The Art of Blooming Together

Looking back and reflecting on the past 18 months, I have virtually hopscotched across more than 10 countries and immersed in more than 10 cultures. This experience akin to admiring the beautiful pink trumpet tree from afar—until I got closer.

Speaking of flowers, Bangalore’s streets are lined with  blossoms of pink trumpet trees that catch my eye every time I drive past them. Standing tall in the heat and in my heart. And then I picked up a flower from the ground. Oddly enough, I couldn’t quite connect it to the vibrant bunch I admire daily. Alone, it looked different. Almost unfamiliar but unique. And I could relate that to my experience as I remotely worked across countries — navigating cultural nuances, different working styles and expectations. Truly an exercise in adaptability.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁. I'll tell you how.

1. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: As you step into a new turf, the instinct is to fit in. But before that, remember — 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 that brings its own strength, experiences, and even vulnerabilities. You are your starting point. Prioritize yourself - what fuels your energy and what throws you off? Talk about it with your mentors and friends.

2. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻: 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵, 𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 – each unique with their thoughts, emotions and experiences shaped by nature and nurture. No matter where they’re from, everyone desires to feel heard. Simple phrases like “I understand” or “What do you think?” can be the glue. At the end of the day, a shared goal might be easy to define, but executing is about balancing agility with quality, big picture with the finer details, ambitious go-live with pilot, over-stepping with taking a step back. A constant balancing act.

3. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻: Align yourself to 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀. Align with broader objectives and understand what is expected from your role. The key isn’t just to be heard—it’s to be heard at the right time, in the right way. Be pragmatic and contribute to the collective bunch.

𝘚𝘰, 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘭. 𝘈𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮.

This article was first published by the author in March 2025 on LinkedIn

Image Courtesy : Shreya Sinha