Samsung Field Internship

Recently I received an email from Brian, a Korean who recently moved to our city. Brian is a Christian and wanted to find a church to attend so my wife and I asked him to join us. After services we had lunch and he told us his story.

Brian is a PK (preachers kid) who works for Samsung. His company sent he and twenty-two other Koreans to live one year and do research in this culture on business practices. Though Brian is married with two children, they did not come with him to the country. The structure of Brian’s one-year internship is not well defined, though he is expected to send reports to Samsung regularly on what he is learning. After this internship he may return to this country as one of their overseas managers, though that is not guaranteed.

As a trainer in cross-cultural studies I, of course, was interested in this program. At first blush I observed a few things that was both positive and negative in this internship model. On the positive side, I liked the idea that Samsung has sent people out to ask questions first, rather than coming with a market assumption. This is a continual drumbeat for me -- ask the questions before giving the answers. Too many times in businesses, including church business, there is a focus on selling the product before even knowing if the product has a market.

I’ve told this story before, but before I moved to Asia I spent a good deal of time visiting leaders to learn what the need was. I believe what I do is vital, but I wasn’t sure (a) if anyone else saw “my product” as important and, (b) if there was anyone else already here providing the same service as I do. No need to sell a product that is not needed or try to sell something to an already saturated market. If the church and missions would follow this model, I believe our work would be more effective.

The other thing I liked about Samsung’s approach was that they made it clear that, though twenty-two came over together, they were to live and work separately. After one year it will be interesting to analyze the notes of each intern. What are the common experiences? Who did well and why? Who did not do well, and why? What did each of them learn about the culture and how can they use that information for the benefit of the company?

Living separately also insures that the participants actually lean on the host culture or other expat business people for their cultural discovery, not just from their own cultural group.

The fact that the family is not involved in this project is both a strength and a weakness. It’s a strength in that the husband can focus on the job he was sent to do and not be consumed with making the family comfortable. New people coming to the field spend half, or more, of their first term dealing family adjustments (housing, schooling, etc.). The weakness in this approach is that if Brain is assigned to this country after the internship there is no guarantee that his wife and kids will adjust. Companies of every business suffer with attrition because the family cannot cope in an overseas environment. What the Korean family has over American family is the extended family structure. Brain’s family lives with his parents and is well taken care of, but that doesn’t mean that his wife will adjust to an overseas environment.

The major weakness of the program is that Samsung did not provide ANY pre-field training before sending this group on their internship. So, basically, these people are trying to discover the answers without having an idea of what questions to ask. Even a one week intensive on cultural anthropology designed to help people think about what to look for in another culture would enrich their internship tremendously. To send people to find their own way is a huge flaw in strategy.

Brian will probably do well. I think Samsung will be happy with this man’s work as he is mature and seems to have a well thought out plan for what he will be doing for a year. I would encourage all businesses, and especially those involved in Kingdom business, to think about how to better prepare people for cross-cultural work.

Family Title

When Becky, our oldest daughter, was pregnant with their first child she asked me what I wanted my grandchildren to call me?

“Anything but something stupid,” I answered. “I don’t want them to call me ‘pee-paw’ or ‘boo-boo’ or ‘big-daddy.’”

I thought Your Excellence had a nice ring, but no one bought it.

It was about that time I received my Doctorate in Intercultural Studies, so she came up with Doc. Not bad. A little more human than I envisioned, but I could live with it.

Recently my extremely lovely, talented and gifted grandkids were together in North Carolina and found this ice cream store. Pictured are Molly, holding cousin Simon, next to cousin Isabella and brother Colin on the far right.

Names are important. One should take care in receiving their paternal consanguine name as their “good name.” Your Imminence would have been nice, but I’m proud to be just Doc.

Taco Bell Says...

My flight from Belgrade to Milan had mechanical problems so 20 minutes after take off we turned around and made our way back to point of departure. I sat for two hours in a dingy and uncomfortable waiting room before Alitalia called to tell me I was going to miss my connecting flight to Delhi. After collecting my bag and going to the Alitalia office the lady at the desk asked me if I wanted the same flight for the next day.

“Yes,” I replied, “but I would prefer you get to me to Milan today. Get me a hotel there tonight and I will continue my journey tomorrow.”

“Oh, I can’t do that,” she said, “As your flight has not yet been cancelled.”

