How To Be A Foreigner In Charge

expat network

How To Be A Foreigner In Charge

For many executives, an overseas posting is seen as an opportunity to step out onto the world stage and take your family along for the ride. Everything points to success. However, up to 50 per cent of international leadership assignments fail.

Added to this are the complexities of working in different cultures. In a new series of books called Foreigner in Charge, international business coach Padraig O’Sullivan takes a look at what it takes to succeed in Singapore and Australia.

Central to each book is the PALDER framework, an integrated approach mapping out the transition phases you will experience in your first two years. It illustrates the waves of change you, your family and the organisation will undergo and provides navigation tools. The book also provides guidance on:

– Mental and professional preparations before leaving home
– What to expect in Singapore and Australia
– How to help your family to make the move~
– The unique characteristics and challenges of leading in these two countries.

Complemented by online worksheets, the Foreigner in Charge series delivers what you need to make the move to a new place and get the most out of your leadership experience.

A Hong Kong edition of Foreigner in Charge is published by Exisle Publishing in June 2016.

The Australia edition can be purchased from the World of Expats Bookshop here.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.