Since I graduated college, I’ve worked abroad my entire professional career. \u00a0The countries that I’ve spent time working in include Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and India. \u00a0Each of these countries differs extensively in the\u00a0work and personal culture. \u00a0I learned the hard way that it’s better to adapt and listen, rather than push and impose. \u00a0 For example, in Tanzania, the relationship is most important, in Kenya, the deal or transaction is what matters. \u00a0In India, you need to be detail oriented, while in Uganda, the bigger picture is more important. \u00a0These are generalities in my experience, but what’s meaningful here is the difference in approach is essential to achieving results. \u00a0As an American, I moved to Africa guns blazing and head strong. \u00a0That attitude didn’t help me, and while I was able to succeed in getting things done that I had control over, I struggled to have success in projects where I had significant dependencies on local teams or partners. \u00a0It wasn’t until recently that I’ve seen the error of my ways, and I’m now working hard on listening to people, and understanding their approach, before I set a strategy.<\/p>\n