“So, you can’t get me to Milan to get my connecting flight and you can’t give me a hotel because officially it isn't canceled? So what should I do, wait another five hours before you do cancel the flight so I can get a room?”

Eventually they put me on a Lufthansa flight and I arrived in Delhi the next day. I thought about the events of this journey and how interesting standard operating procedures prohibit people from thinking rationally. I realize procedures are put into place for a purpose, but procedures, sometimes, confine people inside a process box that does not allow them to logically view problems and seek alternatives. You would think that there would be training, especially in customer service, that would help employees solve problems whether it is within procedure or not. Here are some training tips on how to help employees think outside the grid of rules and regulations.

1. Your First Responsibility is to Solve The Problem - If the predicament is the company’s fault, the representative for the company should be trained to solve the customer’s problem? The lady at the Alitalia service(?) counter would have been happy to book me for the next day’s flight, if I paid for my own hotel room. She was trained to follow procedure, not helping me, the paying customer, to rectify a situation that was clearly the fault of the airline.

2. Problem Solving Is Profitable - Solving problems for the customer, in the long run, will add to the bottom line, not detract from it. I suspect Alitalia was trying to save a few bucks by not paying for a room to keep me that night. I’m not sure how they come out better by passing me off to Lufthansa but, it seemed apparent to me the lady was trained to think about how to save the company money, not how to help the customer. When a company has that mentality it shouldn’t come as a surprise when they loose market-share. Next time perhaps I will simply book on Lufthansa as I am not sure Alitalia will help me in a pinch. If the company would have solved my problem it is a company I am more likely to want to do business with in the future. If I have to solve problems created by others, I will find another travel option.

3. Take Responsibility - After two hours standing around in an stuffy lounge, the natives were getting restless. When people asked those at the desk for information, i.e., what is the estimated time we might continue our journey; who will help with the connecting flights? those with the walkie-talkies and badges merely shrugged their shoulders and said, “I’m not in charge.” Hey, we don’t want you to be in charge, but since you do work here it would be nice for someone to say, “I’m not in charge, but I will find the person who can and will help.” Maybe they won’t be any more helpful than the lady behind the customer service (?) desk, but, as Taco Bells says, think outside the bun -- take responsibility. It’s called taking initiative, which seems to be lacking in customer service training.

The good news is I made it home with just a 10-hour delay. Through it all I never lost my temper, was never rude and didn’t act like an idiot, which is more than I can say for some of my fellow passengers. It does no good to burst a blood vessel when things go wrong, especially when it's things out of my control. My outlet is this blog, which few people will read. But, who knows, maybe someone from Alitalia or someone else in customer service will stumble across it will and be of help. Either way, I’ve got it off my chest. Blogging can be so therapeutic.

Back Home

I just returned from a five-day trip to Belgrade where I taught church leaders from Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. The challenges of ministry in Eastern Europe are immense, but God is working through some very faithful leaders.

It’s ironic that I was in Serbia while the funeral of Slobodan Milosevic was taking place. Milosevic single handedly destroyed that country in his attempt the make the former Yugoslavia into a greater Serbia. He was in the Hague for war crimes against humanity when he died of a heart attack. The funeral drew many supporters, but for most of the Serbian people the week’s events was just a reminder of a painful period in their life and were anxious to get him buried so they could move on in life.

While in the airport I saw Ramsey Clark. Clark was once a defense lawyer for Milosevic but took time away from his present client, Saddam Hussein, to attend an old friends funeral. Of course Clark wasn’t the only Communist present, as the airport was full of Red supporters from Russia and other eastern block countries. Absent from the funeral was Slobodan’s wife and son, who have arrest warrants out for them which kept them in Russia where they are in exile.

It will take me a couple of days to collect my thoughts and reflect on my time in Serbia, but the contrast between meeting with men and women of God who are trying to be a positive influence in the region to that of the Balkan Butcher, couldn’t have been greater. I’m grateful that my life work is around people who are messengers of life rather than those who seek to destroy it. We are not seeking a greater Serbia, Russia or even the United States; our focus is on a greater Kingdom that is not built through ethnic cleansing, but a cleansing that comes through the cross.

Noise Pollution

A friend from the states called me on Skype this morning. He asked, “Where are you? I hear dogs barking and horns honking?

