At the beginning of the cinematic hero’s journey, we first get to know the hero. We learn who he or she is and what kind of world he or she lives in. Who are the other protagonists and what are the general challenges they face?
It is important that the hero is not yet particularly aware of the dangers and problems facing him and the world. He recognizes that there are injustices and that things could be changed, but he is still far from seeing himself as someone who should or even could intervene.
In the film…
In George Lucas’ Star Wars: Episode IV, the story begins in a galaxy oppressed by the Empire. But young Luke Skywalker lives far away from the center of the action—on the remote desert planet Tatooine. There he dreams of adventures in the vast galaxy but does not see himself as someone who could make a difference and therefore has only his life as a farmer in mind.
What does this have to do with an assignment? (In the life of an expat)
As an employee, the hero has already been working in an international environment: he works with colleagues, partners, and customers from different cultures. Nevertheless, he initially sees no reason to question his own behavior or perspective.
From time to time, problems arise in the workplace. He hears about colleagues who “just can’t get anywhere in China” or “are banging their heads against a brick wall in the French branch.” From the hero’s point of view, it is clear that change is needed – by the others. The Chinese need to adapt. The French should be more flexible.
And that seems to work. After all, there are many understanding people in his own environment who see the world from a very similar perspective and share his views. At this point, our hero is not yet a hero – at least not in an intercultural sense. But we want to call him or her that anyway. Because every hero’s journey begins with a familiar view of the world – and the opportunity to broaden it.
What can intercultural training achieve at this early stage? (Support)
Sometimes people are invited to attend intercultural training without any specific reason. It is simply to raise awareness because the topic “might become important at some point.”
But what effect does such training have when there is no personal relevance (yet)? Most likely not much.
Shortly after the training, our hero or heroine will at best have increased knowledge about intercultural coexistence, perhaps know a few specific cultural differences and how to deal with them. In the best case scenario, the hero will have realized that they themselves are also a child of their culture and will have thought about what that actually means, their “own” culture.
But this knowledge remains abstract. There is no concrete reference, no immediate pressure to act. And as Hermann Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve suggests (Forgetting curve – Wikipedia), much of it will soon fade away – unless it is anchored or put into practice.
But then something unexpected happens: our hero receives a message. He or she is to take on a management position abroad. And so begins the next stage of the hero’s journey – the threshold to adventure has been reached. We’ll tell you how it continues in the next part.