Now you know why.

Why is so much emphasis placed on the vision of a company, its philosophy, its history, its roots, the direction of the CEO? What influence did any portion of it place on your decision to join your current organization? The point is, it pervades the internal landscape and offers a sense of unity and common purpose for those who fall under its umbrella. With it, comes a unique mindset and approach to business, that in its totality, defines not only who you are, but what has brought you to where you are today.

In my case, as the CEO and founder of Redmond, I can see that the fabric of who we are as a company and our approach to business stems from the influences of my global upbringing. As a TCK, a term I was introduced to me by Shawn Holtzclaw, previously CEO (Managing Director), UK & Ireland for Equifax, and coined by David C. Pollock in his book entitled: “Third Culture Kids,” the breath of experience gained from living abroad has had a profound influence not only our views and understanding of the global market, but the diverse cultural differences that constitute the wealth of talent available to us all today.

A TCK (aka Global Nomad) is defined as: [A] person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their native country and in a foreign culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any.

Having moved to the 4 corners of the world from Lower Hutt, New Zealand to Oslo, Norway to Copenhagen, Denmark to Seoul, South Korea and to Mexico City, Mexico from 1966 through 1974 (as the son of a GM executive) during what was the very early phases of global expansion, let’s just say my initiation as a TCK was complete. If not for some interesting circumstances, South Africa and Brazil would have also been included on the list of “fish out of water” destinations.

Fast forward to today, those experiences of the past are reflected in our unique ability to truly understand people on a global scale, our sensitivity to the cultural differences that influence a candidate’s decisions, and our proven success in building diverse teams of high-performing talent across all functions, multiple disciplines and industries.

Our unique ability to connect the dots, to see 'relation-ships' that others simply don’t see and to effectively communicate a company’s value proposition and opportunity in a way that conveys significant meaning, in hindsight, can clearly be attributed to the way that we have shaped the company in light of my multi-cultural roots.

I now think about all the landing and takeoffs we’ve been through over a lifetime, like this beautiful video of a plane landing in New Zealand - as an end to a means, both literally and figuratively. The feeling of excitement coupled with the trepidation of knowing that I will once again have to try and 'fit-in'. A rinse and repeat reality as a child without the power of choice, but what about the professionals of today? As I referenced in an article a couple of weeks ago, the average length of service for professionals at companies like Amazon, Google and Apple range anywhere from 12 to 24 months, at which point they make the determination that the grass is greener on the other side and choose to take their talents elsewhere. But they make that choice as an adult.

They say that nothing can truly take the place of life experience, and with an in-depth knowledge as to what it means to start over, to fit-in amongst a new group of people and/or team, to be valued for who you are and accepted as the outsider entering an established mindset, I guess you could say that I am blessed. For me, been-there done-that takes on a whole new meaning. I’ve experienced the growing pains, the need for fulfillment and can therefore relate to a candidate’s desire to seek higher ground when they appear not to fit into their surroundings. It has become part of numerous intimate conversations that I have had with amazing talent over the years, that usually ends with the comment “Steve, you get me.”

Obviously, this deeper multi-cultural understanding isn’t something that can be passed on - you have to live it and experience it in order to completely understand it – there’s simply no middle ground. While I wasn’t particularly fond of “experiencing” the world in my youth, there is no question of the extreme value that it has placed on the way we go about our business as a whole today, and the benefits that it allots the companies that we have elected to partner with through the years. 

TCK Noted Strengths as shared in a recent article by Alice Sergent: TCK’s, in the simplest of terms, have been known to have a tendency towards developing greater/advanced development when it comes to:

• Cultural Intelligence (more open minded)
• Sensitivity to diversity & inclusion (this is the norm - seeking commonalities)
• Enhanced interpersonal skills (relationship building)
• Adaptability - a high tolerance of ambiguity and…
• Innate curiosity leading to greater depth in problem solving  

Of course, as an adult, these attributes mature and find their way into becoming an integral part of who you are as an individual and not simply a matter of - what you do. However, I made a conscious choice to use my powers for good and not evil; and applied them to the foundation on which Redmond was built in order to serve the needs of corporations throughout the world.

