Global Nature of Working at GE

I had always thought of myself as having somewhat of a global outlook. I lived in a so called “world city” (London), I’d worked overseas (Sweden), holidayed overseas and even took an interest in world affairs. But it was only when I came to work at GE in the ECLP programme that I actually felt part of a truly international environment on a daily basis. The global nature of GE and the ECLP programme is one of the things I really love about my job. I’m based in Brussels, while my Assignment Leader works in London, and my colleagues on my floor are from all across Europe. In addition, my current assignment involves speaking to people in the US, France and Italy. I am also working on a separate project that includes Russia and Turkey. And of course through the ECLP programme, I have friends and work colleagues from Africa to China.

I have found my MBA has been really valuable in developing the skills and experience to work in global teams. My MBA class had 100 students from over 25 different countries and had a particular focus on getting students to work well in cross-cultural teams. It’s probably one of the most valuable skills I took away from my MBA and I’ve only realised the benefits since graduating.

In GE, I almost take for granted the ability to work across boundaries daily. Of course there is a common language and a culture of doing things in a certain GE way that helps cross communication (i.e. having a “workout” to discuss the S2 numbers for GEHC). But what also helps, I have found, is the positive approach and “can-do” attitude of my GE colleagues. A willingness to help colleagues in other markets and work collaboratively trumps any small cultural or language barrier. Working in such a global company and interacting daily with different cultures only adds another dimension to an already highly interesting programme.

Posted by Adrian