‘Be patient’ - My experiences of working in Asia

“Patience may not be a key characteristic of working in Australia, but it’s essential when working in the Asian market.”

This was one of the key insights I shared at a recent event on road safety globally, held by the Victorian Chapter of the Australasian College of Road Safety and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Joining panellists Meg Holmberg (VicRoads), Maurice Burley(road safety consultant) and Sam Linke (Jacobs) we discussed working in Asia, including seeking and winning work, cultural change and challenge, technical trends and emerging opportunities, project delivery and knowledge sharing.

With consulting experience working in Hong Kong, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and mainland China, I believe there is potential for solution transfer in both directions and that there are many correct approaches ... not just one, but it’s vital to understand the local context and realise the need to understand and respect behaviours.

Through sharing our experiences with the 40+ road safety and traffic engineers attending the event,  we demonstrated that many of the ‘good behaviour’ recommendations are valuable in a domestic context … and that respect ought to be a universally applied attribute.

The Institution of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is an international educational and scientific association of transport professionals.  ITEANZ is the Australia and New Zealand Section of ITE, with members across the public and private sectors and a wide base of support across the profession.

The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) is the region's peak membership association for road safety professionals, advocates and members of the public who are focussed on saving lives and serious injuries on our roads.