Learning by Experience 40

10 lessons from my first foreign experience

10 lessons from my first foreign / Hungarian experience:

1. Contrary to what I thought, the experience abroad was very important. I was in a different environment and it was not as easy as I expected ... so it was instructive. As a result, I think international experiences are very important. If you have the opportunity, definitely take advantage!

 

2. Pay much attention to the culture of the country and team you are going to, try to understand it. My perspectives have changed a lot after the cultural education I received. I learned to meet with the team one by one instead of collectively to establish a bond, not to take the reactions of an introverted culture personally, to care about some things that are not important to me, and to try to learn their language as an expression of respect for culture.

 

3. When you join a team as an outside leader, don't get into a power struggle in the slightest. Be humorous and sincere. Take the person who would be naturally the leader if you weren’t there to your side. But do it very naturally.

 

4. Perceived successful is very important for people to respect and trust you. Make the definition of success very quickly and accurately. In an environment where the market conditions were terrible, I decided that everyone is under the same conditions, then we should play for the market share. Although our budget and sales shrunk, our market share made us feel very successful and showed us successful. Success was also partly a perception.

5. If you are an inexperienced general manager, it is very important that you are supported by your senior manager! Make a contract with your manager on this issue while you are just starting work.

6. Do not speak negatively about the leader or management before you in the slightest.

7. Don't eat any lunch alone in order to network! I met with all general managers who are members of the pharmaceutical association in the country, all English-speaking physicians and every Turkish, including the ambassador in the country. This is very important for you to perceive the world there.

8. Make sure that you appoint a more experienced mentor whose mind you can trust. Make routine meetings monthly, always consult him about all the issues that are stuck in your mind that month, and always talk whenever you get stuck.

9. Share very clearly with your immediate surroundings what kind of support you expect in order to maintain work-life balance.

10. Enjoy. The fact that you deserved your first general manager role is a great sign of success! See it not as a step to prove yourself but as a well-deserved achievement and act in that spirit without getting in the mood.