Kishan Kumarsingh
Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements at Ministry of Planning and Development
1. Lead climate negotiator for Trinidad and Tobago since 1998; 2.Chair of Expert Group on Technology Transfer under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)...
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- Climate Negotiation Strategies: Effective techniques for international discussions
- Technology Transfer for Climate Adaptation: Methods to assess and implement technology
- Nationally Determined Contributions Framework: Developing country's climate action plans
- Paris Agreement Implementation: Key steps towards global climate commitments
- Sustainable Development Goals Alignment: Integrating environmental agreements into national policies
Meet the mentor
TALK SHOW VIDEOS
Tricky Workplace Situation Handled
- Establish a common understanding on what needs to be achieved through an objective analysis/approach; determine respective roles and responsibilities based on the common understanding; establish a mode of communication that is comfortable with all parties
- Remember that the "enemy" is a human being like us; Identify a characteristic that you like or respect about the person; identify the core problem and try to turn it around; separate the personality from the professionalism
- Predetermined perceptions and mindsets are likely to kick in and pre and natural human reaction, ordain interactions. While this is a natural and instinctive human reaction, it is often strategic to keep focused on the tasks at hand, and address the germane issues objectively.
- Perceptions; fear of adverse reaction from the person; fear of rejection and criticism depending on the personality type of the person; lack of open-mindedness (often on the part of both parties).
- I have chaired international climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and co-chaired the negotiation of the Paris Agreement. this necessitated proposing solutions to negotiating sticking points which invariable drew harsh criticisms. Arriving at consensus required a focused approach on the issue causing the problem and listening to points of view while counter-offering reasoned and objective responses.
- Getting locked into a narrow mindset; making inappropriate/incorrect decisions if in a decision-making role; alienating others; attracting criticism.
- Yes. Initially taken aback because I thought I had a reasonable argument. On closer examination including through asking questions, I realized that there were some flaws in my reasoning, and some of my assumptions were not practical in real terms
- Delays/inhibits progress; Stunts growth; missed opportunities to learn new things and grow both professionally and personally.
- Demonstrate value in sharing experiences and information; Identify the benefits of working towards a common good or objective that redounds to the benefit of all; illustrate the down-side of silo-approaches particularly stunting personal and professional growth.
- How collaborative work redounds to the benefit of all; how a silo approach can act as the weakest link that can potentially lead to catastrophic consequences such as due to not sharing/withholding critical pieces of information or data that needs to inform crucial decisions; how it improves professional and personal growth.
- Accountability, honesty, integrity, equity and equality, governance. Leaving things better than you found them.
- Favouritism, abusive behaviour, violating established principles or codes of conduct, dishonesty,
- 7. Improvements are always relevant to any organisation, as circumstances and situations may occasionally demand decision making that can be non-inclusive and risk others being disadvantaged. Sometimes a judgement call that is required may not include all the ethical considerations.
- - Begin with a common understanding of the relevant terms (issues/language/phrases) and how they are applied; - Examine how they are applied in the current circumstances of each leader; - Identify gaps and the reason for the gaps; - Identify barriers to filling the gaps; - Identify solutions to filling the gaps; - Allow a discussion on the personality traits of the leaders that may be contributing to the gaps as leadership is also about personality (essentially a personality SWOT analysis) - Discuss what changes may be necessary/required to facilitate the filling of gaps from a behavioral approach
- Convergent thinking: linear and systematic, focused, analytical, narrows down multiple ideas towards a single solution, asks why?, Divergent thinking: non-linear in many directions, flexible, iterative, open-ended, encourages creative risks while acknowledging possible failure, expands outwards by generating multiple ideas, using barriers as design opportunities, asks why not?,
- - Take time to understand the issues from a cultural/language perspective - Revisit inefficiencies in delivery system - rebrand and repackage
- - Learning about digital trends and use - Identifying how digital trends can be used for products - Identify how products can be redesigned to fit digital trends - Make adjustments and learn by doing with incremental advancements
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- From a negotiations perspective, understanding the concerns of all parties, offering solutions that fit within those concerns, stimulate solution-thinking from different parties to solve problems of other parties, stimulate how the solutions can be improved by all parties.
