The International Relations and Accreditation Office of the College of Management held an English Corner session on May 13, 2026, inviting MBA alumni Ronnie Nunez as the guest speaker. With the theme "Making an Impact and Executing in Diverse Teams," Ronnie shared his years of real-world work experience in Taiwan and global environments. Through four real-life workplace scenarios and live interactions, he guided students to understand common challenges in cross-cultural communication and how to build good working relationships in international teams.

【The Challenge of Speaking Up】

Ronnie shared that in global teams, cultural differences are often harder to overcome than language barriers. Using the scenario of "Spotting an Issue," he described how some managers only give one-way orders without letting the team share their opinions. Over time, this makes employees lose their passion and sense of belonging. During the discussion, students said that if communication fails, they might quit or try to have an honest talk with their manager.

Ronnie also mentioned that Taiwanese people often hide their true thoughts, while Western workplace culture encourages speaking up. He encouraged everyone to express their views and feelings appropriately, instead of just trying to please others. In a diverse environment, keeping your own values and personality is very important. Learning to set boundaries actually helps you work with others for a longer time.

【Too Much Work? Learn to Say "No"】

Another topic that students strongly connected with was "Getting Overworked." Ronnie shared that when he worked in Taiwan in the past, his managers kept giving him more work because he was always willing to help.

He admitted that he later learned not to say "yes" to everything and to turn down extra work when necessary. He reminded students that working hard is important, but without boundaries, you can easily end up under long-term stress. Finding a balance between working hard and taking care of yourself is a very important lesson in the workplace.

【Take Action Instead of Complaining】

When talking about teamwork, Ronnie shared a case about a "Lack of Admin Support." At the time, his teammates were often late, which affected work efficiency, but the manager didn't actively fix it.

Facing this situation, Ronnie took the initiative to suggest a new way of working. He asked to work independently and used actual results to prove his ability. In the end, he not only improved his work performance but also got a promotion. He encouraged students that when facing problems, instead of complaining about the environment, try asking yourself: "What can I do to make things better?" Sometimes, solving the problem by yourself is more effective than waiting for others to change.

【Be Willing to Understand Each Other】

During the event, Ronnie also talked about "Misunderstanding," which is very common in cross-cultural communication. He shared that he once made a colleague uncomfortable with a joke, and the colleague even stopped talking to him for a while.

Later, he kept showing kindness and slowly fixed their relationship. He realized that everyone grows up differently and has a different level of acceptance for humor and communication styles. Through this experience, Ronnie learned to pay more attention to others' feelings and reactions in different cultures. He stated that the most important thing in cross-cultural teamwork is not to completely avoid misunderstandings, but to be willing to understand each other, stay respectful, and keep communicating after a misunderstanding happens.

【Live Q&A: Meeting Silence, Culture & Team Impact】

Replying to a student's question on "how to avoid awkward silence in meetings," Ronnie offered a different view. He believes that silence does not always mean a dead end; sometimes it means the other person is seriously thinking about your idea. Instead of rushing to fill the silence, it is better to give each other some time to think.

Also, regarding the language barrier that many worry about, Ronnie suggested using digital tools like "Typeless" to help express ideas. He also encouraged everyone to watch comedies or local TV shows from different countries. This helps to deeply understand the social norms and humor of other nations, making it easier to fit into international teams naturally in the future.

【Conclusion: Stay True to Yourself and Keep Growing】

At the end of the event, Ronnie concluded that you don't need to completely change who you are just because you enter an international environment. What truly matters is understanding different cultures while keeping your own traits and values. Through Ronnie's lively scenario exercises and practical advice, students not only gained a better understanding of real communication situations in global workplaces, but also learned how to build confidence, handle conflicts, and find their place in diverse teams.

(Written by Master of Business Administration Hsin-Ni Chang / Edited by College of Management Media Team)