Hello Goodbye: It’s Critical to Connect and Build Trust With All You Meet

As I looked into his eyes, I could see them welling with tears. As he began to speak, his voice cracked, “Mr. Ron we’ll will miss you so much. It has been my honor to know you.”

As I listened, my eyes teared up in synch. These guys had no idea what they have meant to me over this past year.

As I walked from department to department, the reaction was mostly the same — we were saying our goodbyes. Having spent close to 15 months in a new environment with a workforce that could rival the United Nations — including multiple languages and customs — I was proud of myself for having connected with them.

Every unique experience must come to an end

As I walked out for the last time, the security guard who manned the front gate came out and gave me a big hug. Through broken English he said “picture,” and pointed at his cell phone. We embraced and took our photo. By this time, the gate was full with everyone wishing me congratulations, and one of my co-workers offering to give me a ride home as opposed to having to catch a taxi.

The Lesson From the Microsoft Cuts: Don’t Mix the Message on Layoffs

“This is not good. One of the guys on the marketing team I work with just got fired. OMG, they just fired another one. It is just crazy around here now.”

As I read the text messages, I could feel the tension that must have permeated this workplace.

The text was from someone who had been in the world of work for four years out of college. This situation with them went on for two days, and as I got the blow-by-blow, it felt like being in a war zone.

The question that probably popped in her mind was, “Am I next?” When I asked that question, her response was, “I honestly don’t know, but I do know that I am backing up all my work just in case.”

So when the dust settled, the leaders of this company called an all-hands-on-deck meeting to talk about the new corporate strategy. Oh, they also discussed the layoffs.

Who are these people?

What I Learned From My Life as an Expat HR Leader in Saudi Arabia

I recently received a note from my good friend Sharlyn Lauby(aka, the HRBartender) in reference to a question that she

received from one of her readers:

How did you prepare for your new human resources role in Saudi Arabia? The country has different cultures, business traditions, and labor laws.

What I realized is that the story behind me making the move from New York City to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia could possibly fill a book [to be announced at a later date].

My thoughts were about how you prepare for this type move, especially if it is an independent move sans large company with a mobility program and all their support.

So, as I thought through my approach to this question, I wanted to capture some of what I learned and what to look for, not only for moving to Saudi Arabia, but with any expat opportunity that might come along.

Expat blogs

While you can find tons of information on any country, the best way forward is through expat blogs. Regardless of the country, somebody took it upon themselves to write about it.

Leaders Get More Out of People When They Don’t Wear the Crown

“She said to me… ‘you might be president of PepsiCo, you might be on the Board of Directors, but when you enter this house you’re the wife, you’re the daughter, you’re the daughter-in-law, you’re the mother… so leave that damn crown in the garage.’ “

You have to admire the older generation. They will always speak their mind. When I read this, I thought of my parents and how their plain-spoken ability to cut through all the BS and hit the bullseye with their message.

The above statement was from Indra Nooyi’s mother in reaction to her daughter’s election to the Pepsi Board of Directors. The 58-year old Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and mother of two daughters delivered some surprisingly frank and candid insights on work-life balance in an interview with David Bradley, owner of the Atlantic Media Company, at the Aspen Ideas Festival this week.

The anointment: You are now crowned

I have seen more careers than I can count ruined by the constant wearing and acknowledging of the “crown.” One VP, recently promoted, told me that he blocks one of his reports out since HE is the one that has the two initials at the back of his name. And from what I gathered, the direct report was just floating ideas to him. But because he had the “crown,” he was the determinant of all ideas.

Workplace Communications: Yes, Sometimes We Still Need to Talk

“I’ve been picking up the phone and calling my most important clients,” he said. “You can’t stop because there’s no email.”

This was a quote based on the outage of MS Outlook this past week. The Washington Post headline blared MS Outlook outage brings offices back to the 1980’s.

For the people who were working in corporate, this was an era when there was no email to speak of, and for that matter, no computers. I had an office on Sixth Avenue in New York at that time and all I had was a phone on my desk. That was it.

Afraid of being out of touch?

But I was in sales back then and that was all I needed. I broke every sales record at that time with just a phone. Even today, when I need to get it done and over with, I simply pick up the phone and dial.