Ethan Becker is on his way to Malaysia to work with SuriaKLCC. He will be sending regular updates on his trip in a series we titled: “Kuala Lumpur Journal”.
Four flights, 1 entire season of 24 and 36 hours later, Ethan landed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ethan is working with Executives to help them strengthen their managerial communicaiton skills. This is follow up work with the team that has shown incredible improvement over the years.
The weather is hot, and humid. Boston of course, is much colder. Back home it’s snow and shoveling while here it’s rain and warmth.
I find it amazing how similar people are around the world. When I travel, I meet and profile people along the way. I’ve met people from countries and cultures all over the world. It’s a real lesson to get to work with so many cultures and see how human beings are similar and different.
The teachings of Aristotle regarding communication cross culture barioers. I’ve yet to find a culture where the communication fundementals don’t apply. They are not “American” teachings, they are tools and techniques that can help human beings communicate. What is unique is the implementation of tools and technques. That can vary by culture. But concepts like having strong relationships in business reamain a constant.
Malaysia is similar and different from home. I often joke that it’s a lot like Natick Ma. In the city, you find many high end brands and an Americanized city, as most cities are similar. Once you leave the city, that is when it becomes unique.
