Managing projects across cultures

Antti keeps a firm grip on projects but seeks always for the positive sides. He is easy-going and flexible, which may be the result of all the travelling he has done during his career.

“Working abroad on site is hectic and more draining than at the office, but at the same time it is highly rewarding,” Antti explains.

Antti has been a Cimcorper since 2017 but he is a returnee – his first experience with Cimcorp was during his studies in the 90s. He was a trainee in the installations department and did his thesis at Cimcorp Group.

Cultural intelligence and flexible attitude

Antti has been traveling for work since he started. He has been to Indonesia, China, Brazil, Chile and Sweden, to mention just a few. For the most part, he and his family live in Finland. Airports, project sites and cultural diversity are familiar territory for Antti.

“When working with different cultures, one has to be flexible and open-minded. I always try to immerse myself in local ways, learning and adapting to the local culture around me. Even though it may feel weird at first, learning the culture shows respect and makes it easier to work with locals,” Antti says. “Having nerves of steel does no harm either,” he adds.

He sees working on site as a form of customer service, because the local customer usually only meets the people who are on site and not those based at headquarters.

“Working on site is rewarding, because you get to meet the customer and really be the face of the company. On the downside, you also need to be the person finding the answers, even to the toughest questions,” he says.

Tough situations are never faced alone at Cimcorp Group. Antti shares that the best thing about the company is the overall spirit of finding the solution together and helping a colleague out. From the CEO to the newest trainee, everyone works together.

“At Cimcorp, we are never alone. Whenever I need help or have a question, I find the answer and support easily,” Antti says.

A successful project is the result of strong collaboration

Antti works as a Project Manager at Cimcorp. His responsibilities include the project timeline, checking that everything gets done on time and with high quality standards.

“My job is to make sure everyone knows what to do and when. I share information with the team and the customer, and I listen in order to understand,” Antti summarizes.

His job demands versatility because no two projects are the same. New customers ask new questions and require new aspects, but that is what Antti likes – the variety of tasks on hand and also the quantity of people he can interact with.

“I enjoy good conversations and sparking new ideas. The best thing about Cimcorp is that I can do that with so many people from so many departments,” Antti says.

Grow, flow and glow

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