Hello, Hola, Dobar den, Ciao, Guten Tag!

For as many differences as there are across cultures and geographic locations, there are some things I have found to be consistent. In each city and town I meet mothers and fathers who love their children and want to provide a better life for them.....regardless of the language or dialect, there is always a word or series of words to say hello, please, thank you, you're welcome and it is nice to meet you.

Consistently, within any population there are those willing to reach out and help a complete stranger --- including those who do not look like, sound like or act anything like they do.

On my most recent international journey (which started in Denver and went through Canada, Germany, Hungary and Serbia to Macedonia), I met people who were willing to reach out their hand to help a stranger. Lifting a suitcase into the overhead bin, offering translation assistance in shops and kiosks, demonstrating how the beds of a sleeper car fold down, sharing their meal, providing directions...the list goes on and on.

For two weeks during this adventure I have had the distinct pleasure of working side-by-side with members of the Habitat Global Village Team (13 from across North America) as we partnered with volunteers from Macedonia to work on a home for a family in Veles, Macedonia. For the most part, the team members were strangers to one another having been introduced a few days or a few minutes before starting to work together.

Together this team dug trenches, cleared brush, loaded/unloaded lumber, cut re bar wire, etc. What a wonderful experience to be able to part of this incredible team and witness their interaction firsthand!

The team represented quite a mix.....

• 22 to 76 years of age
• Men & Women
  
• First international trip to third passport in past fifteen years
  
• MBAs and lawyers to high school graduates
• Canadian, Mexican, American, Macedonian
• No less than 5 distinct religions represented
• Analytical, Social/Relational, Structural and Conceptual thinkers
  

.....and together we laughed, joked and worked in the heat of the Macedonian sun. All for the good of a family we met only a few days ago. And yet more than the family is benefiting --- we have all learned from one another ---- through our differences we built a stronger, more functional and innovative team!

It's amazing how much was accomplished by ~22 strangers working together.

Are the differences on your team drawing you together or forcing you apart?

Learn how to connect with those who have difference approaches to life in my engaging, energetic and insightful workshop "Meetings of the Minds : High Impact Communication Through Emergenetics" --- you'll be glad you did!

For a preview of Emergenetics and my facilitation style click here (or search YouTube for "Insightful Endeavors".

Wishing you the very best with all your endeavors,

Nora A Burns, SPHR
www.insightfulendeavors.com




Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc. IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results. In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops across the United States.

Registration for Nora’s upcoming workshops available here.