As some of the readers of this blog may notice, I am originally from Hong Kong. I have been spending many years in the city since I was born. The city was full of my fond memories as a child, as a teen, and as a young first jobber who always worked extremely hard to show others that I was capable.

Later on, I left for Shanghai to take up an insights manager role in an advertising agency. As I just arrived in Shanghai, I knew no one. I was lonely in my condo. I struggled in my first job because my Mandarin Chinese was bad.

Yet, I chose to stay in Shanghai. I proactively hung out with my colleagues for their support. I learned Pinyin (Mandarin Chinese pronunciations) and Simplified Chinese independently. I visited local restaurants in Shanghai to experience the local way of living.

Eventually, I managed to make many new friends and build strong relationships in Shanghai. I lived in the city for nearly 10 years. Apart from all these, I met my wife in Shanghai, and my son was also born there.

Then I relocated to Toronto. I rebuilt all my networks as well as my career.

Me in a maize field in Bengbu, Anhui Province in Central China after completing all in-home visits for a market research project at my advertising agency. Photo taken in July 2014.

Living in different cities and working with people from different backgrounds enables me to be exposed to different cultures. It is all these little pieces of adventure that enrich my life.

It also makes me realize there is no straight formula to live, to do well at work, to fulfill my aspirations, as well as to bring a happy life.

For example, my account servicing skills in Hong Kong may not fully apply to my clients in Shanghai and Toronto. Meanwhile, the way of teaching my son in Shanghai may not be fully useful in Toronto either.

Ongoing learning has been more important than ever due to more agile technological advancements, uncertain economic environments, and more complex human desires than ever.

Therefore, having an open mind to accept new ideas has become utmost critical.

Me attending a training in a McDonald’s restaurant in Shanghai when I just joined McDonald’s in China as a strategy manager. Photo taken in September 2016.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines open-mindedness as being “receptive to arguments or ideas.” So how can we become more open-minded?

To be an open-minded person, I have done a few things:

• Observe. I am especially interested to know what is happening around me – from the new café in my neighborhood to hot marketing campaigns, from the elderly people’s dance group in my residence to the new AI projects run by Meta or Google.

• Question. Besides knowing what is happening in the marketplace, I also keep on asking different questions – Why do people go to the new neighborhood café? Do they sell any specialty drinks? Why do elderly people like to dance in the plaza? Why does Meta invest in AI? What is the new technology used for? The best way to learn is to find out the solution by myself.

Me exploring the Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia. I am a traveler and my dream is to travel the world one day. Photo taken in December 2018.

• Listen. I always validate my thoughts by getting other people’s opinions. For example, I know all relationships are built on trust and respect. However, what do trust and respect mean, especially in the community I am staying with? What kind of topics should I avoid in my conversations with others? If I don’t understand, I simply ask the topic expert (in an appropriate way of course) and listen to his/ her advice. I never assume anything. Somehow, some advice may come from my neighbors too. They all have their local wisdom.

• Eliminate my ego. I truly believe my ego can’t make me a living. Meanwhile, my ego also creates a distance between me and others. It may also stop me from accepting new ideas and growing both personally and professionally. Note that many aspirational leaders are reading and learning from many others too.

• Just try everything. When I learn some new knowledge, I will try my best to figure out how it works. For example, when I travel to a new country, I usually choose to go to a local restaurant and order a local dish. I may order something wrong in the end. However, guess what, I have already given myself a chance to experience what is truly local.

What are your viewpoints about having an open mind? I would love to hear your comments.

Vincent

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