Best of the Changeboard blog 06/11/2012

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Learning the local language is imperative when moving to a new country, argues Sarah Keast, general manager of people & organisational development at Jamieson Group. What does ‘shway shway’, ‘wasta’, and ‘inshallah’ mean? Learning common sayings like this will help you adjust to working in the Middle East.

Radhia: “I’m originally Algerian, lived for many years in Canada, and my Lebanese connection is my husband. I agree that the lingo in the Middle East matters, and I had to learn a lot before I could be comfortable in society.”

Micah Walker: “The sound of a person’s name is the sweetest thing someone can hear. Pronouncing a person’s name correctly, particularly in the Middle East, is key to building trust and productive relationships. Knowing the difference in pronunciation between similar names (Ahmed, Ahmad, Ahmet) was something I found very effective.”

How will the success of the Olympic & Paralympic games influence the world of HR?

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For generations to come we will remember where we were in the summer of 2012. Now, our attention turns to the future.

What is the legacy for HR professionals, asks Stuart Thomas, director of themybigtoecompany. The answer may be the LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) legacy, whose role was to prepare and stage the games. They delivered big style, and then, with that delivered, they managed their own demise.

Apply that to your organisation. How many of your HR functions are dedicated to delivering an excellent product such that ultimately, you make yourself superfluous?

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Mahtab Khan interviews Jane Hatton of Evenbreak (specialist job board that helps employers attract disabled candidates) on how disabled people can be a commercial asset to any organisation, on or off the playing field.

Jane: “Disabled people are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people in the UK, and much of that is down to perceptions. These amazing Paralympians are seen as ‘superhuman’, and yet other disabled people are seen as benefit cheats, unproductive, expensive, and risky. The average disabled person is as unlikely to be a world class athlete as any non-disabled person is. But they have a tremendous amount to offer in the workplace.”

Jonathan Hassel: “The Paralympic legacy of changed attitudes to disabled people needs careful stewarding to ensure the good-will extends to all disabled people, not just the ‘superhumans’.”