Many of you will know that I spent a few years living and working in Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾
It definitely wasn’t the easiest, but it was one of the best things I’ve ever done, in both a personal and professional sense. The great times made up for the hard times, and the hard times made me who I am today.
What I got from it:
> Empathy – working with people from different cultures was a learning curve, but I learnt how important it is to see the world from different perspectives and to try to understand where each individual is coming from
> Adaptability – they worked differently over there, even down to the simple things..contracts were signed on whatsapp, a weekly team meeting was seen as overbearing. I had to get comfortable with adapting.
> The ability to get stuck in – we were a small team, not the big company I was used to. My laptop caught on fire (literally) on my first day and there was no IT team to save me. I had to get involved in everything.
> Inclusivity – I was the outsider and I didn’t fit in. I even got some abuse on the company Whatsapp for my approach to making tea. Sure, I managed to break in, but experiencing that left me with a desire to make everyone feel included.
> Independence – half of my colleagues were based in a different continent, my manager in a different country. They weren’t even awake for half of my working day. I had to get comfortable with making decisions without them.
> Openness – seeing a variety of different cultures do things in vastly different ways gave me an appreciation for the importance of being open to new ideas and ways of doing things. There’s not one way of getting to a great results.
> Confidence – I knew no one, bar my then boyfriend. I had to push myself to join things – cross fit gyms, book clubs, yoga classes – and start conversations with people. For someone who was pretty shy at school, walking into a room full of people I don’t know at a networking event now doesn’t phase me.
> A year round tan, meeting an orangutan, about 25 bank holidays a year, a love of Satay, incredible travel opportunities & some life long friends
All of this makes me a better manager, leader, team mate, colleague, partner, Toucan.
So, for anyone who’s considering working abroad in any capacity, go for it. And for anyone currently doing something really hard, you’ve got this and it will be worth it.
In 5 years time, you might be writing a LinkedIn post about how it’s the best thing you ever did 😉
Knowledge seeker & Teacher at heart
4moCongratulations!