The Accidental Business Nomad: A Survival Guide for Working Across a Shrinking Planet

by Kyle Hegarty

An unvarnished, story-driven, practical guide to working across cultures. The book features real stories of companies going global, warts and all. Each is a fascinating object lesson the cultural realities and unexpected surprises of modern globalization. Readers will Why up to 70 percent of international ventures fail due to cultural issues, and how to avoid becoming a casualty How to navigate the invisible language of cultural misunderstandings Future skills everyone in business needs to know nowWhy products and services created in individualistic and low-power distance cultures fail around the globeThe art and science of personality profiling and quick short-cuts to understanding people What outsourced call centers can teach us about the future of global communication How to find inspiration and innovation in the most unlikely of places

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2020

Reviews

[Robert Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly helpful book for anyone working across cultures. The author does a great job of blending hard-earned lessons from 15 years of working abroad with data from social sciences research to identify actionable tips for managing business relationships in difficult foreign settings. It's also a fun read. The stories he tells are relatable and told in a humble and humorous way, making it easy to sympathize with the author and see yourself in his situation. The evidence-based frameworks he cites for understanding the root causes of tensions between colleagues from different backgrounds are described in clear language and instantly applicable. Highly recommended!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. GET IT! Although this book was written with a lean toward working in foreign countries, I found so many examples in the book of how I can apply what Kyle has learned and shared in his book with my own business dealings while being located here in the US. As our workforces become global, and our teams more diverse geographically, it will become increasingly common to have teams comprised of individuals hailing from a variety of locales and cultures. Understanding the many differences that can span diverse teams is more essential than ever. I have already been able to apply what Kyle has written when dealing with my staff, friends, and colleagues from several different countries and backgrounds, and the book has given me a fresh perspective to approach situations that I had previously viewed as blockers. The knowledge you can gain from the book can be put into your soft skills toolbox for a variety of applications, including call center management, software engineering team collaboration, remote team project management, and many others. Perhaps the thing that sets this book apart from others that may impart similar information is that Kyle imparts his knowledge not through a dry recitation of facts, but through humorous anecdotes, embarrassing gaffes, and examples of what works (and more entertainingly, what doesn't work!). You will find yourself laughing throughout but will also find yourself wanting to share what you read with others as you read it. I highly recommend The Accidental Business Nomad!

[Rosanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensible advice wrapped in funny, poignant, and relatable stories

I wish I had read this book before moving to Asia, I might have avoided some of those 'screaming on the inside' moments! It throws a light on the world of selling and relationships in South East Asia, with fun stories and real techniques to help us foreigners show that we really do care about our colleagues and teams.

[Jane J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chanced upon this book while looking for guides to better my business sense. It's such an easy read. With witty antidotes/pointers on how to dispel stereotypes and cultural differences, it also made me aware about how I perceived the business world. Definitely a must read.

[Attila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:
The stories were good, but I didn't find many new values in the book. It can be summed up as make sure to understand the culture and be nice to people. There were some additional thoughts about working and creating a great team.
Not a long book, you can read it very fast, the summary at the end of every chapter is very helpful.

Main points:
how to setup a business internationally
cultures are different
when you go into a new culture you don’t know what you are doing – do everything the same
grow in a shrinking world
question back to make sure you understand
and make sure you are perceived by asking follow up questions
know that you don’t know nothing
localize, take the time to ask the locals about their market
people work differently in other countries, try to adapt
try to act as local people
treat people as they want to be treated
study the behavior and style of people to do this
you need local people in your team
try to make global teams work together by creating smaller groups
Spreadsheets only tell part of any business story. – go to the ground and talk to people
create processes that work in the local environment
first is the relationship, second is the work in a team
adapt a global mindset – see a situation from other perspectives

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having lived in the Far East for 11 years now and been a member of a Asian trading desk since I was about 19 this book didn’t come as a surprise to me, the “norm” of how things get done, and how they shouldn’t get done can be a bit of a surprise for the uninitiated.

However, it doesn’t take that much to turn things around, an open mind, as the author clearly has in this book (sometimes a very open mind) can put you on the road to success in Asia. It’s amazing how the west, even today, has no idea how it works out there, business wise, geographically etc. After the Tohoku earthquake a very dear friend of mine sent me a msg to make sure I was ok. I live in Singapore, about as close to the earthquake as London is to New York.

I like the stories in this book, you don’t necessarily have to like the people, they can be extreme, but they are the ones that have left their homes to travel far and experiment, but listen to them, they are succeeding. They are willing to try new things, and not just “slap a dragon on it”.

[Darya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly fantastic book on practical experience in building international teams with the focus on Asia. I have enjoyed reading. Building a team is a tough task from my own experience. Building a team that consists of members from different cultures is twice more complicated (especially if they are remote!) I have learnt how to leverage cultural differences, how to build teams and profile candidates for the job, how to learn about oneself and adopt to different reality. Being an expat myself, I have learned all this a tough way and this book shows that all of us are going through transformation. The world is going to globalization and even without leaving your own country you will have to adapt global mindset.

[Tiarnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and timely guide for anyone working across borders and cultures.

The narrative is a collection of personal stories interwoven as they describe a learning process of self-development and awareness.

Written with great observational, wry humor and self-deprecation, the book does not carry the typical preaching of business non-fiction. It's light yet concise, with plenty of content that I flew through in a few days.

Many of the stories and lessons resonated with me as I have aspired and struggles to build a career in Asia as a Westerner. Although this is the perspective the book is written from, the handy lessons at the end of chapters are timeless and applicable to anyone.

[Giuseppe Lombardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in business & dealing with people, this is a must read ! Realistic & pragmatic for those in the global business arena - it is a tough game out there and getting tougher with the many new challenges ! A very useful guide or refresher to some global & local realities.