An incoming student for the class of 2014 recently asked me a few questions that helped me reflect on my IMD experience. Please click here to see the Q&A!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Friday, June 7, 2013
5 things I learned as a foreign employee
I have only officially worked in 3 different countries, but 5 if you count my short stint in Nespresso in Switzerland and African Outback in South Africa, so I am certainly not an expert. But what I have learned, I will share:
1. Pay attention when you are surprised at work
Whether you are pleasantly surprised or ending up feeling frustrated, pay attention to those feelings and analyze carefully what might be the root cause of that. As a foreigner, understand that the innate cultural differences can cause quite a shock to your system. It can certainly be your colleague's unique character, or it might be the common place thing for all natives to do, especially if you start to recognize a pattern. For me, after multiple frustrations, I realize that it was just a cultural response and there were no ill intentions what so ever. If you can't beat em, join'em!
2. There are multiple cultural aspects at play
As you start to dissect why certain situations arise, understand that the culture of the people, the company and individual personalities all come into the mix and they will interplay and leave you befuddled. From my experience, the culture of the natives is probably the strongest underlying factor and the individual personalities come a close second.
3. Let stereotypes be a way to develop relationships
Interactions with your colleagues will quickly help you understand how they see you and what kind of stereotypes they have about you. You will learn more about perceptions of your culture, but you will also learn how to dispel them gently. People are often proud of their "keen" observations and when the time is right, they will share them with you. (I had a boss where he was shocked I added milk in my coffee, he was pretty sure all Asians were lactose intolerant... really odd, but I was able to smooth things over by listening to his hypothesis and engaging in an interesting exchange)
4. Fit in when you need to, but stand out when you should
After learning more about the culture you are working in, leverage the fact that you can fit in when you want to, but really stand out when you should. You will be forgiven because you are different, but more often, you will be appreciated, for doing what's right and daring to break the cultural shackles.
5. Prepare yourself for "20 Questions"
When you work in a different country, people will inevitably ask about your culture and country. So be prepared and brush up on your history, political situation and any interesting nuggets of information! Especially if you are an American, because the pervasiveness of US media is so wide that your colleagues will no doubt already have an opinion about the US. If that's the case, refer to point #3.
There you have it, the top 5 things I learned when working in different cultures. What have you learned?
1. Pay attention when you are surprised at work
Whether you are pleasantly surprised or ending up feeling frustrated, pay attention to those feelings and analyze carefully what might be the root cause of that. As a foreigner, understand that the innate cultural differences can cause quite a shock to your system. It can certainly be your colleague's unique character, or it might be the common place thing for all natives to do, especially if you start to recognize a pattern. For me, after multiple frustrations, I realize that it was just a cultural response and there were no ill intentions what so ever. If you can't beat em, join'em!
2. There are multiple cultural aspects at play
As you start to dissect why certain situations arise, understand that the culture of the people, the company and individual personalities all come into the mix and they will interplay and leave you befuddled. From my experience, the culture of the natives is probably the strongest underlying factor and the individual personalities come a close second.
3. Let stereotypes be a way to develop relationships
Interactions with your colleagues will quickly help you understand how they see you and what kind of stereotypes they have about you. You will learn more about perceptions of your culture, but you will also learn how to dispel them gently. People are often proud of their "keen" observations and when the time is right, they will share them with you. (I had a boss where he was shocked I added milk in my coffee, he was pretty sure all Asians were lactose intolerant... really odd, but I was able to smooth things over by listening to his hypothesis and engaging in an interesting exchange)
4. Fit in when you need to, but stand out when you should
After learning more about the culture you are working in, leverage the fact that you can fit in when you want to, but really stand out when you should. You will be forgiven because you are different, but more often, you will be appreciated, for doing what's right and daring to break the cultural shackles.
5. Prepare yourself for "20 Questions"
When you work in a different country, people will inevitably ask about your culture and country. So be prepared and brush up on your history, political situation and any interesting nuggets of information! Especially if you are an American, because the pervasiveness of US media is so wide that your colleagues will no doubt already have an opinion about the US. If that's the case, refer to point #3.
There you have it, the top 5 things I learned when working in different cultures. What have you learned?
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Project goes live!
It is no secret that traveling and experiencing new cultures is a part of my life. I would argue that for most IMD MBAs, it's a part of theirs as well.
