Prospects for future activity were dulled by a fall in building permits from an annual pace of 617, 000 to 597, 000.

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In the fall of 2006 a group of 30 senior managers from across the company convened for two months in the Ebay Toys building, dropping everything else, to figure out what Ebay should be.

FORBES: Too Smart for its Own Good

One communication trap that U.S. business leaders may fall into is a (costly) disregard for the importance of building and maintaining personal relationships when dealing with individuals from high-context cultures.

FORBES: How Culture Controls Communication