Greetings and Happy Midweek,
Just a year ago, people and communities and institutions around the world began to (slowly) realize (a very collective) ‘we’ were being faced with a major crisis. And changes were in order!
To mark this first Covid19 ‘anniversary’, I thought we’d focus on the topic of cross-cultural ‘change’. It’s a huge domain and we’ve explored it a bit in previous Connects - check out my blog and see how many change facets you can find - hint: like innovations...! https://www.globalskillspartners.com/blog-1). In Global SKILLs PROACTive learning strategies, we emphasize that strategic cross-cultural change actually begins with ourselves and our own PROfile - as individuals and as learners. We document and reflect on our life experiences - every day ones, milestone ones, and cataclysmic ones. This helps us understand ourselves in the context of our own culture and also then empowers us to move effectively cross-culturally.
In March 2020, I personally made my first effort at dealing with potential covid impact by stocking up and not shopping for 2 weeks. This was a huge cultural change for me as an American, having been accustomed to buying what I want when I want it.
But it also brought me back to a very different culture, in which I was integrated for years. Living long term off grid in a remote village and providing for anticipated needs as well as potential crisis impact were part of life’s daily routine for me. The ways I did this (planning ahead, monthly bulk shopping trips, having adequate and appropriate storage) were very different from the ways the local population did it (local resourcing and frequent trips to the neighborhood ‘boutique’ for what was needed in the next few hours - 3 matches, a dollop of tomato paste wrapped in paper, a packet of sugar). Their ‘needs based’ practices both opened my eyes to my own culture (and privilege and wealth) and taught me so much about how I could change - by economizing and living more strategically. Those memories, and how I made changes at that time inspired by the culture around me, have served me since and in new ways thru this year!
How about you ~ can you think of a cross-culturally inspired change you’ve made as a result of covid? Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out Global SKILLs LINKs below for some trending covid-inspired cultural changes and opportunities worldwide.
Until next week, Betsy
Global SKILLs LINKs
Culture change in the business domain: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/09/success/remote-work-covid-pandemic-one-year-later/index.html
Culture change in the arts: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-pass-the-time-in-self-isolation-with-virtual-museum-tours.html
Culture change in lifestyle - here’s something to think about!!
2021 ~ Celebrating 40 years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
Connecting, Collaborating, Cultivating Community