Our new project is now live, check it out! We are committed to new material every week and there will be more to come on this. Please comment and share!
Our new project is now live, check it out! We are committed to new material every week and there will be more to come on this. Please comment and share!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Technical Presentations #2 - Habits
Now that you have an insight into what kind of a presenter you are, let's look at the kinds of presentation habits you should develop that will help in any situation and style. The 3 basic categories are:
1. Self awareness
Knowing what you are doing is critical when delivering a presentation, every aspect of you is being scrutinized. You ARE in the spotlight. Pay attention to:
2. Process orientation
Every time you have a presentation, follow a strict process so you consider everything for the highest impact. Depending on the level of the presentation, you can shorten or speed up this process.
3. Reflection
A strong habit is to reflect on how you have done through informal or even formal feedback/ metrics. This will help you to continuously improve on your style.
We will go through the process step by step next to see how it can all come together.
1. Self awareness
Knowing what you are doing is critical when delivering a presentation, every aspect of you is being scrutinized. You ARE in the spotlight. Pay attention to:
- General appearance
- Facial expressions
- Hand gestures
- Voice (pauses, tone, rhythm, volume, speed)
- Space (where you are standing, how you are moving)
2. Process orientation
Every time you have a presentation, follow a strict process so you consider everything for the highest impact. Depending on the level of the presentation, you can shorten or speed up this process.
- Preparation
- Goals
- Audience analysis
- Storyline and flow
- Content
- Rehearsals (iterate on 3&4)
- Logistics
- Delivery
- Follow up
3. Reflection
A strong habit is to reflect on how you have done through informal or even formal feedback/ metrics. This will help you to continuously improve on your style.
We will go through the process step by step next to see how it can all come together.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Technical Presentations #1 - Style
Before you even start thinking about audiences, I think the first step is understanding what kind of a presenter you are and what kind of a presenter you want to be.
It might feel like you want to give a keynote like Steve Jobs, or rouse the audience with a voice and cadence like Dr. King, but what is important is to fit your own style. We hear about being authentic all the time but what it boils down to is alignment. Alignment between your style, your message and your delivery.
What is your style?
Are you a extroverted story teller?
Do you use your hands?
Are you animated?
Are you a thoughtful presenter?
Are you more calming?
Are you a matter of fact kind of person?
Try to put down a sentence or two about your style. Ask your friends or co-workers to describe your presentation or communication style. Note if there are differences between professional and personal "story telling".
Know what kind of a presenter you are today and work to be yourself, but better.
Next up, bridging between who you are today and where you want to be.
It might feel like you want to give a keynote like Steve Jobs, or rouse the audience with a voice and cadence like Dr. King, but what is important is to fit your own style. We hear about being authentic all the time but what it boils down to is alignment. Alignment between your style, your message and your delivery.
What is your style?
Are you a extroverted story teller?
Do you use your hands?
Are you animated?
Are you a thoughtful presenter?
Are you more calming?
Are you a matter of fact kind of person?
Try to put down a sentence or two about your style. Ask your friends or co-workers to describe your presentation or communication style. Note if there are differences between professional and personal "story telling".
Know what kind of a presenter you are today and work to be yourself, but better.
Next up, bridging between who you are today and where you want to be.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Technical Presentations #0
I believe that a technical audience is somewhat different from a general one. The last technical conference I attended reminded me of how visual aids are perceived. If it is accepted that terrible visual aids are the norm, what would a polished one say about you? Did you spend too much time on the presentation and not on the scientific rigor behind it? Does this slick show make you seem like a used car sales man? Would you lose credibility as a scientist if you deliver a presentation like a TED speaker?
I belive there may be some truth in it, but I also believe that there are steps you can take to improve your presentation while maintaining credibility as an honored member of the scientific community. TED speaker crossed with an MD PhD.
I will share some learnings from gurus like Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, Guy Kawasaki and the many classes I've taken from presentation consultants to stage actors.
Enjoy!
I belive there may be some truth in it, but I also believe that there are steps you can take to improve your presentation while maintaining credibility as an honored member of the scientific community. TED speaker crossed with an MD PhD.
I will share some learnings from gurus like Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, Guy Kawasaki and the many classes I've taken from presentation consultants to stage actors.
Enjoy!
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