Business across cultures

THE ROLE OF THE CHAIR PERSON
Chairing is a key role on any voluntary Management Committee. The Chairperson must ensure that the Management Committee functions properly, that there is full participation during meetings, that all relevant matters are discussed and that effective decisions are made and carried out.
The role of a Chairperson is time consuming, with work between meetings, external representation of the organisation, and work with staff. Chairing a large organisation requires diplomatic and leadership skills of a high level.
Main duties of the chairperson
The responsibilities of a Chairperson can be summarised under five areas:
To provide leadership
The overarching role of the chairperson is to provide leadership, they must be an effective strategist and a good networker.
To ensure the Management Committee functions properly
The Chairperson is responsible for making sure that each meeting is planned effectively, conducted according to the constitution and that matters are dealt with in an orderly, efficient manner. The Chairperson must make the most of all his/her committee members, building and leading the team. This also involves regularly reviewing the Committee’s performance and identifying and managing the process for renewal of the Committee through recruitment of new members.
Download: Running Effective Meetings
Download: Chairing Meetings
Download: Reviewing & Renewing Your Committee
To ensure the organisation is managed effectively
The Chairperson must co-ordinate the Committee to ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place for the effective management of the organisation.
Download: Policies & Procedures
To provide support and supervision to the chief officer and senior team
The Chairperson will often be the direct line manager for the chief officer (the most senior staff member).
Download: Managing the Senior Staff Member
Download: Supervising the Senior Staff Member
To represent the organisation as its figurehead
The Chairperson may from time to time be called upon to represent the organisation and sometimes be its spokesperson at, for example, functions or meetings.
The overarching role of the chairperson is to provide leadership, they must be an effective strategist and a good networker. The Chairperson is responsible for making sure that each meeting is planned effectively, conducted according to the constitution and that matters are dealt with in an orderly, efficient manner. Meetings are vital in the workplace as they keep everyone involved in discussions about ongoing projects, upcoming events and company success. Meetings also help to make people feel included, trusted and important members of the team. 
For meetings to run smoothly, it is crucial to have someone to act as the meeting chair. In this article we will outline the responsibilities of a chairperson, explain some of the skills required and discuss how to chair a meeting effectively, along with providing some useful tips.

What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Chairperson?

