Archive for the ‘Walch, Karen’ Category

By Paul Kinsinger and Karen Walch, Ph.D.

The concept of a VUCA world — one that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous — was introduced by the U.S. military as the Cold War ended and as the United States looked out over the emergence of a multilateral global landscape. The VUCA concept was brought home to many Americans after 9/11 but really gained currency in the private sector with the onset of the financial crisis in 2008-09, when companies and organizations all over the world suddenly found themselves faced with similar turbulence in their business environments and, subsequently, in their business models. Leaders in the new world of “permanent whitewater” must master the VUCA antidotes: Vision, understanding, clarity and agility.
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In conjunction with Thunderbird’s monthly First Tuesday events, the 5th rendition of the Houston Professional Speaker Series is June 5, 2012. This time the topic is Cross-cultural Communication and Negotiations, to be facilitated by Karen Walch, Ph.D., at the Junior League of Houston. Read on for a glimpse into what registrants will learn and discuss.

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By Karen Walch, Ph.D.

As a political science Ph.D. candidate, I was required to learn the secrets of power as taught by classical figures who advocate stealth, deception and manipulation. These warriors, political advisers, historians and philosophers teach that mercy has no place at the negotiation table. This approach works well when a problem can only be solved by crushing your opponent. But as a professor of cross-cultural negotiation at Thunderbird School of Global Management, I have observed a new set of laws for 21st century negotiators who live and work in a global economy. Rather than crushing their opponents, these negotiators often find themselves in situations where they must build lasting relationships of trust. I explore nine secrets of power for 21st century negotiators in my new book, Seize the Sky: Nine Secrets of Negotiation Power.
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By Karen S. Walch, Thunderbird Professor

Billions of dollars have been spent on negotiation education since the publication of Getting to Yes in 1981. Schools and other organizations have developed courses, self-assessments and Web-based software to help negotiators get to yes. But few programs have attempted to measure the impact of these efforts. Thunderbird addressed the gap with a new study that quantifies the benefits of negotiation education coupled with planning and management software. The study analyzed results from eight MBA classes and two professors spanning three years, comparing the results from negotiators using ExpertNegotiator software to the results from those who did not. | PDF: Read the study. | Blog: Visit the World Cafe blog on the Thunderbird Knowledge Network to learn more about negotiation trends and research.
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By Karen S. Walch, Thunderbird Professor

Hardball negotiators often conceal their aggressive intentions and behaviors. They use tactics that prey on the psychological vulnerabilities of a counterpart. This psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that classic power theorists have espoused for centuries as a way to change the perception or behavior of others. If you are a potential victim of a predatory negotiator, you need to prepare defensive strategies. You have the right to be taken seriously and be heard. Four possible action steps include: 1. Ignore the manipulation tactic, 2. Discuss the tactics, 3. Respond in kind and 4. Lead the other. Read the full article on the World Café, my cross-cultural negotiation blog on the Thunderbird Knowledge Network. | Video: Respond to Tactics (3:18)

Women gain power as negotiators when they trust their intuition, Thunderbird Professor Karen S. Walch, Ph.D., said Nov. 12 at the Arizona Women’s Leadership Forum in Phoenix. Walch, who teaches cross-cultural negotiation at Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz., said women often find themselves in predatory negotiation environments where the other side views them as an opponent to be destroyed. But women understand intuitively that successful negotiation doesn’t have to be so harsh.
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Thirty years ago as a young polical science student, Thunderbird Professor Karen S. Walch, Ph.D., began a journey to understand the art and practice of power. She studied from sources such as Machiavelli, Sun-Tzu, von Clausewitz and other classical figures who teach “prudence, stealth, and the art of deception and total absence of mercy.” She also read the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene when the book emerged as an encyclopedia about the ways and means of power. But Walch says many of the laws from classical studies are challenged today in the context of globalization. Each Monday for the next 48 weeks in her Thunderbird Knowledge Network blog, the World Café, Walch will present a new law of power for global negotiation in the 21st century. She also will provide an exercise to identify and enhance negotiation power. Learn more and follow the series in the World Café.

Early in her career before she became an academic, Thunderbird Professor Karen S. Walch, Ph.D., worked as an investment consultant in Puerto Rico. One client was a U.S. millionaire who wanted to locate his business in Puerto Rico. Walch says the man failed to appreciate the cultural differences in the territory and quickly became disappointed with things. Before long, his disappointment grew into frustration, judgment, paranoia and finally aggression. Walch wishes she knew back then about the Cultural Orientation Indicator (COI), a self-assessment tool that Thunderbird uses in its cross-cultural communication and negotiation classes. Among other things, Walch describes the COI as a conflict management tool that can help prevent situations like the one she encountered in Puerto Rico. “If we can manage our disappointments before they get to aggression, we can actually get business done,” Walch says. Learn more in this podcast (3:16), or visit the World Cafe blog on the Thunderbird Knowledge Network for additional podcasts on the COI from Thunderbird Professor Denis Leclerc, Ph.D., and five Thunderbird students.

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By Karen S. Walch, Ph.D., and Paul Kinsinger

Strategic negotiation skills and adaptation competences are tested more than ever during a decline in global economic activity. Currently many global MBA candidates and corporate clients attend Thunderbird courses on how to strengthen negotiation skills for all levels of management in an uncertain world economy. When it comes to transforming challenges into opportunities, there are two critical areas of expertise required: 1. Knowledge concerning strategic leverage, and 2. Social engagement practices in a cross-cultural context.
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Three Thunderbird professors from different academic backgrounds sat around a table Feb. 5 and shared ideas about business survival in a world turned upside down. Afterward, the professors invited students in the packed auditorium to join the conversation. “It’s not business as usual,” Thunderbird Professor Karen Walch, Ph.D., told the students. “We wanted to start a dialogue, and we wanted to invite you to participate with us.” | Video: View the full discussion (1:04:32) |
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