Nitin Govila, Global SVP, Serge Ferrari
Nitin Govila is the Global Senior Vice President with Serge Ferrari, a construction business. He is a cross-cultural expert and a certified meditation trainer.
Podcast
Overview
As Indians, we are exposed to a diversity of cultures from our childhood. We grow up to respect and interact with different cultures respectfully. With globalization, the global cultures have come to work together, and it is critical to learn to understand the behavior patterns of different cultures for a successful culmination of the projects at hand.
Our today’s guest delves into the importance of learning how to work in a cross-cultural environment.
About Nitin Govila
Nitin Govila is the Global Senior Vice President with Serge Ferrari, a construction business. He is a cross-cultural expert and a certified meditation trainer. In today’s episode, he shares the benefits that come with working across cultures. Nitin Govila also shares his thoughts on the power of meditation in our lives.
DISCUSSION
Nitin talks about his global journey, which he initiated after taking a leap of faith by quitting his job. He moved to France to pursue an MBA and shares his perspective-changing experiences.
Nitin lists down the key things he feels are right to adapt to the global work environment:
- Being aware and sensitive to cross-cultural elements.
- Ability to listen.
- Not imposing yourself even if you know much more in your field.
- Sensitive to the interpretation due to differences in contexts for different cultures.
Heart over Mind
Nitin shares how moving to France was not an easy situation, but meditation guided him throughout. He is a regular meditation practitioner and feels it helps him to take important life decisions. Nitin doesn’t disown the facts one needs to account for in decision-making, however, trusts his gut feeling.
Nitin further shares about the cultural shocks, reality checks, and difficult times he went through.
Cross-Cultural Expertise
Nitin also contributes to training people to work in cross-cultural environments. He recalls how he was called by a French company as an Indian expert to train people. As a coach, he works in training people on how to communicate.
Nitin explains that one needs to voluntarily try to learn about different cultures to be able to adapt to a diverse environment, He shares, “I take time out by walking in a mall, meeting different communities, meet people out of the workforce. That is where you get the real flavor of the culture.”
Meditation Expert
Nitin became a meditation trainer in 2000 and practices heart fullness meditation. He is a volunteer trainer, who helps people in his free time.
Nitin shares, “COVID times have made people realize they need things for themselves too. It has made it much easier and more accepting for people.”
Nitin also shares his views on the importance of disconnecting religion from meditation, which, in its true sense, is a self-development process.
Nitin shares the key takeaways from the conversation:
- Defining core values
- Importance of learning in the first few years over title and money
- Open and respectful to cultures
- DO not forget yourself
- Leap of faiths
Profile
Nitin Govila is a senior-level International Director with diversified experience in managing business operations in B2B and B2C environments across different business categories at a Regional level. He has also handled international consulting assignments and global projects. Nitin is based out of Singapore.
