CAREER


How to succeed in a British office


If you are lucky, you will at some point in your career be thrown into the deep end of working in a country in which you were not native-born. I count myself fortunate to have had to turn up for work in offices as different as a concrete block in Warsaw, a gleam- ing Haussmann building in Paris, a modest office park in Slough, England and the tallest tower in Europe, the Shard, in the center of London.


While living abroad can be a challenge, taking a job and leading people in a foreign country takes some skilled diplomacy and tact. I firmly believe we all have the capacity for this, it’s just a question of being conscious of the things you can do that will ensure your suc- cess.


Here are five tactics I learnt that can help you be your best in a British office:


member that customer expectations and tastes often do come down to local norms and values. You may feel the desire to project your own experiences onto a project, but as a non-native person it will always help to check your assumptions with someone who’s been in the waters longer, or all their lives. Te better you understand the norms and values that make Britain, Britain, the more it will help you make decisions about the work you’re doing and ensure success.


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In the office, take your lead on interpersonal relationships by learning from your British colleagues how they commu- nicate and interact with each other to build relationships.


For example, when you head to the kitchen for a snack in a British office, it's quite normal to offer to return with snacks and drinks for those sitting near you too. I’ll never forget the day a colleague of- fered to make me a cup of tea and even enquired about my prefer-


Learn as much as you can about the company you work for and the market it serves, be that Britain or beyond. Depending on what kind of business you're in, try to re-


ence for milk and sugar. Tis nicety even transcends rank: years later, the CEO of a FTSE 100 company offered to bring me a tea with the same attention to how I took it. Wry humour is also prized (just think of the television show, Te Office, origi- nally set in Britain), so find chances to laugh or even share a joke if it fits the moment. Tese are opportunities to bond and build friendships, so give them a go!


be too quick with an opinion. With my British colleagues, I’ve found that these styles of communication are usually unpopular and off-putting, often driving a wedge between two people rather than helping them solve a problem. So, think before you opinionate. Suggest, don’t announce. Remember that your view is one of many and be ready to listen before you share yours. Even the words you choose and the time you choose to use them will make a difference. Tis even means to learn and use British English (it’s different to the English you may be used to!). If you need to interrupt someone’s day, just “nip to their office” for a conversation. Tis means you’ll be quick, and un- derstand the intrusion. If you love an idea, let a person know it’s “brilliant,” this is about the highest compliment you can give. Hone your skills listening, using their words, and respect- ing the need for a certain decorum if a point of disagreement needs working out.


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"in my country we..." Bringing diverse perspectives never hurts, and hopefully you work for a company who values this, but


4. 28 FOCUS The Magazine May/June 2018


The words you choose and the time to use them will make a difference. This even means learning the British language, it’s different!


www.focus-info.org


Avoid using your own native experiences too much as a reference. It’s quickly tiresome to have a foreign col- league join the office and constantly hear them declare


Directness and confrontation are tactics that some of us avoid, while others seek out. Having spent some of my career in New York, I’ll be the first to admit I can


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