From Mumbai fast locals to Normandie slow mornings: A lesson on speed!

After years of navigating Mumbai’s fast-paced life, I unknowingly carried that same sense of urgency with me to Normandie, where I spent nearly seven years.

In Mumbai, haste isn’t a choice, it’s a way of life. Growing up, I learned it in school, where sharing a classroom with fifty other kids meant that if you wanted to be heard, you had to speak up quickly. I learned it on the local trains, where if you didn't get inside fast enough it meant standing for eight more stations before finally squeezing into a "fourth seat" (if you’re not from Mumbai, look it up!). Even eating wasn’t a leisurely affair, at the bustling Udupi restaurants, waiters rattled off the specials at lightning speed, and you were expected to place your order and finish your meal just as fast.

Then came hashtag#Normandie, and the contrast hit me like a wave. Mornings weren’t about gulping down chai before running out the door, they were about savoring a quiet coffee. Buying bread at the local boulangerie wasn’t a swift transaction, it was an opportunity for a friendly chat with the owner while customers in line waited patiently. That extra two-minute delay, which would have caused me stress in hashtag#Mumbai, was completely normal here.

I soon realized that I had carried this same urgency into my work. In Mumbai, getting things done was more important than getting them done perfectly. The approach was to act fast and improve along the way. But in hashtag#France, the emphasis was on thorough discussions and debates before execution. The goal was to get it right the first time. This difference in mindset led to some interesting, and at times frustrating, moments with my hashtag#French colleagues.

At StrengthMiner® Consulting LLP ®, we offer Intercultural Mobility Training so that you don’t have to navigate these cultural shifts the hard way, like Antje Ute Bauer, Jill Sheldekar, and I did. If you or your team are preparing to live or work abroad, reach out, we’d love to help!