Do you take an assignment to a foreign country? Most of the comments from returning foreign service employees (FSE) are negative. They focus mainly on what occurs when the FSE returns to home base rather than what was accomplished during the overseas assignment. Having spent seven years in an overseas assignment, having knowledge of many FSEs from other organizations, and also having been actively involved in finding replacement managers and professionals, I found that most complaints were not really justified. Foreign assignments involve hard work and dedication. You and your family are not on vacation. You’re working and living in a new culture, there’s a new language that needs to be accommodated, and certain local traditions need to be observed. For example, in your new assignment your holidays may be replaced by those of the country in which you’re stationed. If you choose to live with your own people—for example, in your "nation of origin" village—you’ll limit your opportunities for engaging the culture and learning how to relate to and communicate in your new environment. In spite of all these changes there are significant opportunities for professional and managerial growth.
A successful transition to a managerial position to and from a foreign assignment depends on many factors.
- What is the purpose of the assignment? Is the objective to continue on the current path or to chart a new path? Each requires different competencies.
- What do you bring to the assignment that is not available in the country to which you were assigned? You need to bring something that is needed.
- Is the assignment putting you out to pasture because of some internal intrigue or is it one with great expectation? If you were put out to pasture, what is your track record in this foreign assignment?
- What is the competence level of the staff and management at the new location? Too often FSEs do not appreciate the available local talent because of different work habits.
- Most FSEs go on an assignment without any competence in the language of their new country. Although it’s not essential to become proficient, you should at least make an attempt.
- Participate in the cultural rituals and you’ll find your new colleagues helping you at every turn. Ignore these rituals and you’ll have a difficult time building relationships.
- Family issues become paramount. One caveat: the spouse must agree if the assignment is to be successful. Those language and cultural barriers must be transcended in some way. Certain inconveniences will be ever present. Life can be very difficult if English is not spoken in the country and the spouse has not had even a minimum of language training and fears attempting to communicate.
Reentry into the parent organization after a foreign assignment depends not only on what was or was not accomplished but also who knows about what was or was not accomplished. Too often FSEs fail to communicate with the appropriate people at the parent organization. You can’t afford to lose those contacts and that network of people who thought you were the ideal candidate for that foreign assignment. Maintaining that network is easy today with all the available means for electronic communication. However, in the final analysis your reentry will be governed by what you accomplished, assuming that your organization recognizes some fundamental principles associated with managing their human resources. You also need to recognize that reentry involves some prior planning. An FSE on a three-year assignment should probably begin thinking about making that reentry at least twelve months in advance. You’ll also need the full support of your current manager.
So, do you take that foreign assignment if offered? Only you can make that decision. But keep in mind that if you plan to climb the managing ladder to the executive levels that the globalization of most organizations almost demands that you have foreign experience.