Navigating a Global Career: Insights from International Project Management, by Vasileios Moiras, Head of Service eXperience, Siemens, and i-MBA Alumus

Embarking on a global career journey can be both exhilarating and daunting. My professional path has taken me from Greece to Germany and Switzerland, allowing me to lead large-scale digital transformations projects. My journey began in 2018 when, after ten years in various roles at Siemens Greece, I decided to pursue my next career opportunity abroad. From May 2018 to October 2022, I held the role of Senior Global Services Manager at Siemens Mobility in Munich. In this role I have led a global digital transformation program with the aim of digitizing operations and enable new innovative business models. Since October 2022 I have served as a Global Product Manager at Siemens Switzerland, leading all aspects of Product Management and People Management while driving the organization towards a digital future. Here, I managed a cross-functional team of over 35 people to develop a modern Global Service Management solution for 11,000 users in more than 30 countries.

This article shares insights into preparing for a career abroad and delves into the challenges and success factors encountered in global project management.

Preparing for a Career Abroad

Succeeding in a global career starts with thorough preparation. Here follow some key steps that have been instrumental in my journey.

Cultural Competence: Understanding and respecting cultural differences is crucial. Before moving to Germany, I immersed myself in the local culture, learning about customs, business etiquette, and language basics. This groundwork was essential for integrating smoothly and building strong professional relationships.

Networking: Building a global network is invaluable. In my case leveraging the global footprint of Siemens, attending international conferences, and connecting with colleagues across borders opened doors and provided a support system.

Skill Enhancement: “Real World” experience is always crucial especially if your next role is a global one. Working at Siemens Greece during the Greece’s financial crisis had equipped me with invaluable skills, such as working in difficult conditions and focusing on achieving extraordinary results. Additionally, pursuing the MB International Progar at Athens University of Economics and Business provided me with a global perspective and advanced business acumen, essential for tackling complex international projects.

Mindset and Adaptability: Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset and being adaptable to change are critical. The global business landscape is ever evolving, and the ability to pivot and innovate is a significant advantage.

Challenges

Complex Stakeholder Management: Coordinating a diverse group of stakeholders from different regions (Germany, Americas, Europe, Middle East/Asia) required effective communication and negotiation skills.

Global Coordination: Managing a global team and ensuring consistency in implementation across different countries with varying business practices has been very challenging.

Resistance to Change: Convincing regional teams to adopt new digital processes and tools was challenging, as there was resistance to moving away from familiar systems.

Process and Data Standardization: Integrating data from various sources and ensuring consistency across different regions required significant effort and coordination.

Success Factors

Alignment with Business Goals: Aligning the project’s objectives with the broader business goals is crucial to ensuring its success and sustainability. This alignment involved a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s strategic direction and tailoring the project to support these overarching objectives.

Collaborative Approach: Involving regional teams in the development process ensured that their needs and concerns were addressed, fostering ownership and acceptance of the new solution. In my current project, we have implemented the concept of functional teams. This approach brings together domain and process experts along with senior developers in dedicated teams to refine future features. Product Management plays a crucial role in facilitating this process and removing any impediments. These functional teams work iteratively, fostering a culture of ownership and collaboration among all project partners.

Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Embracing a ‘fail fast, learn faster’ mentality allows organizations and teams to iterate quickly and efficiently. To be frank this is easier said than done. On the organizational level a ‘fail fast, learn faster’ mentality can only be cultivated by top management support. On the team level it is easier but still emotions need to be managed since nobody enjoys failing.

Effective Communication:?Regular virtual meetings, clear documentation, and an open-door policy for team members foster transparent communication and build trust. In my experience, planning regular alignment meetings with a standard agenda has been highly effective. These meetings ensure that all project partners are on the same page, streamline decision-making processes, and reduce the need for additional, ad-hoc meetings. Each meeting includes updates on key milestones, upcoming tasks, and any potential roadblocks, allowing for proactive problem-solving and continuous alignment.

For broader communication, we utilize internal social media platforms as our main channel to reach a wider audience. This approach enhances accessibility and engagement by providing a central hub for announcements, updates, and discussions. It allows team members to stay informed and connected regardless of their location, promoting a sense of community and inclusion. Additionally, we maintain a comprehensive knowledge base and regularly update documentation, ensuring that all information is readily available and easily accessible to everyone involved. This multi-faceted communication strategy has been instrumental in building a culture of transparency, collaboration, and trust within the team.

Agile Methodologies: Agile methodologies offer a robust framework for managing the complexities and dynamics of global projects. Their emphasis on flexibility, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement makes them well-suited to driving successful international projects.

Conclusion

My journey from Greece to Germany and Switzerland and my experience in leading international projects have been both challenging and rewarding. The key to thriving in a global career lies in thorough preparation, cultural competence, effective communication, and feeling comfortable with ambiguity and complexity. In our increasingly interconnected world, I hope these insights will aid anyone striving to build and excel in an international career.