Presentations
From Brazil to Bahrain at IDEO
20/10/09 16:57
A few months ago, I had the chance to meet Tom Kelly, general manager and co-founder of IDEO. Tom is also the author of two terrific books, "The Art of Innovation" and "The Ten Faces of Innovation".
When Tom mentioned to me that he's given presentations in 16 different countries I naturally had to ask if he thinks about cultural differences when he presents. He said he does indeed.
He told me of the time he travelled to Brazil. He had learned whilst planning his presentation that Brazilians put a priority on people and relationships over content. So Tom decided to do something he had never done before. He began his talk in Portuguese - a language that he doesn't speak a word! Nice move.
Tom also reminisced about the time he was in Bahrain to discuss his latest book. It contained a chapter called "How Being a Devil's Advocate Can Squelch Productivity". Tom wasn't sure what, if any, significance the devil would have with his Moslem audience. He knew the devil wasn't a universal thing; he remembered hearing somewhere that Judiasm didnt believe in the devil concept - per se. So he decided it was best to just omit the reference completely. Better safe than sorry, right? Turns out it was a wise choice. But not for the reason Tom was thinking.
You see, the phrase "The Devil's Advocate" originated within the Catholic Church centuries ago, and continues through today. When the Church considers an individual for sainthood, the Church's voting council appoints one person to argue why the candidate is not worthy to become a saint. This person is commonly referred to as the "devil's advocate".
As it happens, the devil does exist within the Islamic religion. But that doesn't mean that Tom's audience would be familar with the term "devil's advocate" After all, many catholics don't know the term.
Tom Kelly's stories are a great reminder that there's more to giving a presentation than the content alone. Whether it's Brazil, Bahrain or anywhere else, even small cultural differences can make a big impact.
When Tom mentioned to me that he's given presentations in 16 different countries I naturally had to ask if he thinks about cultural differences when he presents. He said he does indeed.
He told me of the time he travelled to Brazil. He had learned whilst planning his presentation that Brazilians put a priority on people and relationships over content. So Tom decided to do something he had never done before. He began his talk in Portuguese - a language that he doesn't speak a word! Nice move.
Tom also reminisced about the time he was in Bahrain to discuss his latest book. It contained a chapter called "How Being a Devil's Advocate Can Squelch Productivity". Tom wasn't sure what, if any, significance the devil would have with his Moslem audience. He knew the devil wasn't a universal thing; he remembered hearing somewhere that Judiasm didnt believe in the devil concept - per se. So he decided it was best to just omit the reference completely. Better safe than sorry, right? Turns out it was a wise choice. But not for the reason Tom was thinking.
You see, the phrase "The Devil's Advocate" originated within the Catholic Church centuries ago, and continues through today. When the Church considers an individual for sainthood, the Church's voting council appoints one person to argue why the candidate is not worthy to become a saint. This person is commonly referred to as the "devil's advocate".
As it happens, the devil does exist within the Islamic religion. But that doesn't mean that Tom's audience would be familar with the term "devil's advocate" After all, many catholics don't know the term.
Tom Kelly's stories are a great reminder that there's more to giving a presentation than the content alone. Whether it's Brazil, Bahrain or anywhere else, even small cultural differences can make a big impact.
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