Beyond Emily in Paris: Navigating French Business Culture and HR Politics with Ciara Lakhani

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Beyond Emily in Paris: Navigating French Business Culture and HR Politics with Ciara Lakhani

HR Heretics

Oct 31, 2024

Transcript

Former Dashlane HR leader Ciara Lakhani shares her unfiltered journey from New York to Paris tech, debunking myths about French business culture while revealing the art of cross-cultural leadership. From smoke breaks with works councils to earning trust through authenticity, Ciara offers practical wisdom on navigating international business dynamics and building bridges between American and French work cultures.

*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.co

For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/

HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.

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KEEP UP WITH CIARA, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Ciara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaralakhani/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

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LINKS:

Elevate People:

https://elevatepeople.io/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:50) Ciara's move to Paris in 2020

(04:54) Challenges of being an HR exec in another country

(05:53) Stereotype against French HR people

(07:08) Communication style in France

(08:30) Assimilating with French HR professionals

(10:30) Generalizations about France

(11:45) Learning the nuances of French labor laws

(13:35) Navigating HR in different countries

(15:18) Sponsor: Metaview

(17:18) Punitive government in France

(18:39) Being a translator in HR

(19:50) Working with lawyers

(20:45) Org politics in France

(23:04) Unpacking the co-founder story

(23:50) Org navigation and politics in Paris

(27:30) Earning trust in a new culture

(29:50) French tactics and meeting people where they are

(30:00) Ciara's transition to being independent

(31:38) Assimilating into French culture

(33:00) Wrap

Discussion about this podcast

“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

After a decade+ of “blitz-scaling” companies, HR, talent, and People leaders now face an uncertain economy that has already seen big booms and busts. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact?

Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners – Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors.

This show is for those who are ready to ditch conventional wisdom and figure out from first principles what works for their culture, business model, and industry, with the goal of building a resilient and enduring company. You’ll come away with real guidance for seeing around corners, building enduring companies, and carving out an impactful career – plus a newly-honed bullshit detector.

Topics frequently touched on in this season include: building high performing cultures, compensation negotiation, performance reviews, company design, equity, M&As, recruiting the best talent, and how to manage your own psychology as a people leader.

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