Mistakes hold invaluable potential as stepping stones towards progress and learning, especially in a landscape as diverse and dynamic as the global business community, discussed industry leaders at The Power of Mistakes: Everybody Makes Them, Everybody Can Learn From Them session at the ICCA Congress 2023 in Bangkok earlier this week.
Stephanie Vielledent, head of chamber relations at ICC World Chamber of Commerce, shed light on the fallacy of assumptions in international collaborations. She recounted instances where assumed understanding led to discrepancies in expectations with PCOs and delegates when organising events.
On bidding for events, Diana Rodriguez, general manager of Cartagena De Indias Convention Center, shared about a failed ICCA Congress bid in 2017, and how the team learnt from it.
“We lost the bid in 2017, but we won it in 2020 after getting (and working on) feedback from board members. We also shared the feedback with the rest of the team, documented it, and made many other changes before another bid.
“This industry is about connections, people, and trust, and (at the failed bid), not everyone was there. But during our successful bid, the team was physically present, they were clear about what the value proposition was, and each member had an important part to play,” she said.
The conversation then encompassed global perspectives from Melissa Riley, senior vice president of convention sales and services at Destination DC. Drawing from international encounters, Riley underlined the significance of cultural awareness in business. Mistakes stemming from cultural misinterpretations, even in seemingly trivial matters, can lead to profound repercussions.
She related how KFC’s market share is larger than McDonalds’ in China, because when both fast food chains entered the market, fried chicken was more universal than hamburgers at that time. This propelled KFC to become more recognisable, while McDonalds had to adapt its menu to market tastes.
Similarly, understanding the small nuances of different cultures is a pivotal element in fostering success, Riley posited, especially in a landscape as dynamic as the global business community.
Ori Lahav, CEO of Kenes Group, contributed a perspective on leadership, and the significance of acknowledging mistakes. He emphasised that leaders should set an example by not avoiding conflict and providing honest feedback, to cultivate a working culture that values mistakes as learning opportunities.
