Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 - (Page 68)

Advice Gresham believes it’s important to find someone who has had a positive experience in the country you’re moving to, and equally important to find someone that didn’t, because “those who had a good experience will leave things out.” Tsai suggests mentoring someone who is on international assignment in your home country before you move to theirs. He also believes it’s important to have had one or two power jobs in your home country to prepare yourself, and to make sure that you have an influential majority sponsor in the new host country. In addition, he advises being prepared to learn about yourself, not to expect the same sensitivities to your culture, and be ready to assimilate more, as the concept of diversity is very different outside the U.S. Many mentioned the importance and difficulty of maintaining relationships and sponsors in the U.S. while on international assignment. “Out of sight, out of mind” seems to be the reality for most, and the burden is on the ex-pat to proactively work at keeping and building relationships with influential executives in your home country. David Wu, who went abroad for three different corporations, feels strongly about “making sure you do not lose your US network, and returning to the US as soon as possible. Obtain commitments that your career will continue to develop before you accept an international assignment. Let your team overseas deliver the results, especially if you’re at risk of losing your US network.” experience for the rest of my life. I grew up.” While the assumption might be that Wu would have a positive experience in China because of his Chinese heritage, it was quite the opposite. “I faced significantly more challenges as a non-traditional ex-pat in the sense that I felt pressure from both the US and China that I did not belong,” he says. “My overseas staff loved me because of my commitment to continuously improve and develop and train them. The other ex-pats did not want me to succeed because my success embarrassed "The impact on personal life will be immeasurably positive, except that the experience will render you a changed person from the ‘local’ person that you were before you left." Unique Challenges One woman perceived that it was very different being a woman in a male-dominated area. She was the first female ex-pat and high-level manager in her department early on in her assignment, and she knew that she had to prove herself to earn the respect of co-workers. Another didn’t perceive that she experienced any different challenges because of her gender, while another said, “There are no challenges that are any different than in North America. The world is a man’s world.” African-Americans often prefer living outside the U.S. Gresham says, “The personal defining moment in my life was moving to a small town in upstate New York where there were very few minorities. I wouldn’t call it hostile, but it wasn’t friendly.” Thomas adds, “Australia was one of the most accepting places I’ve ever been to. I still return there for vacations and it feels like I’m coming back home. I didn’t feel that kind of racial oppression until I came back to Los Angeles.” On the other hand, the experiences of Asian-Americans were less positive. Tsai says, “The cultural acceptance of Asian leaders in Europe is far more difficult than in the U.S. I will treasure the European 68 w w w. d ive r s it y mb a ma g a z in e. c o m Darryl Gresham Abbott Diagnostics them. My US colleagues wanted me to succeed, but had no position for me back in the US to continue my career development.” Tsai shares Wu’s perceptions of China. “In most cultures, the White American has rights of passage a minority won’t. In China, there is a near reverential treatment of Whites. But Chinese don’t treat each other with dignity and respect. In China, the people are very hospitable to Whites, but treat each other relatively harshly. On the other hand, the family fits in a bit better in everyday China because you don’t have to worry about standing out physically. So there are plusses and minuses.” http://www.diversitymbamagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Find Your Power Voice Business Briefs Off the Shelf The Fourth Annual Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Corporate Executives Negotiation: The Art of Persuasion or Zero Sum Game? Career Planning for Tomorrow's Hispanic Workforce Who's Who In Diversity Entrepreneur Profile: Anita Santiago: Doing It Her Way Businesses that Keep On Giving Rising Sun Going Global: Will An International Assignment Benefit Your Career Work-Life Balance and the C-Suite: An Oxymoron? A Call to Save Travel: Off the Beaten Path - Chile Drawing the Line – Latin Art Exhibit The New Taste of Latin Cuisine American Sabor: Exhibit Highlights Latino Influence in Pop Music Crafting Specialized Business Degrees Latest MBA Salary Suggests MBA Is A Safe Haven Gadgets & Gizmos Gone Phishing – How Scammers Mine Private Data From Web Surfers Advertiser's Index The Meaning of Sanctuary

Diversity MBA Magazine - Summer 2008

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