Kendati seringkali membuat "gemas", amerika di era
pemerintahan rezim George Bush ini kadang-kadang juga
bisa menampilkan wajah "lucu/kocak" nya yang bisa membuat
orang tertawa terpingkal-pingkal. Contohnya ya apa yang
dilansir oleh artikel di bawah ini.
Kalo orang bilang seorang pengusaha/manager perlu
juga ikut training "sekolah kepribadian" versi
sekolahnya Maya Rumantir, itu beta masih maklum -
lah. Ato sekarang yang lagi ngetop di indonesia:
traning ESQ, yang nampaknya muatan materinya
lebih *komprehensif* dan lebih solid lagi.
Tapi membaca materi training yang konon sekarang
perlu diberikan kepada para eksekutif amerika yang
hendak melakukan business travelling seperti di
bawah ini bisa membuat orang terbahak ... :)
( dahulu di era 1980 an, pegawai negeri sipil atau calon
PNS yang akan sekolah di LN, di samping persyaratan
skill bahasa inggris dsb. juga a.l. harus lulus
Penataran P4 pola 100 jam. Dahulu rasanya paket training
"orientasi ideologi" seperti ini sudah terasa 'aneh'
dan 'garing', lalu di tambah dengan training mengenai
'budaya negara setempat' yang mo di tuju. Mis: "canadian
culture orientation" ... pokok-e garing dan aneh lah ... )
Tapi ternyata dewasa ini ada paket training "re-orientasi
ideologi" PLUS "re-orientasi kultur" yang ruarrr biasa
'koplak' nya < koplak = bentuk superlative dari kocak :) >
woooalah, amerika, amerika, .... :-))
-----( IM )---------------------------------------------
<http://biz.yahoo.com/special/biztravel2_06_article5.html>
----------------------------------------
Teaching Americans How to Behave Abroad:
----------------------------------------
Fearing Anti-U.S. Backlash, Big Companies
Team Up To Offer Advice to Executives
By Scott McCartney
Wall Street Journal Online
Trying to combat anti-U.S. sentiment abroad, a campaign
is under way to give the "ugly American" a makeover and
improve the manners of business travelers overseas.
Employees and executives of some big corporations who are
bound for other countries will receive a "World Citizens
Guide" brochure with 16 tips to improve the image of the
U.S., such as trying to speak a little of foreign languages
and refraining from too much talk of wealth, power, status or
American pride. The program starts next month and will expand
in the fall to include a one-day seminar.
"We are broadly seen throughout the world as an arrogant
people, totally self-absorbed and loud," said Keith Reinhard,
chairman emeritus of DDB Worldwide Inc. who is leading the
effort through a group called Business for Diplomatic Action
Inc., a nonprofit organization that tries to get U.S. companies
to work to improve the reputation of the U.S. in the world.
AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, Loews Hotels Corp. and Novell
Inc. have all signed up for the program, the group says. Exxon
Mobil Corp., Microsoft Corp., McDonald's Corp. and Weyerhaeuser
Co. have officials on the board of Business for Diplomatic Action,
and are expected to join the campaign, which is being funded by
the National Business Travelers Association, a group of corporate
travel managers. More than 40 large companies have been approached
so far, according to NBTA, and about half expressed interest in
participating.
Of course, major U.S. foreign-policy decisions and events
like the Iraq war far outweigh manners when it comes to
shaping the perception of Americans overseas. Some companies,
in fact, cringe at the suggestion that their employees and
executives are in need of "Miss Manners"-style lessons, and
Mr. Reinhard's group runs into doubters who say personal
interactions will do little to greatly shift the perception
of U.S. citizens around the world. Indeed, a State Department
effort to enlist Madison Avenue to boost America's image
globally fell flat shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.
Business for Diplomatic Action has held discussions with the
State Department about distributing its World Citizens Guide
to every U.S. passport holder and putting it on the State
Department's Web site. The group met in December with Karen
Hughes, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. No
decisions have been made yet on the pamphlets.
The group's advice includes tried-and-true international
travel suggestions, such as reminders that in Japan it is
considered rude to look directly in the eye for more than
a few seconds, and in Greece the hand-waving gesture commonly
used in America for goodbye is considered an insult.
But it also goes after stereotypical American traits such as
boastfulness, loudness and speed. The guide urges travelers
to eat slower, speak slower, move slower and dress up when
abroad since casual dress can be a sign of disrespect. Tone
down talk of religion, politics and national pride, as well
as your voice. "Listen as much as you talk," the guide says,
and "save the lectures for your kids..
"Anger, impatience and rudeness are universal turnoffs,"
the guide says, imploring employees to "Help your country
while you travel for your company."
Mr. Reinhard, a prominent advertising executive who created
slogans like "You deserve a break today" and "Two all-beef
patties..." said he started looking for ways to polish the
image of the U.S. when he heard President Bush express dismay
shortly after Sept. 11 that "people did not like us" in other
parts of the world.
Believing this was potentially a major business issue for U.S.
firms selling goods and services abroad, he launched a research
effort inside his advertising agency, a unit of Omnicom Group.
A polling firm sent questionnaires to people in 130 countries
asking how America was viewed and what Americans could do to
make a better impression overseas, and task forces from Omnicom
studied results and interviewed business executives around the
world.
The positive results were as expected: post-Sept. 11 sympathy
for the nation, and a view that America is a land of wealth,
opportunity, innovation, creativity and benevolence.
But the negatives were consistent and strident, centering on
a belief that Americans have a lack of respect for other peoples
and are concerned only for themselves. People interviewed for the
survey, some videotaped, talked of Americans never listening and
showing little regard for local customs. A corporate executive
from Düsseldorf, Germany, expressed dismay that Wal-Mart Stores
Inc.'s employees gather every morning to recite a company cheer,
something that may build team spirit in U.S. stores, but comes
off as offensive and arrogant to German workers. A Wal-Mart
spokeswoman says the cheer is optional in Germany, and some
stores don't participate.
The nonprofit Business for Diplomatic Action was started in
2004, using the research interviews to draft a list of
suggestions for Americans traveling and working abroad. Last
year, BDA began distributing 200,000 passport-size guides at
no cost to college students heading off to study abroad,
created with help from advertising students at Southern
Methodist University. Now, the focus has turned to business
travelers. "Business has a role to play in the reputation
of the United States," Mr. Reinhard said.
Along with other travel groups, Business for Diplomatic
Action and the National Business Travelers Association
have also been lobbying the State Department for improved
processing of foreign visitors to the U.S. Travel to the U.S.
from other countries is still below 2000 levels, in part
because tighter visa and border procedures have made it
more difficult to enter the country.
A push to promote the image of the U.S. has backfired
before. Shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks, Madison
Avenue executive Charlotte Beers was confirmed as undersecretary
of state for public diplomacy and produced an advertising
campaign showing Muslims integrated into American society.
Many target countries declined to show the campaign, and Ms.
Beers resigned.
Instead of advertising the virtues of America, Mr. Reinhard
thinks the U.S. will be better served by getting Americans
who make the approximately 60 million trips abroad each year
to be more virtuous -- simply behaving better. His effort,
however, has drawn some criticism in the corporate world as
being perhaps too politically motivated and critical of
the Bush administration -- charges he denies.
Write to Scott McCartney at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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