Why Geography?

• Gain Knowledge Before Going Abroad
• Build Effective Cross-Cultural Business Relationships
• Gain A Global Perspective Of An Interconnected World

What is Geography?

WHAT IS WHERE? WHY IS IT THERE? WHY SHOULD WE CARE?

Contrary to public perception, geography is not just about place names and capital cities.  Location does play a large role in understanding the nature of a place.  However, comprehending how that place, and the people who live there, are connected to other people and places is what helps us gain a deeper understanding of that location.

Geographers look at global patterns of population, resource allocation, economic activities, climate, politics, and history.  Geography is a multifaceted approach to understanding the world that allows us to make sense of the people, places and events that shape our workplace and personal lives.

Gain Knowledge Before Going Abroad

As more organizations send their people abroad, they are finding that their employees are not always prepared for the experience. Population pressure, cultural differences and lack of background knowledge can be a distraction from the tasks they are trying to accomplish.

Making Connections gives context to the bombardment of new information and allows people to concentrate on their main objective: building their business.

Build Effective Cross-Cultural Working Relationships

Understanding the backgrounds of the people one works with is a critical step in building a relationship, especially when those people are from other cultures.  Many people focus on the differences that can act as a barrier to doing business with people from other cultures and in different locations.  This can be a constraint to building effective teams in a multinational organization. 

Global Perspective's philosophy is that people around the world are similar in many respects but our geographies shape our appearance, behaviors and way of life.  Focusing on simlarities first can give incentive to learn more about each other and make it easier to deal with differences later. 

If an organization is going to be successful in the global economy, having employees with a foundation in world geography is essential.

India and China Trip

The owner of Global Perspective made a recent trip to India and China.  You can read his journal entries to gain insight about both countries as well as how a geographer views the world.  

In our opinion, there is no substitute for traveling abroad when learning about another country.   However, this is not always financially possible.  The aim of this journal, and the seminars provided by Global Perspective, is to provide the next best alternative to actually being in the countries and talking with the people one is trying to understand. 

Building the knowledge that will allow an individual or organization to be successful in the global economy takes time.  One seminar, book, or visit to a country will not bestow the tools needed to truly succeed in an age where the number of people and places with which one is connected is greater than at any time in history.    However, those willing to make the investment in this knowledge will have an advantage over the competition, which may make the mistake of applying old skills and paradigms to the new world order.          Learn more...