Delhi is one loud place. We live in an average neighborhood that is not near a highway, but from sun-up to sun-down we are off the racket-o-meter with NOISE. In the early morning it’s hawkers pushing their carts selling fruit, vegetables, brooms, carpets, manure and potted plants. Along with them are guys who ride up and down the lane on bicycles yelling out their services as plumbers, electricians, shoe repairman and carpenters. The streets are narrow and the voices of those yelling bounce off the three story concrete buildings.

While all this is going on, there is the traffic. The auto-rickshaws are not much more than lawn mower engines, so you can imagine what they sound like going up and down the neighborhood. There is the occasional truck, motorcycles, cars, all with their hands firmly on the horn if not the steering wheel. About every-other-day air traffic control diverts incoming flight over our house and as they make their approach we can read the fine print on the belly of the plane.

Did you know that the word noise comes from the Latin word nausea? I looked up noise pollution and found that it has an effect on the health and behavior of people causing a rise in blood pressure as well as vasoconstriction leading to the increase of coronary artery disease. There are also potential adverse effects on sexual desire and performance. Yep, noise pollution is a serious matter.

My friend Lloyd Kwast use to pray, “Lord, today we will hear a thousand voices...may we hear yours.” Yes, Lord, I want to hear your voice over the noise clutter of the city, but if you won’t do talk to me, would you at least grant me a half hour of quiet for a nap?

I'm Software

What would you suppose is more important for the operation of a computer, the hardware or the software? A little like which came first, the shell or the feathers, isn’t it? The answer, of course, is that both are equally important. A computer is not a computer without the chip, screen and keyboard. But without the spreadsheet, word processor and OS program, the computer is just a shiny thing on your desk without purpose.

In spite of that obvious truth there seems to be in the business world, and especially in the religious world, a greater emphasis on the hardware than software. People like to support building projects, feeding programs, schools for orphans, and halfway houses for those on the way to recovery. Why? Because it’s tangible, something they can see, take a pictures of, even write to (the child one sponsor’s for $10 a month, or the national evangelist for $20 a month). It’s all good. Part of God’s equation in bringing people to himself is those involved in hardware ministry.

Software developers are not nearly as popular, but they are no less important. Those involved in software work range from administrators to consultants. Software makes the hardware function and without it it's merely a ministry that drains resources but doesn’t really produce anything of Kingdom value.

The worth of software depends on its function. I can’t imagine trying to write without a program that doesn’t have a spell checker, font options or has the capacity to move text around. Good software provides a helping hand. If it doesn’t make my job easier then I don’t need it.

When I got my first computer, back in 1984 (which I still have, a Kaypro II with its awesome power of 64K memory, pictured above), software was bulky, but so was the computer. As I upgraded (going to a Mac and never looking back) I use to put all type of junk on my computer. I had so many bells and whistles that it talked and giggled every time I turned it on, off or made a mistake. Much older and wiser now, I put nothing on my hard-drive except for what I absolutely need. Software is not something to collect, it’s something to use.

When I lived in Kenya I started out in the hardware business. I built churches, schools and operated feeding programs. There’s good money in hardware (obviously not my motivation) and people loved to buy bricks for the glory of God. Later I switched to software and wrote lessons for our institute. Twenty years later, I’m still in the software business.

There are tons of generic software programs on the market today -- leadership, interpersonal relationships, evangelism and discipleship seminars. Those who sell these products are usually mono-cultural common brands that one pulls off the shelf in Colorado Springs and teach in Calcutta. It’s all good. It’s all part of God’s equation in bringing people to Himself.

My software is not a big seller, though I believe it’s one of the most important programs on the market (of course I would say that!). There are not many of us who teach people how to effectively communicate the message to people of different ethnic, socio-economic or cultural backgrounds; how to take what is taught and apply it to real life situations. Businesses, non-profits, institutions, even the military and governments would benefit from this software product as it helps people think about others and their needs. When one understands their market, they are better able to sell their product, whether that is an ideology, policy or the latest computer.

I’m grateful for those who deal in hardware. Those of us who are in software know that to make that machine work efficiently our work is equally important. We may not be the sexiest thing on the market, but without us, you can’t even boot up.

Language Study

Raise your hands if you’ve heard this one before.

A person who speaks three languages is…trilingual
A person who speaks two languages is…bilingual.
A person who speaks only one language is…AMERICAN!