Katrina Burris, Ph.D., CEO of MKB Conseil & Coaching and author of Global Nomadic Leaders: How to Identify, Attract, and Retain, is quoted as saying: "Because Third Culture Kids have been exposed to other cultures in significant ways and have experienced multiple transitions while growing up, it's in their DNA to thrive within the pace and nature of globalization."

However, experiences vary. For some TCK’s the world is their oyster and opportunities abound! For others like me in my family dynamic, things were a bit more difficult. Looking out my door I was an island unto myself, displaced, longing for stability and a place to call home. However, I now see that the inner struggle and challenges that I faced simply served as the breadcrumbs that led me down the path to where I am today. As a professional I’ve taken those lemons and made lemonade, embraced the aforementioned traits as strengths and capitalized on them in order to connect to candidates on behalf of companies, conveying their story in a manner that my life’s experience tells me, will relate to where each finds themselves in the world.

There is no question that a heightened sense exists in me at a fundamental level due to the events of my childhood. Things that contribute to my views on individuality, how to relate to others and a deep appreciation for the challenges that we all call our own. Below is a short list of these heightened senses, senses that have positively impacted not only me, but my company in a myriad of ways:

• A Refined / Sharpened Social Conscience of right and wrong - fairness in all dealings - Finding ways that truly lift people up with more thoughtful solutions that may involve presenting not so easy answers. It's an understanding that true mindfulness IS and requires more from each of us individually.
• The ability to size-up situations (see into them) is often extraordinary - Judgement/deduction for highly complex problems and resolution.
• Exposure to a hyper-sensitive world - Being uncomfortable with being comfortable appears now to be the norm. The new status quo is constant change and I’m simply prepared for it.
• DEPTH - In a world where technology has taught many to go 1 inch deep and 1 mile wide due to choices, true TCK’s (who are highly invested) such as myself, have inversely learned how to go a mile deep and seek to extend it one mile wide. 
• Less tolerance for ignorance - While you can understand it, TCK’s, and yes I’m guilty, have likely a shorter and thinner fuse, which sounds a bit crazy when you have apparently more evolved interpersonal skills, but... you have a short fuse for ignorance or apathy.
• Answers always seem incomplete - In short - Never quite satisfied. 
• Relate-ability - With a need to make sense of our world and the world we were required to navigate which had little/no commonality/understanding. As a TCK you had to build your frameworks for understanding your environment which was in constant flux.
• A greater appreciation of all cultures - Reverence/respect owed - but not just handed over. A deeper understanding - that we are all more alike than different.

I’ve always felt that songs have a way of uniting us all, regardless of our backgrounds or where we call home. Like the arts, they “Connect us all” to bigger ideas - bigger possibilities; and have a way of causing us to pause and reflect on the events in our life.

When I think about it, TCK’s #ThirdCultureKids should have been the ones that titled the famous saying: The Road less Traveled - they are the epitome of that phrase; and have that special DNA of understanding deeply embedded in who they are.

I felt that this insight on my background was necessary to put out there. For companies to gain a sense as to what drives Redmond to be different and the catalyst behind it. There are distinct differences in what we do and how we approach business – your business. And now… you know why.

About Steve Diedrick...

Steve is the founder of Redmond, a global executive search firm whose clients include world renowned brands and start-ups that are shaping tomorrow's world. As a highly respected authority and pioneer in the field of human capital with close to three decades in the space, his progressive ideas on search-excellence reflect a profound understanding/passion for the global economy and the ever-evolving mindset of the unique talent that propels companies forward. He has personally reached out to more than 100,000 professionals and interviewed over 35,000 potential candidates throughout his career. His personal drive, perspective, discipline and focus is a culmination of his life experience living abroad and the 27 years spent mastering the Martial Art of Qi Gong. His Mantra: There is nothing like direct experience that takes you from knowledge - to knowing.

Email me at: [email protected] or Text me at: 947.222.9200 and let's discuss how Redmond can help you.

? Redmond Research, Inc. 2020