Loud Thinking August 21, 2013 at 05:29PM
Impress Your Foreign Boss
If you think that it’s hard to impress your boss, try doing it in an unfamiliar culture – where the natural methods that work at home may fail you. In these circumstances you need to be more deliberate. Start by doing great work, showing loyalty to the organization, and helping your boss accomplish his or her professional goals. Of course, how you do those things will vary across cultures: In one culture, “doing great work” may mean listening carefully to what your boss tells you to do and then precisely performing a task. In another, it might mean taking initiative and volunteering for assignments. Work hard to learn the local context. And get to know your boss’s individual preferences. Don’t assume that because she’s British, for example, that she has the same expectations as the Brits you’ve worked with before. Consult with colleagues and find a cultural mentor.
Adapted by HBR from “Impress Your Foreign Boss,” by Andy Molinsky
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