By Jay Deragon & Scott Allen
The first question in last night's debate between Clinton and Obama was whether they, as President, would meet with the new Cuban leadership now that Castro has stepped down.
Clinton said that Cuba would have to first indicate that they were on a path to "real change", and said how the Cuban people are "entitled" to democracy. She wouldn't meet with them until they made certain policy changes. Obama, on the other hand, said that the idea that meeting with the President is some kind of privilege reinforces the idea that the U.S. is somehow above the rest of the world. He said that he absolutely would meet with them. Yes, human rights and democratization would be on the agenda, and that there would have to be preparation for the meeting, but that he wouldn't put any preconditions on it.Now, regardless of what your politics are - and this isn't an endorsement of Obama over Clinton, but on this particular point, one might be completely horrified at Clinton's response and applauded Obama's. Obama is saying that we have to have a relationship in order to effect change. Clinton is saying that "they" have to change in order for us to have a relationship.
Is The Difference an Attitude?
Whether the President of the USA or the CEO of a large corporation, building relationships requires a conversation rather than a policy. Too many policies get in the way of having open and honest conversations from which both parties can learn the perspectives of the other and hopefully find common ground from which to establish a relationship.
Whomever we individually or collect
ively
think we are none of us could possibly know everything needed to understand everyone. Arrogance is the fallacy of fools who believe they have learned and experienced everything life has to teach us. Sometimes, actually a lot of times, our own attitudes are our own worst enemy and until we can learn to have conversations with open minds nothing can be learned or gained.
How many times have employees and customers run into corporate policies that simply don't make any sense or logic? Refer to yesterdays post about Jake McKee experience with American Airlines. Doc Searls talks often about how relationships create
transactions and markets. How can we expand our world and solve problems of scarcity unless we're willing to converse. Conversations start with a willingness to begin a relationships. That is
the entire premise of The Relationship Economy.
What say you?