Organizations have different cultures and employees have to adopt them once they become members of the organization depending on the country of location. I once experienced several challenges when I started working for a new company in the US in the Human resource department. The challenges were due to the culture shock as a new member of the organization. Some of the obstacles concerned communication, interactions and decision-making, and culture shock.

I experienced challenges in communication because of the type of communication flow used by the company staff. The organization used the vertical communication in which information was to flow downwards. Initially, I was used to the horizontal communication in which one can pass information to officers in the same level to enhance discussions. I took a lot of time to get used to upward and downward communication and the challenges associated with the method such as delayed reply due to consultations. I accustomed myself with the type of communication in use by my new organization and was able to adapt to the system.

I also faced challenges concerning interactions especially with members from the other departments. The organization culture did not allow free interactions especially involving junior and senior members of the staff. The action made decision-making quite difficult as it was quite difficult to share new ideas by different parties. The top management mostly made decisions and the ordinary employees had little to contribute posing a challenge of acquiring new ideas. New ideas are important for decision-making and denying the other employees the chance to participate, in decision-making interferes with invention and innovation. To counter the challenge, I made friends with my colleagues who taught me the norms of my new company and I got used t the system.

Culture shock is another obstacle that I experienced in my new organization, which refers to the physical and psychological state I felt while trying to adapt to my new environment. I felt isolated as I tried hard to cope with the new company practices especially concerning communication and decision-making. Relating with new people with a culture very different from mine was a big obstacle especially on the language use. Some people appeared to lack courtesy as they spoke, but later I realized that it was their nature of speaking and not arrogance.  I also took the time to understand my colleagues and work comfortably with them in all the organizations activities.

The new culture in my organization was challenging but not stressful as I was able to adjust and adapt to my new environment quickly. Companies can reduce stress in their employees by coaching in areas such as business culture, etiquette, and management. Skills on interpersonal communication and conflict resolution will help employees cope with their new work environment and avoid any work-related stress. Training of employees increases their self-awareness and cross-cultural understanding which in turn motivates the employees to work harder for the company. The other method companies can reduce stress on their employees is by providing coping strategies with their work environment and help them adhere to the organizational rules.

Cross-cultural training is very beneficial especially for global companies as it enables the employees can adjust quickly to their new environment. Challenges such as communication, decision-making, and culture shock can be solved easily with some training. Organizations that commit resources for the motivation of their employees experience a higher growth compared to those that do nothing to their employees.