
Monday, October 27, 2008 8:15 AM - 9:05 AM
Room: Macdonald A–D
Speaker(s)
Jennifer James PhD Urban Cultural Anthropologist
Description
We tend to adapt easily to new technology, we accommodate new economic structures, we welcome new workers, but we resist changing patterns and models of operation. One of the most difficult aspects of adapting to rapid change is the ability to give up an old construct about "the way things ought to be" and develop a new one based on the current realities. Accepting a new version of reality - essentially telling a new story - requires cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is the ability to observe, learn, and understand our own culture as well as the culture of others. It is an essential leadership skill.
Speaker Biographies
Dr. Jennifer James is an Urban Cultural Anthropologist. A specialist in the cultural elements of technological change and marketing intelligence, her unique background in history, psychology, and anthropology has made her one of the most sought after women speakers in the world. She works extensively with boards and high-level executive groups on strategic planning and international problem solving.
A former at the University of Washington Medical School, Dr. James has published seven books, numerous academic articles and wrote a newspaper column for the Seattle Times for 18 years. Her most recent book is Thinking In The Future Tense. She is currently completing a new book, Cultural Intelligence. She is the founder of the Committee for Children, a nonprofit organization that for 25 years has developed curriculums for the protection of children and the development of alternatives to violence. These curriculums are taught in every state in the U.S. and in 38 other countries.