July 28th, 2007
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Conflicts are inevitable, but the more we know about human nature, the more positive the outcome of a conflict might be for both parties. We know that different people have different priorities and different ways of dealing with situations that may occur, but in general, human beings have certain characteristics that are very similar even across gender, racial, and socio-economic lines.
People love to be agreed with.
People hate to be disagreed with.
People like other people who agree with them.
People dislike other people who disagree with them.
People who are good at resolving conflicts look for some point of agreement and use good people skills to get others to see a different point of view.
So if we know that when we disagree with people, we are likely to raise resentment, it might be a good idea to strengthen our soft-skills our people skills when dealing with conflicts or potential conflicts. If we find ourselves in a tense situation, and we raise our voice, the other party is likely to respond in kind. This will usually escalate the situation quickly. Instead, below are SEVEN tips for avoiding and ultimately resolving conflicts.
1. Be proactive instead of reactive. Good plans shape good decisions. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true. Lester R. Bittel
2. Be slow to angerespecially over petty issues. Anger is always more harmful than the insult that caused it. Chinese Proverb
3. Instead of telling people they are wrong, point out mistakes indirectly. A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. Samuel Butler
4. Look for some type of common ground as soon as possible. A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece. -Ludwig Erhard
5. If you find that you are in the wrong, admit it. Its easier to eat crow while it is still warm. Dan Heist
6. Admit one of your own poor decisions before pointing out a similar error by others. A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying… that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. -Alexander Pope, from Miscellanies by Jonathan Swift
7. Mend fences whenever possible. Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury. -E.H. Chapin
Doug Staneart is President of DM Staneart and Associates, http://www.buildingyourteam.com, leadership and team-building training. He can be reached by e-mail at doug@buildingyourteam.com or toll-free at 1-800-872-7830 x-100.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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The term “Fairtrade” has been gaining steady acknowledgment since the 1940s - and justifiably so. After all, when consumers pay just a little more for products like organic coffee, bananas, nochocolate and even clothes, farmers are guaranteed a fair price for their goods and labour. So, the fact that over 2,500 product lines in the UK now carry the Fairtrade mark - t to mention that Britain spent over 290 million on fair trade coffee, food, furniture and clothing last year (an increase of 46% on the previous year) - should seem like a good thing, right?
Not quite, as many people are now questioning the effectiveness of the fair-trade practice - or more specifically, whether the support of Fairtrade purchase can actually damage the progress of developing world farmers. Many are claiming that a focus on fair prices for poor farmers doesn’t necessarily address issues of mechanisation and industrialisation - radical changes that might enable farmers in developing countries to break out of the poverty cycle. In other words, they believe Fairtrade just encourages Third World farmers to accept and settle for just a bit more than they were originally getting - which still leaves farmers at a level of dependence.
Steve Daley of the Worldwrite charity told the BBC: “How can a few extra pennies a day from Fairtrade be celebrated as an outstanding achievement?”
Daley cites a report from the Financial Times last September, which revealed that a group of fair trade coffee farmers in Peru were getting 10 soles (about US$3) for working a ten-and-a-half hour day, in comparison to the 8 soles (about US$2.40) they were getting prior to the Fairtrade agreement. While there is a difference, it’s not significant, and Daley is thus concerned that the fair trade movement is being reshaped to increase farmers’ wages by small amounts, rather than to transform poor communities through development.
Madsen Pirie from the Adam Smith Institute - another sceptic of the Fairtrade practice - shares Daley’s concern, commenting to the BBC:
“[Fairtrade farmers] become dependent on us continuing to pay ‘premium’ prices for their goods, [making them] prisoners to our market.”
This perspective therefore claims that while small-scale fair trade deals are beneficial to some degree, they aren’t enough for Third World farmers to lift themselves out of poverty; they need bigger market developments to achieve that.
Others, however, argue otherwise. , howevEileen Maybin, a spokeswoman for the Fairtrade Foundation, said:
“Fairtrade focuses on ensuring that farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the crops they grow, as well as an additional Fairtrade premium to invest in social projects or business development programmes. Typically, farmers’ groups decide to use the premium on education, healthcare and clean water supplies, or the repair of roads and bridges, and to strengthen their businesses, improve the quality of their crop or convert to organic production.”
She added that farmers and workers involved in Fairtrade always talk about how much they, their families and their communities benefit.
Justin Purser, the commodities manager for Trade Aid Importers in New Zealand, has also witnessed some of the big changes fair trade can make:
“It is very common for fair trade coffee co-operatives to seek to build infrastructure which will cut down on the amount of labour required to process their coffee, and will also enable them to improve their coffee quality and, thereby, the higher prices they can command in the market.”
