5 PERILS OF
WORKING
INTERNATIONALLY
Travelling is exhausting: in
and out of taxis, airports, and
queues. Even sitting on a plane
for a long time is tiring. There is
a great misconception about the
excitement of travelling. Getting
off planes and then coaching
CEO’s or Boards or delivering
training programs to senior
government officials the next day
can be really tiring. So look after
your health carefully, exercise
daily, watch your diet and rest as
much as you can.
2) YOU MUST BE
CONSTANTLY CULTURALLY
AWARE AND FOLLOW
PROTOCOL
Never assume you know a culture
and its idiosyncrasies unless you
have experienced it for a while.
Protocol determines that there
are things you can and cannot
do in every culture, and it’s best
to get very clear on these at the
outset so no major mistakes are
made.
3) YOU NEED TO LEARN
THE LANDSCAPE QUICKLY-
POLITICALLY & BUSINESS
WIDE
Politics and how each nation
does business is not the same
around the world. Move with the
guidance of a very senior leader
if possible. This helps build a
positive reputation.
52
Women’s Network Magazine
4) YOU MUST OPERATE
WITHIN THE CULTURAL &
LEGAL CONFINES OF THE
COUNTRY IN WHICH YOU
ARE WORKING
Small things like how to dress,
how to greet people in senior
positions and how to behave
in the company of others is
critical in business dealings
internationally, research what is
acceptable.
5) YOU MUST BE ADEPT
AT WORKING CROSS
CULTURALLY
You have to be aware that what
occurs in your country is not
what may happen elsewhere. It
is important to be astute about
what may work cross-culturally
and what may not.
We can make an impact, even
in a small way, in helping the
world move towards being a
better place by upskilling leaders
and helping women, slowly
but surely, to become more
empowered and have louder
voices in a modern-day world
“ We can make
an impact,
even in a
small way...
“
1) YOU MUST BE IN SHAPE,
PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY
AUTHOR
Caryn Walsh
PURE MAGIC BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
puremagicbusiness.com.au
carynwalsh.com.au