About me, about business cultural training
Why business cultural training?
With technology, it is easier for us to connect with people from the other side of the world. This means that there are opportunities for businesses to find new customers and clients outside their local areas. This also means that companies will need to handle cultural differences in this brave new world.
After two decades of helping my employers to understand business culture from the other side of the world, I decided that I should share my experiences and lessons learnt with a broader audience.
My goal is to help businesses manage relationship and win clients across cultures. It is not only about how good your businesses are, but also about being able to build meaningful relationship. Through business cultural training, consultation and speeches, I will share practical insights and real-life stories that make cultural differences less daunting and more empowering.
Why not use cultural agility as your weapon to expand your client network?
From Hong Kong to Stockholm: a journey across cultures
I have spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of business and culture. I was born and raised in Hong Kong. But one day, I decided that I needed to see the world. That is how my journey to the west started.
My journey has taken me across five cities. I have lived in Hong Kong, Helsinki, Birmingham, London, and now Stockholm. Along the way, I have picked up four languages: Cantonese, English, Mandarin, and Swedish. But more importantly, I have developed a skill that is harder to define but crucial for international business success: cultural agility.
20 years of bridging business and culture
For almost 20 years, I worked in investor relations, acting as a bridge between companies and investors. However, I was also a bridge to different national cultures. In Hong Kong, I worked with Chinese companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Their investors often came from the US, Europe, and the UK. My role wasn’t just about presenting the financials; it was about translating cultural expectations. I had to ensure that Western investors understood the context behind business decisions and communication. In the meantime, I helped my clients navigate the nuances of Western investor expectations.
When I moved to London and later Stockholm, the dynamic shifted, but the cultural gap remained. I am still in the investor relation and capital raising fields, but I worked for private equity and real estate fund managers. My role is to pitch investors and convince them to invest into our funds, which are all Europe based. In addition, I help my employers to maintain long-term relationship with their investors from around the world. Having lived in both the West and Eastern part of the world, I naturally became the culture expert in my companies. I found myself constantly adapting, ensuring that both sides understood not just the words spoken but the unspoken cultural signals behind them. As if I am switching my culture hats constantly.
Cultural agility: seeing the world through different lenses
Through years of cross-border business experience, I have developed what I called, and some culture researchers called cultural agility. Cultural agility is the ability to switch mindsets quickly and view situations from another culture’s perspective. It is not just about etiquette; it is about understanding intentions, expectations, and decision-making processes. So that even when the cultural “stereotype” is not present, I can still communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds.
Ready to practise cultural agility?
Let’s embrace the journey together. Because in today’s global business world, understanding culture is not just a nice-to-have, it is the key to winning clients, closing deals, and building lasting partnerships.