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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

How international experiences makes you stand apart from your competition

I thought I knew what globalization was until my company sent me to Bangalore to supervise Quality Assurance (QA) for their Indian consultants: I found myself simultaneously coordinating activities during the day between Mumbai and Bangalore; reporting to my managers in Boston at night; receiving feedback; relaying it to the consultants; and generally liaising between the widely spread teams. I found myself working across time zones all from the comfort of my home. It was then that I truly realized how globalization of the business world had impacted our work lives. Talking with colleagues and relatives employed in other companies, I found similar situations occurring everywhere. With organizations operating and collaborating worldwide simultaneously, I recognized the necessity of communicating across cultures and languages and that I was in the unique position to take advantage of these opportunities.

An international experience does not just mean working in other countries (although that would possibly the best). It could also mean interacting with people from different countries by travelling abroad, learning a new language or, interacting with people from different countries through blogs, forums and other online mediums.

Adaptability
Having lived in countries completely disparate in their culture and language to my own, I have developed the skills to adapt and turn the environment to my advantage. When you live in a different country, you are forced out of your comfort zone. When a person is forced to learn new languages and customs, even something simple such as finding a good place to eat becomes challenging. Although this is daunting at first, overcoming this adversity gives one the ability to face new challenges and overcome them. I may not have all the answers upfront, however I am prepared to deal with whatever comes my way.

Communication

My multilingual skills give me the ability to engage others in their comfort zone and gain their cooperation. Although I would not claim to be an expert linguist, having the skills to have a basic conversation with others makes a big impact on the people you are dealing with. 

For example - One of my current colleagues is a Sri Lankan. Although I cannot communicate with him in Sinhala, having lived in Sri Lanka I was able to make a relationship with him as I am able to speak a few words of Sinhala.


Although it is possible to become multilingual without travelling, there is nothing like hands-on experience. Even if you do not have the opportunity to travel abroad, the internet has made the world a smaller place. There are tons of resources that will allow a person to communicate with others from other parts of the world.

Cultural awareness
Having lived in the US for a very long time, I have an advantage over my counterparts in India when it comes to creating relationships with the people in the US. This is because not only am I able to communicate better with my clients and colleagues in the US, I am also able to connect with them culturally. 


For example - I understand that Americans are usually passionate about one of the following things: Team sports, their pets and/or their hobbies. They normally do not like to talk too much about their personal lives or their families (at least to someone they do not know). So on a new project, I often try to engage with my clients/counterparts on a more personal basis by talking about any of the above.

Indians on the other hand care more about their jobs and their titles, their families and movies or cricket. 

In order to be more successful in today's global village, understanding the way others tick is the key to success.

Empathy
This is a key skill that one acquires only when they have the opportunity to interact with people from different parts of the world. When you are managing people, it is often easy to come up with grand strategies and diktats that need to be executed. However, one needs to keep in mind the sensitivities of the people that will be affected by them. The key to empathy is to understand that all people are different and yet, they are all ultimately people at the end of the day.

Mixing with people from other cultures gives one an idea behind the challenges faced by others. This makes a person more tolerant when dealing with others for they can understand a situation from the others point of view.

A great example of this is the way a lot of Eastern managers have learned to empathize with their employees after spending a stint in the West. I have seen a sea change in the attitudes of managers who spend a while abroad and come back more humble, humane and, understanding.

Similarly, managers from the West who spend time in the East learn about how to get things done more at the least cost. The same managers also begin to understand the challenges faced by their employees from countries with less developed infrastructure and empathize with their day to day troubles.

Learning new and better ways to approach problems
There is never just one way to tackle a problem. However, it is often difficult to think about different approaches to solve problems when you are used to a certain line of thought. Meeting other people from different cultures and seeing how they fix similar problems provides a wonderful learning experience.

It is amazing to see how people from different parts of the world approach some of the most complex problems in the world. The Indians, for example, in particular are fond of the jugaad approach.

International experiences also makes a person more confident about taking risks in their lives. The very act of moving out of a person's comfort zone to confront the unknown makes a person more capable of handling the unexpected.

In summary, it is quite obvious that there are tremendous advantages one gains from international experiences. Even if it is not possible for a person to get a job in another country, it is imperative to travel to different parts of the world and gain the skills required to engage with others. Since the world today is shrinking at a tremendous pace, if one does not have the ability or the desire to communicate with others from different cultures and countries, they will not be able to succeed.


5 comments:

  1. Nice! I like the way you fleshed out each example. The idea of putting each advantage under different headings was great too because it made the article flow more easily. I don't know that I'd say Americans are interested in so and so or that Indians are interested in so and so because it creates very generic stereotypes. Everyone has diverse interests after all, so the fact that you're able to connect at a deeper level shouldn't be reduced to a stereotype. I liked your comments on the cultural exchange and the effect it had on management. Great post overall.

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  2. Thanks!

    I really appreciate the feedback.

    My comment about Americans' or Indians was not meant to stereotype people. Rather it was meant to try and find topics of conversation that would allow one to build a relationship. How long can you just talk about the weather? :)

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    1. True :D There's a limit to the weather as an extended topic. I agree with you about finding topics of conversation because that does tend to put things on an easier, friendlier footing. I guess I was responding more to the choice of topics. But you can't really beat reality in that aspect. Nothing gets people more relaxed than topics they're comfortable with.
      I really liked your post, though. Waiting for the next one.

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  3. An excellent post, Bharath, with very valuable insights into why it is important to have international exposure. It does broaden one's outlook towards life tremendously - and not just in a work context.

    I liked all your points. Having also had an opportunity to observe, first-hand, different cultures at work, I couldn't agree more.

    And I do like your writing style a lot. You not just come up with your points very coherently, there's an easy flow in your writing, with appropriate headings and short paragraphs (easier to read).

    Thanks. Am sharing this with others.

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  4. Coming from you that's a huge compliment Raja!

    Thank you!

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