I can not believe we are already at the midpoint of the semester. Since the semester has started my group has worked together to develop our scope of work as well as our project deliverables for our client CEOLI. Since my group has two different objectives that need to be addressed, we decided to split into smaller groups. One group which consists of four members is solely focusing on the art show, while the other group which consists of three members is focusing on the grant writing portion of the project. After the initial meeting with our clients, along with our midterm meeting which we just had this past Wednesday, I have noticed some challenges that we are facing as we continue to conduct business with our client CEOLI, which is located in Cochabamba Bolivia. 

As one would expect, there are numerous challenges when working with a global client, especially when working with them in the middle of a pandemic. In particular, my greatest challenge is being able to communicate effectively with our client because there is a language barrier. Nevertheless, there are a few group members on my team who do speak Spanish, which helps bridge the gap between the group and our client. In addition, Jean Carla Costas is able to translate what we are saying to one of our clients Ronald, and vice versa, which is very helpful. For instance, the language barrier causes inconsistency in conversations when everything needs to be translated back and forth. We have to be careful when we are speaking that we do not say too much at a time, because what we are saying needs to be translated back if one of our Spanish speaking team members is not the one talking at that particular time. When we are speaking, we have to make sure we are not saying too many ideas or thoughts at one time because that can make it harder for Jean Carla to remember all of the information we are saying and be able to effectively translate it back. This is something that I never experienced before, but it is very eye-opening and makes me want to take up a second language. 

It was very eye-opening in lecture when Professor Johnson made us do an activity, where she gave us numerous directions, starting with folding a piece of paper. I remember when I was trying to do this activity, I fell behind because she was going so fast. At the end of the activity, everyone’s result was completely different. After we had finished the activity she made a point to tell us that since her directions were not very clear, and she did not check in on us to see if we had any questions, everyone had a different result. She made a point to explain how communication is very important because if you are not checking in with your team and client, there can be very different interpretations of how the work is expected to be done. After this activity, I realized the importance of communication between teammates and the client, because you want to have an end result where everyone is pleased with the work that has been done.   

Another challenge that I have experienced so far is being able to connect with our clients virtually on a deeper level. We learned in lecture that Bolivians value tight-knit relationships with people they are working with. This is particularly difficult in an online environment. We need to make them feel comfortable working with us so that we can build that sense of trust and community throughout the project. Relationships are very important to them, so we really need to keep that in mind while working. As a group, we are making an effort to have casual conversations at the beginning of our client meetings, as a way to slowly build that trust and form the relationships that Bolivians value. Bolivia has a high context communication style, so when interacting with them we need to keep that in mind. So far, I feel our conversations have been great, and we are really being successful in relationship building, but it is always something I keep in the back of my mind when we get the opportunity to talk to them and express how our progress with the project is coming. 

While we are just scratching the surface of what our project will actually become once we are finished, I have already learned so much about doing business globally, and on top of that, my perspective of global business has already changed. 

My perspective when doing global business has definitely changed since I have first started working on this consulting project. To start, in the United States, we have access to so many different online platforms, but I am now realizing that when working with a global partner, they may not have similar access and opportunity to these services. For example, when at Pitt, there is Wi-fi all over campus. Rarely am I ever in a situation where I do not have wifi or internet connection. When I mean internet connection in general I am referring to the 5G or LTE on my cell phone, which I use when no internet connection is available. Over the years, I have definitely taken advantage of these little things. Now, when looking at my perspective globally, Wi-fi may be harder to find or come by in other countries. Different countries may not have the available resources needed to be able to have the opportunity to have a stable internet connection or even connection to a laptop in general. Our clients made a point to say that in poorer parts of Cochabamba, having a laptop and internet connection can be hard to come by. 

What I have learned in regards to doing business globally is that different countries handle business in a variety of different ways. I was most surprised by the culture map which we learned about during our lecture. It was pretty eye-opening how the different countries conduct business meetings and how they interact with clients in general. It was very cool to hear about the 8 scales and the way the different countries were compared to one another regarding the characteristics and the way they conduct business in general.

When doing business globally, I found it very important to understand the culture. By understanding the culture, you feel more connected with the clients. It also definitely allows me to change my perspective on global business because I am getting exposed to so many different things. For instance, we learned that Bolivians are proud of their culture. They take great pride in their food, art culture, and dancing. For instance, one of our classes consisted of us learning how to do certain Bolivian dances. It was such a fun experience, where we learned certain dance moves as well as listened to some Bolivian music. This was such a nice way to interact with one another while learning about the culture because it gave us a glimpse into what it would be like if we visited Bolivia, and overall it was just a really positive experience. 

Now that I am at the midway point of this project, I have started to realize the importance of being a part of something that is truly bigger than myself. Having this opportunity to help this organization is so fulfilling, and is really making me understand and learn about the different parts of the world. It is definitely very eye-opening to be able to learn about the different cultures through this project. This project is making me come out of my comfort zone and is challenging me to put my best work forward because I really want to benefit CEOLI in any way I possibly can.

In saying that, one of the most valuable parts of this project is how unique it is. Entering college, never would I have thought I would be working with global clients and being able to put my groups’ ideas from our pitch competition last semester into action. This opportunity is like none other here at Pitt and I believe it to be even more valuable than other classes I am in. I am able to gain real-world experience and operate in professional settings that I would never encounter in a regular classroom setting. This has allowed me to improve my communication and teamwork skills and effectively apply them in a real-world setting. In the usual group projects, you might give a presentation or write a paper, but in this setting, we have a real client depending on us. In essence, the stakes are higher and more pressure falls upon us to perform, but it makes the actual work that is being done so much more rewarding.  

Bearing all of this in mind, my group now understands the challenges associated with this project. More specifically, we are actively trying to better our relationship with our client so that we can best meet their needs. I am so excited to continue working on this project and can not wait to see the final outcome.