A manager who is chosen to establish the company operations in China, or turn around a failing US subsidiary will quickly realise that they are about to embark on a high-risk, high-return journey.
The stakes are high for the new expat, both in financial terms (generous ex-pat packages) and in terms of the high level of visibility and expectations of the newly assigned manager. But the odds of success are not good. In fact, recent studies show that around 50 per cent of ex-pats do not complete their assignments as planned.
Some companies are savvy enough to offer coaching to ex-pat managers in the relocation package, but in most cases ex-pats seek out a coach because things are not going well. Problems such as cultural differences and personal or family adjustment can surface quickly and in several areas, potentially overwhelming the already uprooted individual.
Consider the following: Work through cultural differences At times inter-cultural issues will be introduced by the client. In some cases it is up to the coach to highlight cultural differences in what might otherwise be misconstrued as generic work challenges, although it is important not to let those differences become an excuse that distracts from skills deficits that must be addressed. In some cases the client will generalise, even stereotype, cultural differences. It can be helpful to work with these sweeping statements as long as you help the client break them down. For example, a client declares that “in this country it is not ok to get emotional, but I am a typical hotblooded Mediterranean so I will never be accepted”. The opening for change will be to take the statement from a generalised ‘truth’ to the specific, behavioural arena where the difficulties arose – and discuss ways of coping.
Make it work:
- Focus on raising awareness of culturally determined reactions, and think through alternative behaviours.
- Explore how the client has dealt with similar situations in the past to understand their default style in their comfort zone
- Roleplay situations that mimic areas of difficulty and debrief the client’s behaviour and its consequent impact.
Fatal flaws:
- Shying away from discussing national or cultural differences for fear of being politically incorrect
- Trying to change too much of the client’s behaviour to assimilate with the new culture, infringing on their sense of cultural and personal identity
- Not moving beyond stereotypes.
Go beyond skills and reach outside the workplace
Some of the most common derailers for an ex-pat are personal difficulties in adjusting to the way of life, often including difficulties in social or family adjustment. These may have little to do with the manager’s professional skills or leadership capabilities, but are liable to have a significant effect on their wellbeing, motivation and, consequently, performance. When working with an ex-pat the coach
needs to be willing and able to go into the tricky territory of dealing with personal or family issues that may be at the forefront.
Make it work:
- Explore the issues of social and family adjustment even if they are not initially introduced by the client, who may underestimate them
- Be equipped as a resource to connect the client with people and organisations that can provide practical advice and support
- Be mindful of your impact on the family: ensure you are clear about the boundaries of your intervention.
Fatal flaws:
- Assigning too much attention to family and personal adjustment matters and consequently failing to appreciate and address problems in managerial skills and competencies
- Getting into an overly directive and ‘organising’ mode in an attempt to help resolve multiple difficulties.
Build on strengths
It can be all too easy for the client (as well as the organisation), to lose sight of the strengths and skills they possess and the reasons they were chosen for the ex-pat assignment in the first place. Focusing on ways to maximise key strengths is an opportunity to work in positive territory. It is likely to provide relatively quick rewards for the client – and some welcome visibility in areas where they can show their skills and build their credibility.
Make it work:
- Gather information from the client’s former manager and colleagues in the home country to gain a better understanding of the client’s key strengths and perhaps even advice on ways that they can use these to make a difference in their ex-pat assignment.
- Discuss strengths early on as part of the exploration/assessment stage
- Help the client think through specific ways to build on strengths to make
Fatal Flaws:
- Putting an overly positive spin on the situation, and neglecting to help the client adjust their strengths to the local cultural nuances.
Leverage the ex-pat experience as a valuable growth opportunity
The ex-pat assignment is a rare opportunity to gain many experiences and develop skills in a short space of time. Once the initial problems are out of the way, focus on these benefits and their relevance to the client’s Dealing with adversity, enhanced stakeholder-management, influencing skills, increased global perspective and the ability to demonstrate a more flexible management style are all areas that are likely to improve during a successful ex-pat assignment. They will also become an important competitive advantage for the ex-pat once they return home.
Make it work:
- Keep the client’s long-term career goals and aspirations on the agenda.
- Track and review progress to reinforce growth and development.
- Discuss ways to build on enhanced skills on the return to the home country and in more senior roles.
- Continue the coaching even after the problems have been resolved with a focus on maximise potential and preparing for next leadership challenges.
Fatal flaws:
- Limiting the successes to the specific assignment or situation.
- Neglection to help the client transfer new skills to future roles back in the home country.