Working and living overseas can be tremendously exciting. As well as the adventure, overseas assignments provide a chance to learn new skills, develop yourself and your career. So why do so many go wrong? Cathy Wellings says preparation is vital.
It is increasingly common for global businesses to send employees on international assignments for anything from three months to five years. Setting up an overseas office, managing an acquisition, developing expanding markets or running an offshore facility can all involve the relocation of an individual, family or even an entire team to a different country.
More employees than ever are also actively seeking out overseas assignments as a positive addition to their career development. International assignments can be challenging and exciting, offering the opportunity to network with new colleagues, work on new projects, and learn new skills from a different cultural environment.
The financial costs associated with an international relocation are well known but the cost of a failed assignment can dwarf these considerably: early returnees can cost the business hundreds and thousands of pounds. International assignees need to hit the ground running and cannot afford to lose momentum. Early mistakes and misunderstandings can have long lasting repercussions leading to a lack of trust from colleagues, failed negotiations and ultimately loss of business. Success at home does not always mean success overseas as the challenges of working in a different language and adapting to a range of new cultural norms are likely to make social and professional interactions a challenging, and at times frustrating, experience.
"If you are managing teams in India you may need to adjust your expectations of how deadlines are met, and using humour to break the ice in a formal business meeting in Germany may not produce the results you expect."A lack of cultural awareness, at both professional and social levels, can lead to major miscommunication, and, ultimately, rejection by host-culture colleagues, clients, acquaintances and neighbours, not only for the employee but for their family as well.
Families relocating to a new culture also need to adapt quickly, embrace the possibilities the new country presents and build new relationships quickly in order to avoid feelings of isolation and homesickness - the most common reason for international assignees returning early is partner and family unhappiness. A 'trailing' partner is often likely to experience greater symptoms of culture shock, particularly if they have put their career on hold to move overseas. Children, too, face major challenges in adapting to different education systems, having to make new friends and learn a new language.
To do business successfully, international assignees must be able to understand and adapt to the host-country way of doing things, such as different ways of interacting and communicating, different approaches to managing and different attitudes towards authority and teamwork. Living and working in China, for example, will require an understanding of 'guanxi' and how to network and build relationships. If you are managing teams in India you may need to adjust your expectations of how deadlines are met, and using humour to break the ice in a formal business meeting in Germany may not produce the results you expect.
When working internationally you need to be aware that your preferred work styles might not always be appropriate when interacting with another culture and be prepared to adapt your usual way of doing things.
Taking the time to understand and to be understood is vital in making an effective transition to living and working in an international business world. You can also take practical steps to improve your experience of living and working in another country. Doing some research into the country's history and traditions or taking time to ask about their family and personal life – if you are living in a relationship-focused culture – will show your counterparts that you are interested in them and their culture. While you may never become fluent in the host country language, learning a few basic greetings and expressions in the target language will also help to improve their perception of you and your relationship with them. If an international manager cannot communicate effectively with counterparts from other cultures, they will not be able to build successful relationships and in turn will miss out on key business opportunities.
Stories abound of cross-cultural faux pas. British male managers shaking hands with their Middle Eastern female counterparts, an American sales executive writing on his potential Japanese client's business card or a British executive addressing his German manager by his first name at their first meeting all spring to mind.
International organisations are now coming to terms with the need to ensure that their staff are equipped to work in an international context and that cultural awareness training can play an integral role in guaranteeing international business success. Tailor-made cultural awareness training helps assignees and their families to prepare for their departure by developing a better understanding of the new country and its people. While training programmes will ensure that delegates do not make any of the mistakes mentioned above, what is more important is increasing awareness of the underlying values and attitudes informing behavioural differences – both of their own and the target culture. Differing attitudes to hierarchy, team work, risk, time and personal space will all impact on how people from different cultures interact with each other. Delegates should be encouraged to develop their own methods and strategies for building positive long-term relationships with international colleagues, ensuring that any communication challenges are overcome. Delegates should also be given the opportunity to ask questions and raise any concerns, ensuring that they start their assignment feeling confident and positive.
Employees living and working in an international business world are no longer a minority but form a large part of any international organisation's workforce. With the expectation that they hit the ground running it is essential that any prospective international assignee is culturally well prepared and equipped with the necessary skills and strategies to maximise their experience in another country. Without the right preparation, the organisation is limiting its options to succeed.
For more information on Communicaid you can visit the company's website at www.communicaid.com We are planning on running a country by country business etiquette guide, starting with a focus on America next month.
Cathy Wellings is the culture and communication manager
at Communicaid. She oversees the design and delivery of more than 500 programmes in over 30 countries every year. She has lived and worked in France and Spain as well as the UK, training professionals in culture and communication skills.
