An engineer noticed his boss become restless and impatient during meetings. He realized this behavior usually came whenever he digressed from his report to provide background details. Recognizing that his habit of providing extra data didn’t match his boss’s short-and-to-the-point style, the engineer experimented with more concise explanations. His boss remained more focused during the next meeting. Then the engineer decided to use agendas to track his progress through more

You have the opportunity to show your leadership skills every time you speak. You do this by projecting authority. Even if you have an accent and tend to be shy, you can project authority. How? By focusing on your non-verbal communication. Many technical professionals, especially the foreign-born like yourself, pay little attention to what and how you communicate with your body. Unfortunately, your body language can be misinterpreted or may even be an obstacle to l

We at Moving Up in America have consistently stressed the need for foreign-born professionals to change behaviors that impede your career success. You need to match your actions to what's expected in the American workplace to get ahead. Here we discuss a practical process for adapting your behavior developed by Andy Molinsky. He describes this process in his book, Global Dexterity: How to Adapt Your Behavior Across Cultures Without Losing Yourself in the Process. We