For structuralist, anthropologists who look for the patterns of structure when studying culture, there is no more important organized pattern in society than that of language. Language is the ordering of the mind. How one sees their world is determined by how they think. The vocabulary of a person’s culture reflects not only their worldview but also their values. Example: The Eskimo’s have hundreds of words for “snow” because the white stuff is an integral part of their being. The Pokot, the tribe I worked with in Kenya, has no words for snow as it is not a part of their world. They do have, however, hundreds of cattle word terms. Pastoralists need these words not only to communicate but to express value.

I tell students to learn language well when entering another country. To know the worldview of others is to know the heart of who they are and that is reflected in culture.

I also tell my class to learn the language in which they are going to work. If one has targeted the Malinke of Mali, don’t waste your time on learning French. Though it is the official language of the country, unless you will be working among the elite of Bamako, learn the language of the common man. Most Malinke don’t know French, so learn Bambara, which is the trade language.

As a consultant and teacher living in southeast Asia, I have made a conscious choice to work only with those who know English. This is not a small group, in fact there are more English speakers here than in the U.S. and the U.K. combined (granted many of them do not speak it fluently, but they are still not the people I work with on a daily basis). My focus are on the future leaders of the country, those who will influence every segment of society. At my age to concentrate on learning another language I will never teach in is a waste of my time and energy and not strategic. As, I have frequently quoted, “Good strategy ends up being defeated by bad management.” This is true of time management as well. Like everyone, I cannot do everything that needs to be done, so I concentrate on those things I can do and don’t waste time doing things that’s not the best use of my time or talent.

Because I am bilingual I know how difficult learning language can be. Learning language is essential and should command one’s full attention. To avoid wasting time, learn what you need know, use what you learn, but learn only the language that you can effectively use.

The Kingdom of God and Hamburgers

I am neither Buddhist nor Hindu, but if I believed in reincarnation then surely my former life was that of Wimpy J. Wellington. It was Wimpy who uttered the immortal words; “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” I love hamburgers and consider myself quite a connoisseur of the beef patty between the bun. Mayo on the side, absolutely no ketchup or mustard, with cheese, please.

So this week I’m in Chennai and someone asks, “Have you been to Sparky’s? It’s worth visiting.”

I intended to just get a salad, trying to get my weight under control, but then I saw it on the menu…hamburger and fries. I was skeptical as this is not beef country. I have never had a good hamburger in India, not even in a five star hotel, as the beef is not Angus but water buffalo. But alas, I couldn’t resist.

On the burger scale, the worse being 1 and best 10, the Sparky burger was 3.5 -- the fries counting for the half point bump. You just can’t make buffalo taste like good old USDA ground round. The bun, also key for quality taste, was a bit doughy.

In spite of the burger bust, I give the restaurant a solid 10 for atmosphere and purpose. For an American living overseas there is nothing like being in a home atmosphere. At Sparky’s there are license plates from every state in the union, banners of US colleges, classic Rock-N-Roll music, lots of nostalgia Americanism on the walls. They tell me the owner has been shopping on eBay for four years to decorate his diner. As for purpose, the guy who started the eatery is with an outreach organization. All profits above cost from this highly successful enterprise goes into funding orphanages and youth programs.

Most serious Christian businessmen I’ve met see their function in the Body of Christ in a support role. They don’t see themselves as church planters, teachers or social workers. Rather, they recognize the importance of their gifts in business to help others who have that calling to accomplish their task. Different from non-Christian businessmen, whose focus is only about making money and taking care of their families, these unique, and surprisingly few, people are focused on using their talents to support the Kingdom as well as their own.

There are many things a person can do overseas that does not require them to understand Greek, Hebrew or know the meaning of soteriology. While you’re waiting on a call from God, how about just doing something you’re gifted in, like being a chef, starting a computer business or a health club. Nothing wrong with being salt and light while at the same time working alongside those have taken on the Kingdom business as a fulltime profession. Life does not end or begin at the doors of a seminary; it may be as close as the entrance of a hamburger joint.

I hope to get back to Sparky’s and try their most popular menu item, according to one of the waitresses, chicken fried steak. I guess if you add enough gravy it makes the buffalo taste better. I want to meet the owner. You can’t go wrong with a guy whose motto on the door reads, “Never Trust A Skinny Chef.”