At last – finally The New York Times has realized that expat spouses are important enough to write about, as is the loss of revenue to companies who do not take care of their happiness on an expat assignment.

Click here to read the full article – you need to read this!

The Expat Coach Directory recently celebrated it’s one year anniversary and we’ve completely redesigned it to be more user friendly for you!  I am very excited to announce that you can now search for an Expat Coach by geography, languges spoken, and more!  Please come check us out at www.theexpatcoachdirectory.com

We are still the #1 result for “Expat Coach” at www.google.com and welcome your feedback, and if you’re an Expat Coach, would love to have you join us!

No matter where in the world you’re living, dealing with a difficult boss can be a universal experience. There are all sorts of reasons that frustrations between employee and boss arise, and all kinds of reactions that result – usually that you hate your job.

Sadly, a bad boss can make a good job stink, and if you’ve relocated for work, this relationship can cause you some serious thoughts of giving up and returning home.

Instead of giving up, here are a few ideas you can try to improve this relationship that takes up at least 5 days a week of your life:

1. Get clear on the behaviors that are frustrating you, making you angry, etc.
2. Take a look at WHY these behaviors frustrate you and make you angry – what issues are coming up for you every time the behavior happens?
3. What did you do just before the behavior started?  There is probably a pattern for you to look at.
4. Cool off – take a breath, take a “time out”, take a walk, whatever you need to do to let the emotions simmer down
5. Separate the actions from the person – realize that just because your boss is being “bad”, this doesn’t make him or her a bad person – they are simply behaving in a manner that is making you unhappy.
6. When you’re ready, and calm, set up time to talk with your boss.
7. Be clear, and concise on your goals – what do you want from the meeting?  Is it clarity, is it to improve your relationship, is it to address some concerns..?
8. Use “I” statements.  Here’s an I statement I have found great success with – “Whenever I do X [X = an action] I notice that I bring out X behavior from you.  What do I need to do differently so that doesn’t happen?”
9. Keep the focus on the positive – that you want to be a team player, help your boss succeed, understand your boss’s needs, etc.

Of course, depending what culture you are from, and have moved to, there will no doubt be some adjustments you need to make in your style, and some learning you need to do about what behaviors are and are not appropriate.  Something as basic as a handshake, or eye contact, in some cultures, can be enough to gravely insult your boss, so make sure to know the rules!

* For more ideas on professional success in a new culture, click here. *

Since we’re spending a few weeks on the topic of starting your own business, I found a wonderful article by Richard Branson with some simple tips for business success.

What I love about the article is how very simple, and easy to implement, these suggestions are.  And, when you realize that someone so successful started out just like the rest of it, it’s hugely inspiring!

Click here to read the article.

It’s Working Wednesday again!  This week’s video will cover the topic of getting people to HELP you with all that work you’ve got on your plate!

Just click the video below to learn how -

Welcome back to another episode of Working Wednesdays!

Today’s lesson focuses on what you need to do to create your newsletter, and sell your products, tune in to learn what you need to know:

A new TV series in America, called “Outsourced”, presents an interesting (satirized) view of cross-cultural team integration and management. I will try and follow this one closely!  The main character is “the silly American”, Todd, completely unaware of cultural faux pas, who is sent to India.  This ought to be fun to watch, and full of good lessons!

In the first episode, here are a few things I picked up, as the “what NOT to do’s” if you are relocating to another country to manage a team comprised of people of a nationality other than your own.

