If you decide to go work in another country, you need to be able to exercise multicultural skills. Believe me, most places are just like home!Though the opportunity to travel and work abroad sounds exotic, it is not always easy. It is important to understand cultural differences, as well as synergy -- a buzz word these days -- to be effective, whether it is your personal practical strategy for the day or your company’s strategies for a five-year plan.
Often when expats get together, they say to one another how if they were back home the task they are trying to accomplish would take half the time. Most Turks are used to being inconvenienced and given the runaround. Though it is changing, it has been a way of life for decades. Western expats are not so used to this way.
Here are just a few ways …
Traveling to work: Just going to work in İstanbul takes longer as local traffic news leaves something to be desired. Although it exists, it is not very detailed. It’s not uncommon to come upon a detour on your normal route. When you are driving to work, you can come upon an unexpected detour which can cause quite a delay in your journey.
Applications: All of us at some time have had an application delayed, be it for a utility, a telephone line, visa extension, etc. You arrived at the respective official Turkish office convinced you have all the necessary documentation to learn that you don’t. You need just one more thing -- a photo, a stamp, a whatever!
Blackouts: Unannounced electric cuts are another area of frustration. Although many large offices and shopping centers now are equipped with generators to provide lighting and electricity during an electric cut, small business and homes generally are not. I still have a stock of candles in my home just in case there is an electricity cut.
For newcomers to Turkey who never had the experience those of us who lived here in the 1970s and 1980s did, you missed the exotic feeling of arriving at the entrance of your apartment building at dark and finding the elevator was not working because the electricity was out and the stairs were lit up by candles so you climbed up the stairs to your flat by candlelight.
Dinner: Most people had gas stoves to cook on, so you could still cook dinner with the electricity out, but it was done and eaten by candlelight.
Fast foods: Of course, there is always the foreigner who wants to grab something quick to eat. Before the Western fast food places came to Turkey in the mid to late 1980s, there as no such thing as fast food restaurants. Mind you, Turkish fast food restaurants started after the Western ones opened and were a success.
You can probably relate to Julie’s experience: Julie just wanted to pick up something quick to eat the other day and popped into a Turkish restaurant. Nearly a half hour later, she came out!
One of the funniest stories I’ve heard is the one about a foreign friend who wanted to have a Turkish dessert for her Turkish friend coming for dinner but had not had time to cook it. On the way home from work, she rushed into the künefeci place near her home and ordered three portions. The waiter said it would be ready in 20 minutes. She couldn’t wait.
Dear Charlotte:
I think one of the hardest cultural experiences I have had in Turkey is dealing with repairmen. I plan to live here for a long time as I love Turkey, but dealing with the repairmen is hard. I find that it takes a lot longer to accomplish any repairs. You have to watch them like a hawk! It seems to me the job could be done in half the time. From: Jayne (İstanbul)
Dear Charlotte:
I have found by living overseas that the simplest tasks at work can be done very differently: from personal introductions and telephone calls to meetings and presentations, to training, motivation and negotiations… What do you think? From: Bill (Erenköy)
If you have had any experience in either of these situations, share yours with us.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
