Ask Irene

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39 40
THE CULTURE SHOCK AND DEALING WITH IT

As the world becomes smaller, one area that most people should think about when they climb
up the ladder in their chosen career, is inter-cultural communication. This is especially so for
those who work with multinational organisations; moving from country to country for work in
the face of the cultural shocks that come along with it. For a high-flier like Irene Asare, it was
just the normal transfer from one place to another when she had to move from Ghana to South
Africa, although she grew up in London (UK) she sensed that this assignment might be different.

“My assignment turned out to be more than I expected. I realised quite quickly that moving into
a different country as an expatriate and having to build relationships with other colleagues in
different environments, while pushing a change agenda, was more difficult than I actually
imagined,” Asare said.

It might have been heartbreaking for her because she said, “I felt like that would be the first
time in my career that I would fail to deliver the change required. There were certainly times
when I was strong-willed, and I recognised that pushing the agenda without bringing people
along was quite a challenge.”

Asare said, being away from other friends and extended family, although she had her nuclear
family, it was quite difficult. “I felt the pressure and it was quite overwhelming,” but was quick
to add that, “my boss at the time had a heart to heart chat with me, that was a defining moment.
So, I stopped and took time to reflect.”

That was the time she knew that she had to do things differently, adding that, “I had to find a
different approach; I had to build bridges. I recognised that this was the moment I needed to
humble myself and involve people around me to get things done.

Asare must have drawn from her past experiences to face her role in South Africa. This could be
due to the fact that, she was guided by her own personal work ethic. Though she has always
expected her teams and colleagues to work to her standards, she knows it is “important to
recognise people's capacity and deal with them accordingly. It was sometimes a challenge for
me to get the best out of people in a way that allowed them to work at their pace and capacity.”

CREATED FOR HR AND HR ONLY

From all she says and does, it looks like her whole life is HR and she admits that it is her dream
job because she saw HR as a profession that enables one to get to know everything about
people- it is a people job.

41 For her, the only way she could really be able to achieve her dreams was through
establishing her own organisation where she could define her own vision, values,
“I relate well with people and it comes naturally to me. So I enjoy the people management and standards and goals.
the interaction. Over time, I have realised that HR advocates a lot for management but ensures
a great balance between doing that and being an employee champion. It is important to “So, over the last couple of years, I thought more intensely about becoming an
perform this role in a way that is harmonious and beneficial to both parties,” Asare said. entrepreneur. I therefore decided to pursue an executive MBA to give me that further
insight to be able to transition from being a business executive to owning a business. I
She has also grown to love the profession more and more because she enjoyed managing talent believe strongly that it's not only about having your own business- it's about problem-
and developing people, adding that, “it's lovely to see someone grow and develop to become solving,” Asare added.
that leader that you know they can be, with some interventions that we have done.”THE
FEMALE LEADER She defines success in her own way,”for me, success is all about how the work I do helps
others. Coaching and mentoring professionals and the next generation of leaders to really
Unlike most women, Asare says gender has not affected her in any way, “I think it's been more achieve their goals is my ultimate objective,” adding that, she wants to be known as the
about me as an individual,” Asare said, adding that, she never encountered any male renowned coach and mentor who really made impact.
discrimination. “If there has been any discrimination from my male counterparts, I never even
noticed it. I've always felt that my male colleagues especially, have been super supportive of In the same way, she said, “success for CARVINCLAY, means enhanced standards in HR
my journey and my agenda. I've led a team with mainly males as well and I've always had a lot management practice across Ghana and the rest of Africa. I would like HR management
of support, so I'm very thankful for that,” Asare said. practitioners to have the requisite professional qualifications to occupy their positions
with pride, thus being chartered. CARVINCLAY also wishes to train HR management
She was candid that, being a woman did also not have any effect on her career, marriage, practitioners who provide the right support and advice to businesses to impact the
children, friends and business. “I am married, I have children, I have friends, I had a career and bottom line.”
I've decided to be an entrepreneur. That said, it is tough. At certain points in my life I had to
make a sacrifice. It is very difficult to strike that balance, but it can be achieved,” Asare said. “There is no doubt that without a strong foundation in HR management, organisations
will not function well. They will not have the right employee engagement levels, hence
“Sometimes I sacrificed family and friends and other external activities because I was very not be a great place to work. I want organisations to be good places to work and be
dedicated and focused on the outcomes of my work; often risking key relationships because I financially viable. I believe strongly that this can be achieved by having the right people
was very focused on the job at hand,” Asare said. in place and the right organisational structures,” Asare added.

In her opinion, “it takes discipline and an extremely supportive partner, which I am lucky to “Sometimes I sacrificed family and friends and other external
have. … I've spent a lot of time in the office when I should have been at home, I've travelled activities because I was very dedicated and focused on the
across various countries when I should've been with my family. It is possible if you have a outcomes of my work; often risking key relationships because
supportive family and you make the time at home, work and stay focused.” I was very focused on the job at hand,”

THE NEXT PHASE OF IRENE’S LEGACY

On the defining moment that pushed her into becoming an entrepreneur and the CarvinClay
story, she said, there was no exact time that determined her move, . “I have known for many
years that I want to impact people and Africa through the work that I do. I have yearned for the
opportunity to chart my own path and make an impact in human resource management across
the continent.”

“My assignment turned out to be more than I expected. I realised 44
quite quickly that moving into a different country as an
expatriate and having to build relationships with other
colleagues in different environments, while pushing a change
agenda, was more difficult than I actually imagined”

She has a word of advice for those who want to transition from the corporate world to run their
own business, “there are certainly some pluses; you're your own boss, you make your own
decisions and decide the direction of the company. I think there is another side that doesn't get
talked about often; it can be an extremely lonely journey.”

“As the decision maker, whatever you decide is what will happen and therefore if you don't have
the right advisory support you can make some critical mistakes. I would suggest having good
advisory support to help you realise it when you are wrong and need to change direction. I
would say if you're passionate about it, you should go for it. I think there's probably nothing
more rewarding than transitioning to entrepreneurship, but I think it's important to understand
the motivation for what you're doing.,” she added. For young people, she said, “have passion
for what you want to do and understand the motivation for what you're doing.”