\n\tSingapore is a choice assignment for Western Learning professionals for several reasons. The democratic city-state enjoys mild equatorial weather, and the business climate is welcoming to Western professionals and academics. The cultural experience on the ground is rich and varied with a global outlook. English is the common language of commerce. It\u2019s an easy place to feel safe as a foreigner.<\/p>\n
\n\tSingapore\u2019s leadership is committed to making the city a center of the Asia-Pacific region, recruiting talent from within the region to work in one of the most affluent economies in the world.<\/p>\n
\n\tLearning, with an eye on meritocracy in the workplace, is highly valued. As the nation\u2019s economy currently is slowing down, organizations and personnel are eager to stay competitive. Singapore may not lead in innovation, but it does set the pace in terms of business processes and attracting talent to stay at the top of its game in tourism, refining, retail, and technology.<\/p>\n
\n\tThat said, there are inconsistencies in the workplace\u2014e.g., leadership is still male dominated\u2014 that affect training and development. Westerners who have become used to flat corporate structures will notice elements of hierarchy that keep the C-suite aloof from the rank-and-file. \u201cSkip interviews\u201d in which employees meet with their boss\u2019 bosses, now common in the U.S., are not practiced here.<\/p>\n
\n\tSingapore professionals value Western trade, but don\u2019t expect any special deference to your academic credentials just because they\u2019re American or European. There is a sense of pride and a preference for the region\u2019s own universities.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe blend of private, publicly traded, and government-owned organizations is significantly different than in the U.S. Government work often has higher status and salaries than commercial enterprises. Singapore\u2019s airline is government owned, and there are many hybrid, semi-national enterprises. But entrepreneurial principles also are valued, even in state-led organizations.<\/p>\n
\n\tCULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tCultural diversity is evident throughout Singapore, but the Chinese family structure prevails in many ways. Students often live in multi-generational and physically smaller homes. Property in the crowded city is expensive. Commutes in heavy traffic to less expensive housing can affect promptness and cause training start time delays.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen Skyping from New York at 9 a.m., it\u2019s good to be mindful that it is 9 p.m. for a Singapore professional who possibly is calling in from a house or apartment with elder relatives and young children who may be sleeping. While Asians often speak in softer tones than their Western colleagues, don\u2019t confuse a working father\u2019s quiet presence as \u201cnot speaking up.\u201d He\u2019s probably just mindful of his kids\u2019 bedtime.<\/p>\n \n\tMulti-generational living has advantages as childcare usually is managed with the help of older family members. This can be a big advantage for women professionals in Asia.<\/p>\n \n\tCUSTOMS THAT COUNT<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tSharing\u2014housing, domestic duties, food, etc.\u2014is a dynamic unique from the West that affects the routines of the office and is highly observable in the custom of eating groups, which are strong social \u201creality testing\u201d groups that provide belonging and social support.<\/p>\n \n\tAs a foreigner, you may be brown bagging at your desk\u2014if not enjoying a solo spree on any street of amazing restaurants\u2014but you probably won\u2019t be invited to a group. Eating groups are from three to seven colleagues who go out every day over the years and provide both support for one another and also a break from the office. You must be invited to a group based on common connections such as your university or job function.<\/p>\n \n\tThe eating group is a source of informal information exchange that keeps participants in the know. It\u2019s an important feature of networking, and people look forward to it. It\u2019s an egalitarian custom with no group leader, just a consensus of texts about where to go. Everyone in a group has the same status or pay grade. If you advance to management, you\u2019re expected to leave the group and lunch with your new peers.<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s a custom that provides a lot of positive reinforcement and social validation, but the downside is the lack of diversity and the potential for cliques to form.<\/p>\n \n\tFor a trainer, it\u2019s unpopular to organize working lunches, but there\u2019s an opportunity to challenge a class to collaborate outside their eating group cohorts in various learning exercises.<\/p>\n \n\tSUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tLily Kelly-Radford, Ph.D., is a psychologist, executive coach, and leadership development consultant. She is a partner in Executive Development Group.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \n\tWestern trainers will find Singapore welcoming to outside professionals, but local customs and social structures should be respected for training to be effective.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":256,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[29],"class_list":{"0":"post-11012","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-magazine","7":"tag-world-view","8":"magazine_issues-march-2018"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n