The Global Mindset Starts from Within

For years now I have been working with people around the world, mixing cultures and languages to create a common understanding and goal, supporting people in discovering the Global Mindset. I justify my expertise in the field through my personal experience of working and living across three continents. However this is only partly true because I believe that a Global Mindset does not require extensive travel, the key to this mindset is curiosity, an open mind and generosity.

As a child I grew up in southern Finland, not an area known to be multicultural, at least not when I was a child in the 70’s. However I still claim this is where I discovered my Global Mindset, without ever having left the country. This exploration started when spending summers isolated in the archipelago with my grandparents, half the time on my maternal side and half with those on my paternal side.

My grandfather on my mother’s side was one of those people who talk with everyone he meets in the street. His curiosity allowed him to meet the world despite not having any interest in travel. I remember a specific adventure; I was perhaps five and alone with my grandparents on the island when a large cargo ship went by, with a flag we did not know. There was a factory not far away where it was heading. My grandfather said, let’s take the boat and go have a closer look at it. So off we went in our small boat, and to our huge delight the people on the ship were happy to see us and invited us in, not only on a tour of the ship but also to eat a meal. Don’t ask me how this all happened as my grandparents spoke only Swedish and Finnish, not one of the languages spoken by the crew. I do remember my huge disappointment when the waiter cleared my soup, a wonderful soup with the most amazing combination of flavours I had ever tasted, before I was finished. The waiter was Chinese, and this was the first time I saw a person of Asian heritage in real life. Perhaps one of the reasons I believe intercultural communication is important, I never want to miss out on that opportunity to eat delicious soup again.

On my paternal side I grew up with summer holidays full of family gatherings of people living around the world in far away places. Finland had not been a prosperous place after the wars, not allowed to take the Marshall plan as a condition for freedom, and many had emigrated. In the summers family members brought the world to us, thanks to my grandmother’s generosity in sharing her home with us all. It was a mix of languages, food and culture. Figuring out how to interact with cousins without a shared language, and being inspired to learn new ways was key. Watching sports on the one TV, with people rooting for different teams and telling stories about foreign athletes was fascinating. Perhaps that was the reason I was the only one in the room rooting for Argentina in the world cup in 1978, I wanted the balance.

It was only at my great aunts funeral in 2018 that I found out through people attending that she also shared this generosity and had been awarded knighthood, the Order of the Lion of Finland, for her work in supporting Finnish Expats abroad.  I do have a lot to live up to and to inspire me in my work.

One can travel the world, check off every place on the bucket list and still not achieve the Global Mindset. It of course depends on how we define the word, but I believe achieving the Global Mindset starts by being curious, listening to the stories and welcoming people into your life. I wish you the best of luck and joy on the adventure!