alignment and culture
September 30, 2005 by Mary Wynne-Wynter
It was fascinated with reports of Karen Hughes' diplomatic mission to the Middle East. Although she was generally favorably received, she did hit some strong and unanticipated resistance. Although she is considered by the White House to be a brilliant communicator, the mis-steps she made, particularly with a group of 500 Saudi women, provide some good lessons in the importance of a speaker's alignment with her audience.
I believe her purpose was largely to bridge perception gaps between Saudi’s and Americans. She frequently referred to herself as “a mom” and also as a friend to George Bush. She presumed that her audience shared her values, including the freedom to drive and vote. But although it was reported that her audience was generally receptive and welcoming, they did not necessarily share her, or George Bush's values and perceptions. She was reportedly taken aback and sometimes on the defensive
Unfortunately, cameras were prohibited so there is no video footage. I would've liked to watch this from the perspective of alignment to see what worked, what did not, and how she modified her approach as she learned.