Leaders who go to work overseas are often surprised by how much they thought they knew about a culture, and how little they really do. Here are three ways to begin your cultural transition before you start working or seeking jobs in a different country:

1.    Check your assumptions. You will hear many things about how people in the other culture get work done. Remember that all cultures are nuanced and while generalizations can be descriptive, you can’t accept them as universal rule.
2.    Attend workshops. Leading up to your move, find workshops or lectures about doing business in different countries or go to a country-specific conference.
3.    Immerse yourself in global coverage. Find publications, websites, and television programs that give you a cross-cultural view of what’s going on in the world and insight into how other cultures view global news.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “Managing Yourself: Making It Overseas” by Mansour Javidan, Mary Teagarden, and David Bowen.

Source : Harvard Business Review

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