The role of a chairperson is to help meetings run smoothly and efficiently, while ensuring the agenda is followed. It is their responsibility to lead the meeting, maintain order and ensure everyone gets to have their say. Furthermore, if the meeting goes off topic, it is the chairperson’s responsibility to guide the conversation back to the agenda and stick within the time constraints of the meeting. 
The chairperson is important because all meetings, even if they’re small or informal, need some direction and organisation. Without a chairperson, meetings can run late, lead off topic and prevent people from having their say. 
PROFITABILITY AND UNPROFITABILITY
Profitability is the primary goal of all business ventures. Without profitability the business will not survive in the long run. So measuring current and past profitability and projecting future profitability is very important.
Profitability is measured with income and expenses. Income is money generated from the activities of the business. For example, if crops and livestock are produced and sold, income is generated. However, money coming into the business from activities like borrowing money do not create income. This is simply a cash transaction between the business and the lender to generate cash for operating the business or buying assets.
Expenses are the cost of resources used up or consumed by the activities of the business. For example, seed corn is an expense of a farm business because it is used up in the production process. Resources, such as a machine whose useful life is more than one year are used up over a period of years. Repayment of a loan is not an expense, it is merely a cash transfer between the business and the lender.
Profitability is measured with an "income statement". This is essentially a listing of income and expenses during a period of time (usually a year) for the entire business. Information File Your Farm Income Statement includes - a simple income statement analysis. An Income Statement is traditionally used to measure profitability of the business for the past accounting period. However, a "pro forma income statement" measures projected profitability of the business for the upcoming accounting period. A budget may be used when you want to project profitability for a particular project or a portion of a business.
Reasons for Computing Profitability
Whether you are recording profitability for the past period or projecting profitability for the coming period, measuring profitability is the most important measure of the success of the business. A business that is not profitable cannot survive. Conversely, a business that is highly profitable has the ability to reward its owners with a large return on their investment.
Increasing profitability is one of the most important tasks of business managers. Managers constantly look for ways to change the business to improve profitability. These potential changes can be analyzed with a pro forma income statement or a Partial Budget. Partial budgeting allows you to assess the impact on profitability of a small or incremental change in the business before it is implemented.
A variety of Profitability Ratios (Decision Tool) can be used to assess the financial health of a business. These ratios, created from the income statement, can be compared with industry benchmarks. Also, Five-Year Trend for Farm Financial Measures (Decision Tool) can be tracked over a period of years to identify emerging problems.
Traditionally farmers have used the “cash method” of accounting where income and expenses are reported on the income statement when products are sold or inputs are paid for. The cash method of accounting, used by most farmers, counts an item as an expense when it is purchased, not when it is used in the business. This has been used as a method of managing tax liability from year to year. However, many non-farm business accounting systems count an item as an expense only when it is actually used in the business activities. However, net income can be distorted with the cash method of accounting by selling more than two years crops in one year, selling feeder livestock purchased in a previous year, and purchasing production inputs in the year before they are needed.Accrual Method of Accounting
To provide a more accurate picture of profitability, the accrual method of accounting can be used. With this method, income is reported when products are produced (not when they are sold) and expenses are reported when inputs are used (not when they are purchased). Accrual accounting uses the traditional cash method of accounting during the year but adds or subtracts inventories of farm products and production inputs on hand at the beginning and ending of the year.on creating and using a Net Farm Income Statement is also available.
RAPPORT WITH THE AUDIENCE
This means body language that will help to build rapport and trust. Have a smile when greeting people and a nice handshake that matches and mirrors that of the other person. When you are on stage have palms facing up as you talk to them and have your head bobbing. Take a risk and get out from behind the lectern or the table. Don’t have any barriers between you and the audience. Your body language should demonstrate warmth and that you want to be there speaking to them. Of course once you are in rapport, you can change to credible body language.
2 Use a lower rate of speech and use pauses rather than ums and ahs
By slowing down your rate of speech and modelling silence and pause, you are showing your audience that you are relaxed and comfortable (even if you are a little nervous). This helps put your audience at ease and they will relax and feel at ease and more readily connect with you. Reducing ums and ahs and replacing them with pause also helps demonstrate your confidence and build this connection and rapport.
3 Talk about the audience and what you hope to give them
This requires that you take the focus of your presentation off yourself and make the presentation visibly and emotionally about the audience. Make the presentation for the audience and about their needs. Talk about their issues, their problems and what your hope is for them as a result of the information you are going to share with them. Demonstrate that you are there for them. If the audience can see that you are there solely for their benefit, you will build rapport
4 Listen to the audience
At the beginning of your presentation ask the audience what they want from you. What are their major concerns and needs? Then address them. By asking questions and then showing genuine interest in their questions you will build rapport. I spoke to a group of University students this week. I started by introducing myself and saying that I planned to cover these 3 points. I then asked, “if you could ask me anything what would that be”. I then captured the 10 most pressing questions people had on a white board, and then delivered my content, making sure that I answered all of the 10 questions during my talk. There were some awkward questions, but this act of asking “what do you need from me” immediately built rapport and connection with my audience.
Sometimes you need to give a little trust in order to receive some trust back. Brene Brown in her TED talk explains the power of vulnerability. You can reveal that 2 years ago you were struggling, or 12 months ago you were facing the same dilemma that many people in the room are facing now. As a public speaking trainer, when I reveal that I stutter, but still do public speaking, that helps put people at ease and builds rapport.
6 Give more than expected
We have all heard the saying “under promise and over deliver”. I am not sure about the under promise, but I like to over deliver. Give a gift or some bonus information at the end of the presentation. Give an add-on, over and above your normal presentation such as free checklist, E-Book or half hour coaching session. I went to a seminar where everyone in the room received a free Dyson vacuum cleaner worth $800. The excitement and the mood of the room changed in an instance. And we all listened intently to what the speaker said.
One of the biggest rapport breakers and reasons for a presentation falling short is when the audience is expecting one thing, but the speaker delivers something completely different. This can be under delivering or delivering off topic. We can manage our audience’s expectations by ensuring our marketing material matches what we deliver. We can also outline upfront what we are here to talk about and what we cannot cover or talk about. This way you have framed your content upfront and you can manage audience expectations accordingly. We may choose to open up and say that nothing is off limits and I will answer any questions around this topic. It is the managing and meeting your audience’s expectations that matter.

