What is the first thing that would come to your mind if you were confirmed to do a project abroad? For many people it would be booking flights and accommodation, sorting out visas if necessary, perhaps doing some vaccinations too. It could also be learning more about the client’s company and results to-date, or maybe […]
Another year, more experiences, new learnings… and yet, some cultural myths are still prevalent in our thinking, and stop us from making the best out of our international teams, work and life. It’s time to bust them once and for all! Here are ten most common myths I hear from people about working across cultures. […]
If people are not yet convinced to the idea of growing the cultural intelligence, they often discard the research and intercultural tools. They may say things like: “I get it, there are differences between China and the US, but aren’t there also differences within the countries?”, or “Yes, there are differences between regions and countries, […]
People may be working across cultures regardless of whether they’re travelling the world or working with colleagues remotely from one given location. And for that, the key thing you need are the “people skills” – that’s usually the first thing that comes to mind. To be a good international manager or HR/Talent professional you need […]
When it comes to cross-cultural communications the question of: “Who should adapt?” almost always comes up. I don’t think there is one magical formula for this, but there is a certain rationale I use for myself: “The one who wants to have a productive conversation and knows how to”. If I know that I’m in […]
So often in the annual performance reviews or even just day-to-day conversations people receive feedback that they should work on improving their communication skills. But what does that really mean? And does it mean the same thing around the world? We all have our own personal preferences of how we speak, what channels of communication […]
The world is getting smaller as people travel more and more and therefore cultures no longer matter that much, some say. Wrong. They matter more than ever!
Travelling for work is often a good selling point, which companies use to attract young professionals. Taglines of “you will get to see the world”, “you will get to work with people from other cultures”, “you will increase your international experience” are frequently used. And all that really is possible, but it is your personal […]
We already know that the technical expertise in a chosen field doesn’t necessarily lead to a successful assignment abroad. It is certainly one of the factors, but not the only one. You might be a great manager in your current location, understanding people’s needs, being able to respond in an adequate manner, knowing how things […]
They say that “crossing the pond” cannot be that hard. After all, the same language is spoken, pop culture of either of the countries is known in the other, cultural values seem to be very similar. Others might say that the British and Americans are two nations separated by a common language. So which one […]