1. Greet People by Shaking Their Hands.  The “silly American boss” tries to shake hands with everyone, and presents his right hand, and, clearly some people in the room are very uncomfortable with this greeting style.  Always study up on appropriate ways to greet people, and whether one hand may be taboo!
2. Show More Interest in Meeting Some People Than Others.  The boss in this show is clearly more interested in meeting the women in the room, which he shows by heading right for them, and spending several minutes with “the pretty one”.  You should make sure to express equal value to everyone on your team, especially the first day!
3. Make Silly Jokes. The boss, in typical “Homer Simpson” fashion, has an obnoxious comment for just about everything.  One of his male subordinates is named “Mamit” (spelling?) and the boss hears it as “Man Meat”.  He then says, “Wow, your name is really ‘Man Meat’?  Must make chatting on the internet hard!”  In another section, he makes fun of the “head gear” they wear – saying the women, especially, wear some weird stuff.!!!! Refrain from making jokes that may be taken as offensive, or injure the self-esteem of your new employees.  And, comments on how people dress are completely rude, and should be avoided.
4. Sit with People From Your Country at Lunchtime.  The first lunchtime, the boss has the opportunity to sit with his team, where there is one empty seat at their table.  Instead, he sees another person who appears to be American, sitting all alone, and decides to bond with him.  It may be “scary” or “overwhelming” to be the only person of your nationality at the table, but it’s a fantastic opportunity to get to know your new team!  Mealtime is often when people have their guard down a bit, feel more relaxed, and you can get to know them a bit more personally than you can at their desks.  This is a huge opportunity for you to more effectively transition to a new culture.  Don’t miss out!  That being said – of course make sure you ASK if you can sit with them, rather than just subjecting them to your presence by pulling up a chair and interrupting them. 
5. Isolate Yourself.  Todd, while sitting with his new American friend, is told NOT to eat the Indian food, as it will cause all sorts of bathroom ills, and that he should stick to American food instead.  One of the worst things you can do is to completely avoid the culture you are in by avoiding its people and its foods.  This is a sure-fire way for you to end up being isolated, unaccepted by your colleagues, and feeling alone.  Instead, make the effort to try out local foods and customs and blend in!
6. Make Judgments.  Todd is informed, again by his rude, American friend, that there is an “A” team (the employees dressed in suits who can speak with American accents), and a “B” team (Todd’s new team, who is sitting at the lunch table in casual dress and laughing) who “probably don’t know anything about America.”  Get to know people, find out what THEY value, otherwise you’re setting yourself, and them, up for failure when it comes to cross-cultural team synergy.
7. Place Opinionated Pictures on Your Desk.  Todd places a photo on his desk (simply a desk and chair on a podium, in front of his new call center colleagues) of his American OFFICE – clearly he misses his American style office, with a door he can close, and which is a sign of authority.  Every time you look at a photo like this, it will make you think “things are so much better at home…”, and your peers will understand that you don’t like their culture.  Instead, consider photos of people you love, this could be an opportunity for new colleagues to ask you a bit about you!

The TV show seems to be promising of interesting cross-cultural situations.  One of the things I saw on a positive front, is that the manager seems invested in the success of his staff, and spends time helping them learn the information they need to be able to sell the company’s products more efficiently – that’s a great thing to do!  And, at the end of the first episode, the manager even chooses to sit and eat lunch with his team, and sample the Indian food!  So, stay tuned….

Want more tips for successfully handling the professional changes you’ll encounter when moving overseas for work?  Click here!

Welcome back to the Working Wednesday series!  Today’s lesson will help you with ideas to make profit from your business.  You won’t want to miss this lesson.

Today’s resources:

Ezine Articles
Sample Products

** Want to further your expertise and get your own business in high gear?  Click Here! **

It’s Working Wednesday again!  Last week we took a look at websites and blogs as part of your online strategy.  This week we’ll take a look at using social media to get yourself known on the internet.

Time to sit back, pull out some popcorn, and learn!

Here are links to some of the items I mention:

Facebook
Twitter
Plaxo
Squidoo
Tweet Deck
Social Oomph

A recent article in The New York Times suggests that when we seek a new job we battle a difficult dilemma – big paycheck, or do something we love?  There are some fascinating points about how earning more money does NOT necessarily mean being more happy.  And, the article ends concluding that anyone who is earning a big salary, but unhappy in their work, isn’t really successful.

Is this a dilemma faced by other cultures as well?  I have experienced more focus on quality of life in other cultures, than I have in America – at least if I look at big cities in America.  How do different cultures measure success – is it the type of work you do, the money you bring home, the quality of your life and friends….?

And, why is it, in America at least, that we don’t focus more on the idea that we can do what we love AND earn a decent salary doing it?  Believing in ourselves, and in this possibility, might make the job search a completely different experience! 

What do you think?