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This months Expatpreneur is a seriously funny guy who sees the power of humor to change the world. He’s always up for a good laugh, and not just because its fun. He sees the deeper side of things and has a way to keep things light even when dealing with the complexities of cultural change and global teamwork. Let’s take a walk down the wild side with Piotr. From Poland to Norway, Piotr has a way of building connection no matter what the context.
Who are you? Where do you come from and where are you now? And for how long have been where you are currently? Oh yah, and how did you end up here?
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My name is Piotr Pluta, I was born and raised in Poland and I live in Norway now. I’ve been here for 2,5 years – wait, let me rephrase that – it’s my third winter here. I ended up in Oslo right after I graduated, via Leonardo da Vinci internship. I’m an organizational psychologist and consultant. I work in a small consulting company, here in Norway, and a good deal of the tasks I’m charged with are related to our own business model development (the company is undergoing change and growth). However, I also work on my own project – with some support from my employer – revolving around a blog about the psychology of humor and humor-workshops I conduct.
What’s your project?
Generally speaking, my mission is to promote the psychology of humor (a multi-paradigmatic, multi-faceted and systematic study of humor; not at all synonymous with the ‘positive psychology’). Thus, you may say that my blog’s purpose is to contribute to making humor a serious matter: popularize it as a field of study, serve as a starting point for students and academics interested in the field and – importantly – and to not kill the frog along the way, i.e. intend to be funny at least occasionally. Furthermore, I look upon my blog as a way of supporting my credibility as a ‘humor consultant’, scholar and practitioner. I run workshops aimed at raising, what I call, ‘humor awareness’ – making people use more humor and more consciously at work to strengthen cohesion, bonding and consecutiveness (Disclaimer: nope, I do not do stand-up comedy courses.)
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Interesting, so enlighten us – what does your project offer the world?
I hope it’ll make people realize that humor is a ‘serious business’ and that we wouldn’t make it without it. Everybody knows that, you say, but one often forgets it – especially in work-related contexts, where all the routines, results and pressure get to you. I hope that my work and the blog will help organizations be more fun to work at, in a good way.
Ok, can you give us a taste? What made you laugh most recently, like today, or maybe yesterday?
We’re sending quiet a lot of packages from our office on daily basis, so we often have TNT-couriers coming in and picking up the packages. Last week we had a whole pile that had to be shipped and I was helping other co-workers to handle that. When the TNT guy came I gave him the due packages and he was about to leave, I pointed at a big square cupboard in the middle of the room, and asked “Weren’t you supposed to pick up that one, too?” He went pale, started checking his shipment papers but burst with laughter when I said I was kidding. Simple, I know, but it provided a moment of comic relief for all of us in the office. Other than that, I also try to take pictures of funny things I see when I travel and show to the guys at the office, like these here:
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Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
What’s been the hardest thing about being an expat? And do you see any connections to the trials and tribulations of being an entrepreneur?
Very hard to tell, as I went to live abroad right after graduation, what meant I was submerged both in a cultural shock and my first working-life experiences. So, it was a mixture of moderate hardship right there, not necessarily related only to being an expat. Nonetheless, I think both – being an expat and an entrepreneur – requires patience, being ready for misunderstandings and fast learning. Most importantly however, self-reflection and insight, so that you don’t blame the surroundings for all your mishaps and, at the same time, keep the pulse on your personal well-being, and know when you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself, either.
Being an expat can have its up and downs – what has been the best skill or personal tool that has helped you turn challenge into opportunity?
Yes it does, doesn’t it? Dunno whether there is a tool or a skill I could name that I tend to resort to whenever the downs of being abroad get me. Perhaps I haven’t been an expat long enough – it still seems that each and every instance is different and have to be dealt with… differently.
However, one thing I try to keep in mind when the way people are in Norway wears on me, is to retreat to an observant position, take the emotional load off, and see what it is that I can learn about myself and about the bigger “cultural picture of our times”, from what bothers me.
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I love life hacks – do you have any favorite life hacks that have been helpful in your life? Or your expat life?
I’m not big on life hacks and I know for one I should be! Especially when traveling. I’d really like to permanently hack my brain so that it won’t keep on forgetting things like passport, keys, credit cards, etc. all over the world. Perhaps you could help me with that?
There seems to be an abundance of resources out there for expats, what were some things that helped make your move easier?
I really can’t think of anything else I would need information-wise before arriving and during my first months in Norway. You can find most of the things on the net: be it commuting, filling out tax-forms, language tandems, etc. There’s a group on Facebook called “New To Oslo” with over 8,000 members: you can post whichever practical question there and there’s good chance you’ll get an answer. I don’t say though that you can learn everything about a country you’re moving to from the net – but all that “hidden knowledge” about the society, culture and history is very hard to acquire otherwise then via submersion.
You’ve been in more than a few different language environments – whats something thats made you laugh?
I do have an inexplicable fondness for the Southern accent and dialect, tho many people would look down upon it as sign of ignorance or rural, even. I don’t have a single word or expression at hand, but one thing I often heard there was using double or even triple negation in sentences. For instance, ‘I ain’t never seen no queen’ (actual quote from ‘Big Lebowski,’ though this particular movie isn’t set in the South). I do talk like that sometimes and it makes me giggle on the inside, however confusing and it may be in some contexts.
Whats your best advice for other expatpreneurs out there?
Be patient, respectful and focus on long-term alliances and relationships. Integrity is most important.