So, the debate of whether fair trade promotes dependency or self-sufficiency continues. However, one thing is certain: fair trade conditions are far more beneficial to Third World farmers than non-fair trade conditions. So, while bigger issues may still be at hand, Fairtrade is certainly a starting point to put an end to cheap production through exploitation. Moreover, buying Fairtrade is something everyone can personally do on a daily basis to help.
There are various ways to support the fair trade practice: you could always pick fair trade products when faced with a choice of fairtrade or non-fairtrade. Many stores, markets and coffee shops do, after all, stock products from both categories. However, why not shop specifically for fair trade products? Or better yet, if the store you normally shop at doesn’t stock fair trade products, ask them if they plan to. If companies see enough consumer interest in the fair-trade practice, they may very well decide to switch over - and every little bit counts.
Andrew Regan is a freelance online journalist.
To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.
For most people, the process of buying property requires great attention. It is often a huge investment possibly the largest that an individual is likely to make; and they would want true value for the money invested. Coupled with the decision to liberalise the FDI norms in the construction sector, it comes as a surprise that the real estate sector continues to function unregulated without a consumer friendly legal framework, especially when mutual funds, insurance policies, fixed bank deposits and securities are all subject to the guidelines of a market regulator. Until now, only Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) were permitted to invest in the housing and the real estate sectors. Foreign investors other than NRIs were allowed to invest only in development of integrated townships and settlements either through a wholly owned subsidiary or through a joint venture company in India along with a local partner.
Though the real estate sector in India is proclaimed to be the most promising sector today, it is still hugely plagued by market uncertainties and inhibitions. The real estate market in India predominantly continues to remain unorganized, fairly fragmented, mostly characterized by small players with a local presence. Thus, a Rs 500 transaction has a regulatory structure in place, while a Rs 50,00,000 contract runs on trust or might. What makes the purchase process even more harrowing is the complete lack of professionalism. The sector is replete with builders and brokers who are not only ignorant of the law, but also about the ways of civil engineering. The Finance Ministry has also expressed concerns about the exponential growth in the highly unorganised sector, which is also supposed to be one of the most corrupt sectors of the economy.
In a bid to protect consumers, the urban development ministry plans to create a regulator for the real estate sector. A real estate commission will be set up to frame guidelines and a code of conduct for property dealers. This would mean that property dealers and architects would have to get themselves registered before doing business. These moves are all likely to be part of the proposed Real Estate Management Bill. However, keeping in view the strong opposition of a section of lobby of builders and property agents, it remains to be seen whether the government would be able to push forward the proposed Bill. There are proposals for self-regulation by the industry.
However, a section of builders have also supported the governments move, as it would bring transparency in the industry and an assurance to the customers. Once confidence level improves, the quantum of foreign investment coming into the sector could rise substantially leading to growth in the sector. As per an estimate, the real estate sector is expected to get an investment of over $50 billion in next 5 years. Under the proposed Bill, neighbourhood property dealers will have to compulsorily seek licence from the proposed commission for practising in specific catchment areas. To further protect the interest of consumers, the commission will also entertain complaints against dealers and will be empowered to take punitive action. There are also plans for setting up an assistance window at the proposed commission, where prospective buyers will be able to thoroughly check the antecedents and other details of the property.
The same act is also expected to ban pre-launch offers a method to take consumers for a ride in the housing sector. Realtors would take huge advances for proposed flats immediately after acquiring land even without the necessary clearances. In some cases, developers have even received advance money before the land was even transferred. More often than not, the developers have sunk the money in alternate projects. Once a project has been approved, builders will be barred from accepting any advances or deposits from buyers unless a sale agreement has been executed. The moves are expected to put an end to pre-launch bookings and publicity which jacks up property prices beyond prevailing market rates. This speculation severely disadvantages genuine buyers while aiding those out to make a quick buck. Apart from the ban on making these offers, the bill is also likely to mandate that the developer sign an agreement with the buyers, assuring them of delivery of the property within a stipulated period.
However, the draft of the proposed enactment reveals a few serious flaws. These mainly stem from Indias federal constitution which places property as a subject for state legislation. The fear is that the new statute will face the fate of the National Building Code, which is being ignored by states as much as possible.
I am working as a functional consultant with a Chennai based company in India called Ramco Systems. I have more than 3 years of experience in various fields of software development. To read more articles you can reach me at
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To Blame or Not To BlameA man can fall many times, but he isnt a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. (John Burroughs)Fire her, she set me up! John yelled quite loudly. He was incredibly angry and for good reason. However, he was really angry at the wrong person. What he was really saying was […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on ethics.