In my last seminar at Hamburg Süd / Maersk, I learned a lot from my group
It’s not the question of who or what you are – it’s the question of what you bring to the world…

Working on change with a wonderful group of Latin Americans at Hamburg Süd / Maersk, I again realized what a big gift all the different cultures are. Usually discussing the topic with German groups, it was striking here how their point of view differed, with them asking very different kinds of questions.

One of the main questions in this seminar was how to integrate into a new country and culture – because obviously, they all went through a big change, working for their company in a foreign country. They all wanted to adjust to the place they’re in now.

But that’s only one half of integration. It’s not just about adjusting to the culture you are in now – it’s also about being very aware of who you are, what your strengths are and what you can give, bring and add to the culture you come to. It is an illusion that as a grown-up person, you can give up your cultural background – but you can make it a gift to the country you live in…