward a truly global economy.

It’s in ALL of our best interests to make the pie bigger instead of arguing over who gets the crumbs. That win-win scenario begins with speaking a common language, and it’s not as easy as just saying “English”. It’s GLOBAL English. Give it a shot (sorry again!).

About the Author:  Kimberly Wiefling, Founder and President, Wiefling Consulting, LLC, Author, Scrappy Project Management, and Scrappy Women in Business

This article first appeared in the Fall Issue of WE Magazine for Women. You can read the PDF version here:http://wemagazineforwomen.com/pdfs/WEMagFall2010.pdf or the FLIP version here:http://rsszine.com/samples/WEMagFall2010/

Did you know you can advertise in the Holiday Gift Guide for as little as $25 (quarter page ad)? Visit:http://bit.ly/WEHolidayGuide for more information

In the United States, both small and large companies are searching for overseas avenues for their products and services. New markets open, and the demand for U.S. goods increase daily. At the same time, we observe an increasing number of overseas business blunders, and subsequent lost opportunities for U.S. companies due to cultural factors.

Doing business internationally requires more than just an understanding of the myriad of foreign rules and regulations. Lack of knowledge about the culture of various partners and customers may create misunderstandings, frustration and embarrassment that can lead to loss of business.

Whether you are traveling overseas to make new business contacts, to sign a contract or expand your business in other parts of the world, the success of your venture may well be determined by your ability to understand the nuances of your customer’s culture. It is estimated that U.S. companies lose up to $4 billion annually in failed international business.

Without exception, culture shock is a way of life to most of us who travel and deal internationally in business. Each culture has its own rules and ways of doing things, especially when it comes to social business relationships like buying, selling, marketing or partnership.

It’s been said that “You can buy in any language, but if you want to sell, you better speak the language of your customer.” A famous example is the thousands of Chevy Novas that were shipped to Spanish-speaking countries. Chevrolet was shocked that these cars were not selling. The reason for the poor sales is that in Spanish, “No va” means “It does not go.”

Cultural Observations
A U.S. military officer student attended a military meeting at the French Embassy. At the end of the keynote speech, the student was the only person in the room to applaud. Everyone else turned and looked at the student. It was embarrassing. Why? In the French Army, you don’t applaud after speeches.

In the People’s Republic of China, a U.S. businessman had his credit card confiscated for signing the bill in red ink pen. In China, writing notes in red ink pen suggests the writer will die soon. In Central Africa, writing and or signing a letter with red ink suggests that you wish death to the receiver.

In a Central African village, a Peace Corps Volunteer got a crowd of village children following her home as she repeatedly waved the U.S. “hello” sign (opening and closing the four fingers). Why? In the village, the same sign was an invitation to receive gifts. She was embarrassed and the children were disappointed.

A U.S. woman who worked with an African national, announced to a male colleague with great enthusiasm that she was “expecting,” even though she was not yet showing. In a defensive tone, he asked why she chose to inform him of the pregnancy. The woman walked away disappointed and offended. On his part, the man reported to their boss that she had falsely accused him. Why? By telling her colleague about her pregnancy, the lady was sending a message that he was suspected to be the father. In his African culture, only the father should be aware of an early pregnancy.

Tips for Conducting Business Abroad
Learn about the target culture by asking questions about general aspects of the country’s culture you are exploring for a business opportunity. Gather information about the business culture of your industry in the host country.
Respect others’ values and beliefs, be open-minded and ready to learn. Develop nonjudgmental views of situations and interactions, and be tolerant of ambiguity. Interacting with diverse cultures requires that you be flexible and socially adaptable.

Develop the discipline to maintain personal control. Astute observations along with good listening and interaction skills will help you learn the nuances of a culture. When interacting in an unfamiliar culture, develop the mindset of seeing things as different, rather than negative. Refining your problem-solving skills and being a prudent risk-taker will help you be more comfortable in your ability to manage in unfamiliar territory.

Do not rush to the “bottom line.” In the U.S. this would mean: “I am here for business only.” Most people around the world spend more time interacting on a personal level before moving on to business. They like to build trust and a relationship before engaging in business.

Learn the target language of the country where you intend to conduct business. At least learn a conversational level of the target language and develop familiarity of common vocabulary used in your business. Also, get important documents translated into the target language as a courtesy even for international partners who speak English.

Going Global: 10 Secrets to Success  

The sky is the limit when looking at the global marketplace. Are you ready to take the leap?  

By Susan Baka  

Globalization and advances in technology have created a huge world market.  There are many opportunities to grow business that women can take advantage of, regardless of your size.  Even if you are a small, home-based business, the beauty of using the Web to do international business is that no one will ever know that you could be in front of a computer in your slippers! 

Although exporting may seem complex and daunting at first, the rewards reaped can be well worth the time, effort and expense. Here are some tips to help you navigate your way successfully:  

1. Do your homework. This includes researching your target market and potential customers, which you can do through the Internet, trade publications and associations, and government departments. Starting with the Canadian market is often a logical first step; in addition to

Canada’s close proximity and similar language and culture, it is the

U.S.’s largest trading partner. In fact, cross-border trade between the two countries is about $2 billion per day! 

2. Take advantage of government resources. The U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration manages www.export.gov. This site is in collaboration with 19 federal agencies that offer export assistance programs and services, from market research and trade leads to export finance information. You can also call the

Trade Information Center at 1-800-USA-TRADE (1-800-872-8723) or email tic@ita.doc.gov with any questions you may have. And check out www.businesswomenintrade.gc.ca, a Canadian government site for women exporters, which has many tips, resources and profiles.

To read the other Eight Secrets, check out the Winter 2008 Issue of WE Magazine for Women.