Culture is fascinating! Did you know even though it is very difficult to measure the success and satisfaction rate of corporate expatriates, there are many who return to their home country unsatisfied with their expat experience? Individuals, couples and families oftentimes have unrealistic expectations of what their life in the new culture might be like. Personal and professional commitments, especially for a corporate spouse must be left behind and can add additional stress to a foreign transition. Preparing employees and their families for the inevitability of culture shock and giving them some skills and strategies to manage it is one tool corporations should use to help insure a real return on their investment in an international move. Educating the employee and spouse about differences in cultural values, social protocol, perception of authority and communication style in the target country helps enlighten them and calm their fears. Allowing them to speak to someone who has lived and worked in the country of destination and can give them practical information about their specific interests makes them feel much more capable of meeting the demands of an overseas assignment. It’s important for expat families to adopt a long term outlook, focus on their goals as a family and set some objectives for best experiencing the new culture prior to the move. Experts say that this is the time to talk about coming home too! So many things to think about, so many issues to address! Global LT’s Cultural Training Programs - Expatriate Preparation