Travel Log 1997: PM’ing in Korea
We joked that we would be celebrated on billboards in Seoul: Gods of Consulting from America! Being a PM on a team hired to bring American thinking (along with an ERP system) to a Korean manufacturer was eye opening and fun. A new culture, new food, and new habits to learn! I recall proudly receiving a “compliment” from a co-worker who whispered, “you smell like them” (like kimchi that is).
After about 3 months of travelling back and forth I wasn’t sure who I was, what I was doing, and looking for a way out. I lost my taste for kimchi. The business culture had no innovation largely because individual voicing of ideas was discouraged. Because of this, and the language barrier, it was tough to get the Korean project team involved.
But we learned how to grin and bear it by celebrating small victories. We did individual interviews to find innovative ideas and adopted them as our own; the Koreans didn’t mind- the process allowed them to avoid the dire consequences of being labeled an “individual”. Just as we were making significant progress the Korean monetary system went wacky and we were pulled out of the country. I learned new limits, realized I could work the next day after travelling for 20 hours without sleep, and how to use translators. Today, I fondly recount the experience with colleagues and friends.
Many of you have travel stories, whether you’re a consultant or a PM in a company. Share them. We might learn something and know that we are not alone.
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