About my cross cultural experience

As I finish this subject, I really appreciate this class for thinking again about my communication skills. Especially preparation for final team project is most impressive to me. It is really impressive that meeting friends who have different cultures, languages, and ages but have a same purpose of doing the best. And through that process, the breadth of understanding can be expanded far more.

Since 1994, over 17 years of job career I really undergo various activities and positions, and have communicated with various people. In the course of work, I have met a lot of boss, colleagues and juniors as well as various types of customers, suppliers.
There were countless meetings and communication which have also varied the time and place.
But unfortunately, I don't have much experience with cross cultural communication.
I have traveled almost 10 abroad countries including US, Europe, even Egypt in Africa, but it was just travel.

All my cross cultural experience is this MBA course, I think.

I went to Shanghai one year ago for a new start at my middle-aged.

What I gained most valuable thing during the past one year is to make new friends.

There are 26 students in my class who come from many countries such as India, China, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea. Of course, the official language is English. But I do not speak English very well. I had to practice many times when I had presentation.

Why? For the reason that I don’t want be an obstacle to my young friends.

I came this MBA program for the purpose of refreshment, but my young friends had different purpose.

They really study hard for good job, scholarship, and prosperous future.

So I participated eagerly not want to be interference to my lovely friends.

But sometimes, I want to put my experience into our discussion, practice, and analysis.

I succeed to share that experience with some Indian guys. Unfortunately, I did not have much opportunity with Chinese friends. Maybe I had a lack of effort to reach out.

When I worked in Korea, I heard many times that I am person who have difficulty to get in reach, but after getting acquainted, I am really funny and warm-hearted person. I always feel lack of effort to greet first. I should make an effort to reach out first a little more.

Anyway, at first, Indian’s pronunciation made me confuse. Even now, there are some parts I can’t understand, but it is getting far better than the first. In addition to class time, we often met with a beer in the evening to discuss about academic issues, to talk about the people’s life of their own country, and to share one’s experience, and culture etc. And I also can enjoy the young generation’s culture. They give me the feeling of youth. To the older person like me, I can’t imagine to access such a young generation culture.

I feel sometimes that increasing the communication skills such as writing, speaking, and communicating does not seem to be desperate. However, when my position goes higher and I am getting older, I feel that communication is more important and difficult. There are hundreds of thousands cases that after communicating at the same place then make different interpretations. We may have easily observed that such differences cause misunderstandings and bickering in the contract, even it causes severe destruction and war.

And I feel again even we have different appearance, culture, and nationality, whenever I talk to my friends about my 45 years experience frankly, listen with respect the other’s experience and values, then suddenly as we had become friends.
I dare to say that is cross cultural communication.

I never forget this valuable experience.