The first thing that shocked me when I arrived was the strong multiculturalism. A strong cultural mix is present in Singapore between Chinese, Indians, Arabs… I had some apprehension and expectations at first, like a mental programming, did I have to speak Chinese or Malay? Should I completely leave my comfort zone? None of that. Our arrival was better than we expected, like a honeymoon, with multiple flavors and colors. No need to speak Mandarin Chinese or Tamil or Malay, English is enough to live there. Of course, as an entrepreneur I learned a few words in Chinese as a sign of respect for those with whom I would work. My team for the restaurant was culturally mixed. Two months after the opening, there was a period of hostility: some language barriers, some judgments between employees creating isolation for some. Now, after having discussed, listened to everyone and observed everything better, the restaurant is now one of the most popular. Cultural immersion, listening to others to avoid isolation and efforts on Some differences between France and Singapore : In France from around 1.00 in the morning it is better to avoid walking in the streets, in Singapore no problem. If you are used to eating in the subway in Paris, don’t do it in Singapore you could get a fine. Finally, do not hesitate to taste all the cuisines: Chinese, Indian, Arabic, typical dishes you will not regret it

I had to understand multiculturalism in Singapore, especially by finding an effective way to communicate and get a balance between their habits and mine. The transition and assimilation of different cultures is essential because this can bring much more than we expect.

Also, I had to understand how are their business relationships, their local commitment, and the organizational structure. How the business meeting takes place, how teams & management work. In addition, the language barrier was important. In Singapore, I had to be bilingual in English and know professional key words in Chinese, in order to be integrated and to perform in my business.

Another important point : I had to know perfectly the Singaporean rules such as the laws of the country. A local lawyer is needed. I also did a first trip, because having an initial approach before initiating the project is mandatory. When it comes to opening a restaurant, making a study/benchmark about local foods and customers tastes is also recommended.

However, what I did not anticipated and that was a key point for integration was the multicultural experience. Why ? Because living and working with Singaporean people is different than with French people. Therefore, I’m gonna try to show you in this blog how to live in Singapore when you are a foreigner.

Setting a good example

The leader must exhibit strong commitment to addressing issues like myths, stereotypes, and real cultural differences, as well as organizational barriers that interfere with the full contribution of all employees

Set up training programs

There are two types of popular training programs : awareness and skill-building

• Awareness

It introduces the topic of managing diversity and generally includes information of workforce demographics

• Skill-building

It provides more specific information on cultural norms of different groups and how they may affect work behaviour

Revamp reward system

An organization’s performance appraisal and reward systems should reinforce the importance of ellective diversity management

Max room for social events 

Company sponsored social events – picnics, softball games, volleyball, bowling leagues, Christmas parties, etc -can be tremendously useful in getting members of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds together and providing them with opportunities to learn about one another.

Flexible work environment 

Flexible work environments- which is characterized as a positive development for all workers -could be particularly beneficial to people from non traditional cultural backgrounds because their approaches to problems are more likely to be different from past norms.