In my third conversation about living and working in different cultures, I spoke to Joris Nijman. Joris grew up in the Netherlands but moved to Shanghai after university and spent the first 10 years of his career working in China.
Starting your career is exciting, doing it in another country and another language could be daunting. Joris discusses learning about work in Shanghai after growing up in the very different culture in the Netherlands, the two are at opposite ends of the egalitarian vs hierarchical leadership styles, and the reverse culture shock when returning home a decade later.
Joris emphasises that patience is a virtue when it comes to doing business in China and how important it is to listen first as a leader before speaking to create space for ideas and feedback. He also highlights how finding strong social support circle should be top of the list for anyone wanting to be successful in a new country. Listen for more tips and insight from Joris in this short chat.
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