Working overseas - how to close the 'knowledge gap'?

Hi,

This is definitely a tough one. Across my ~8+ years in consulting I have travelled/worked in multiple countries, some with a higher level of proficiency in English, others with less.

The toughest case I worked in this context was a project in the outskirts of Shanghai. Now I know conversational mandarin but business mandarin is whole other level i.e. terms like depreciation or viscosity are not daily terms ;)

Here are a couple of thoughts inspired by that experience:

1. Insights are language agnostic and this is what you need to ultimately be focused on
   • Good, robust problem solving logic is what you are graded on, and what you must get to first, before you worry about translation and communication of it
   • Of course getting to an answer potentially requires understanding of data in a local language, but I will address overcoming this challenge below 
2. Leverage whatever and whoever you can (client, team, etc)
   • There are some limitations that you cannot overcome in the short term (e.g. language)
   • Here are a couple of actual things I have done on cases before to workaround that
     • Ask a local teammate/manager to sit into key client conversations
     • Onboarded a temporary resource to the team who's sole job was to translate
     • Get the help of your working level client counterpart to help conduct certain conversations (pre-briefing them before the conversations)
   • Your client counterpart and your local colleagues are really the key to understanding the local business environment. Ask them on this
3. Raise appropriate challenges to your case leadership (assuming you are not the manager)
   • You are not expected to solve everything by yourself (even as a manager), and you must ask for help when you need it
   • Come with solutions when you raise the problem 

Hope this helps!

Hi there, 

I can imagine that to be tough. Most of my projects in McKinsey were outside of the country were my office was based, so I found myself in this situation pretty much all the time. 

A few suggestions:

1. Don't worry about what you don't know and instead play to your strengths. Yes, the reality is that local knowledge helps and it's also fair to expect that you won't suddenly accumulate this knowledge to match your colleagues. So play to your strengths. Try to think of what are the assets that you have and are bringing to the table. For instance, have you done a similar type of project before in a different geography? What are the ideas and learnings that you can bring from there? What are the things that you do know and your colleagues don't?
2. Be curious. Don't hide the things that you don't know and honestly ask questions about them. You'll need to be a bit more delicate when doing this around the client - so it doesn't seem like you're clueless - but be as transparent as possible about it with your team. You'll ramp up your knowledge faster this way.
3. In team discussions, elegantly remind your colleagues to speak in the language that all of you speak. I had a few projects like this where I was the only non-local language speaker and sometimes the rest of the team would switch to their own language. Needless to say, that didn't feel great. In fact, it felt isolating. The important thing here is again to be transparent, explain to them how it makes you feel, tell them you'd want to be more involved and ask that they speak a language you also understand. Don't do this as directly with the client however. Some are just not that comfortable in English and if that's the case, just take along one of your local language speaking colleagues. 

I wrote two articles on PrepLounge that detail out how to handle these sort of issues at the start of your career. You may find them HERE and HERE.

Best,

Cristian

Hi there,

Perhaps you're looking at it from the wrong perspective since consulting isn't about knowledge, it's about skills (hence the case interview, which tests for skills, not knowledge). And perhaps more importantly, it's about a focus on strengths, not weaknesses.

Let me elaborate with a personal example: 

• McKinsey once hired me in Chile as an Associate to work on mining operations projects. Neither did I speak Spanish, nor did I know much about mining or operations (or consulting for that matter). So I developed the classic impostor syndrome and started doubting myself…
• I later realized that I wasn't hired despite my different background but because of it. I brought something to the table that nobody else did i.e. a skill set I picked up working as a geologist in the O&G industry around the globe. Sure, I had some knowledge deficits here and there, but my skills outweighed those by far.
• McKinsey didn't care as much about my weaknesses as they did about my strengths. That's why the firm employs strength-based feedback. Instead of focusing on the gaps one might have, McKinsey focuses on people's strengths so they become great at what they're already good at.

Consulting typically use a strength-based development approach, so you should start focusing on what you're good at and take it from there. Your USP i.e., the thing you'll be great at, will be shaped along the way, by engaging in different projects in different industries and finding your calling. 

It's a process that can be painful but is very worthwhile in terms of your development.

Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!

Moritz

Hi there,

I'm from the US but I lived and worked in Australia (incl. with BCG).

There are a lot of aspects to this but I'll try to keep it simple. Be a sponge. Observe and learn from those around you. You need to stay attuned to what your colleagues and clients do and adjust accordingly. Additionally, daily reading is important to understand the major industries, companies, etc. in that region

It will take some time but some tips could be:

• Take business level courses with a private tutor to help get the business jargon
• Watch business TV in your local language to also help with jargon and ways of communicating things
• Watch general TV - this helped me level up my local language skill much faster
• Accept that is your weakness and build teams / leverage colleagues around you to help the team overcome that (at least in the short term)

Hi there,

as for the local commercial knowledge, you need to treat it like as if you got staffed on a new project in an industry that you don't know. You often have to do that during your consulting career so use that mindset to ramp up quickly. Ask colleagues for materials / overview charts and have discussions with them over lunch. 

As for the language, this will require continuous effort. Keep using the junior to revise your slides if needed during the short-term because otherwise you would lose too much time. But make a conscious effort to hone your business language. Talk to HR or your mentor to see if the firm can sponsor a targeted course for you (assuming you'll be staying for some time in your international environment). Also try to have regular social interaction with locals outside of work (although that can be challenging in consulting at times).

While it is frustrating and challenging now, the sort of experience you are going through will be worthwhile and I'm very sure that you won't want to miss this in the future

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about this tricky situation you are in!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective from past projects:

• Working in a different country can certainly be challenging, especially when it comes to language and cultural differences. Here are a few tips that may help you to close the knowledge gap and be more effective in your role:
  • Take the time to learn the local language: While it can be difficult to learn a new language, especially when you are working full-time, it can be a valuable investment in your career. Consider taking language classes or finding other resources to help you improve your skills.
  • Build relationships and network with local colleagues: Building relationships with your local colleagues can be a great way to learn more about the local business environment and gain valuable insights. Networking with people in the industry can also help you to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments.
  • Seek out learning and development opportunities: Look for opportunities to learn more about the local market, industry, and culture. This could involve taking training or development programs, or even just taking the time to read up on local business news and trends.
  • Be proactive about seeking feedback: Don't be afraid to ask for feedback from your colleagues or clients. This can help you to identify areas where you may need to improve and give you the opportunity to address any gaps in your knowledge or skills.
  • Communicate your language limitations to your employer: If you are not comfortable speaking the local language, it is important to communicate this to your employer. This will allow them to take your language skills into consideration when staffing projects and assignments. You can also consider requesting to be staffed on projects in countries where you do speak the language, or in locations where English is commonly spoken.
• Overall, it may take some time and effort to close the knowledge gap, but by learning the local language, building relationships and networking, seeking out learning and development opportunities, being proactive about seeking feedback, and communicating your language limitations to your employer, you can work towards becoming more effective in your role.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hello,

I understand this is a tough situations. I agree with Christian's answer here. 

Also - don't worry! They have hired you for a reason :) Play to your strengths and don't expect to be evaluated on your language barriers.

All the best!

Rushabh