SITUATIONS AND REGOTIATORS

We face negotiation situations every day. Some are obvious, like negotiation your salary at a new job. Others are more subtle, like working with a group on a volunteer project. In almost every case, we can often have a more satisfying experience when we realize we are negotiating and that there are ways to expand the pie and make everyone relatively happy. 
Here’s one example. Say you hire someone to design a new website for your business. In such everyday negotiation situations, when you receive a price quote, should you try to negotiate a better deal? 
Like many negotiations, the outcome may depend greatly on how you approach the situation. A buyer who drives a hard bargain on price could offend the service provider—and reduce their motivation and performance over the long run. Alternatively, by showing concern for the other party and trying to build rapport, you may be able to get a great deal and ensure that those you’re hiring are sufficiently motivated. 
Often, it helps to analyze the unique negotiation situations. And remember that negotiators form the most mutually advantageous agreements when, in addition to claiming value for themselves, they trade on their differences to create value. It may seem paradoxical, but by adopting a cooperative mindset, you are more likely to get what you want.
Learn how to negotiate like a diplomat, think on your feet like an improv performer, and master job offer negotiation like a professional athlete when you download a copy of our FREE special report, Negotiation Skills: Negotiation Strategies and Negotiation Techniques to Help You Become a Better Negotiator, from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
The following items are tagged negotiation situations:
Understanding Exclusive Negotiation Periods in Business Negotiations
POSTED OCTOBER 17TH, 2023 BY PON STAFF & FILED UNDER DEALMAKING.
The clearest method for achieving exclusivity in negotiation is an exclusive negotiation period during which both sides agree not to talk to third parties, even if approached unexpectedly by others. In some arenas, these terms are called no-talk periods. … READ MORE 
How to Negotiate with Friends and Family
POSTED SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2023 BY PON STAFF & FILED UNDER DISPUTE RESOLUTION.
“Never do business with friends,” the adage goes. But should you always stay away from an opportunity to negotiate with friends and family? A strict policy of keeping friends and family members out of our business lives would be impractical, and it could cause us to pass up potentially valuable negotiating opportunities. … READ HOW TO NEGOTIATE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY 
Police Negotiation Techniques from the NYPD Crisis Negotiations Team
POSTED AUGUST 29TH, 2023 BY PON STAFF & FILED UNDER CRISIS NEGOTIATIONS.
Few negotiators can imagine negotiation scenarios more stressful than the kinds of crisis negotiations the New York City Police Department’s Hostage Negotiation Team undertake. But police negotiation techniques employed by the New York City Police Department’s Hostage Negotiations Team (HNT) in high-stakes, high-pressure crisis negotiation situations, outlined in an article from Jeff Thompson and Hugh … READ MORE 
Everyday Negotiation Situations: Should You Negotiate Service Fees?
POSTED JULY 17TH, 2023 BY KATIE SHONK & FILED UNDER NEGOTIATION SKILLS.
Imagine that you’re about to hire someone to provide a service—say, to repair your leaky roof, design a new website for your business, or host an online event. In such everyday negotiation situations, when you receive a price quote, should you try to negotiate a better deal? … READ MORE 
How to Overcome Cultural Barriers in Communication – Cultural Approximations of Time and the Impact on Negotiations
POSTED JUNE 20TH, 2023 BY RILEY SCHEURITZEL & FILED UNDER INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATION.
Some of the most fundamental international negotiation skills to develop are negotiation strategies on how to overcome cultural barriers in communication.
Types of Conflict in Business Negotiation—and How to Avoid Them
POSTED JUNE 19TH, 2023 BY RUTH COLLINS & FILED UNDER CONFLICT RESOLUTION.