International assignment in China
My name is Hauke Nahrstedt and I am Director at HPP. I joined HPP as a Junior Consultant in 2011 immediately after my studies in Münster and a semester abroad in the USA.
Since October 2015, I have been involved in the nationwide introduction of an IT platform in the after-sales area for a German car manufacturer in China. In addition to project management, I also carry out rollout and piloting content.
During my stay, I lived in a full service apartment in Beijing and worked directly in the country headquarters of the German manufacturer in Beijing. The project offered an opportunity to get to know culture and people.
Monday:
- Straight to the Chinese dealer to prepare and test required IT configurations with the project team
- Waiting phases are used to discuss current project progress with the dealer’s after-sales manager and to exchange personal impressions
Tuesday:
- Weekly team meeting with the Chinese, Indian and German project colleagues
- Last week’s results and next steps are discussed
- In the afternoon, coordination with the project manager and handling of open topics and emails of the past week
Wednesday:
- Rollout cluster meeting! On short notice, a management presentation must be prepared and held
- The preparation for the next appointment at the dealer has to be taken over by the colleagues – no problem though, they can always be relied on!
Thursday:
- Creation of the project status report and update of the project plan
- Due to the time difference, a conference call is held in the late afternoon with German colleagues at the headquarters – discussions, resolutions and open questions in German, English and Chinese
Friday:
- Field assignment in the training building. With the help of a Chinese colleague, I train the new after-sales trainers
- After that, taxi back to the desk. The hotel has to wait a bit
The next week:
- Next week we start our pilot at the dealer, the tension increases, the first impression counts
- I have to split myself in two: support the colleagues at the dealer and participate in the most important meetings in the country headquarters – boredom is definitely not the case
The weekend:
- Staying in the hotel? Not with me. A breathtaking capital with incredible sights, culinary delights and exciting challenges awaits me
- There is still time for one or the other Skype call with family and friends at home