Preparing yourself for an international assignment

Abstract

A s more U.S. companies expand their business overseas, the need to send employees on international assignments will increase. Many companies use overseas assignments as a means to assess which individuals should be promoted to top-level positions. Unfortunately, up to 40 percent of expatriate managers terminate their assignments early, costing their companies between $50,000 and $150,000 and derailing their careers. Moreover, 50 percent of those who do not terminate their assignments early function at a low level of effectiveness. Why do so many expatriates fail? Primarily because they neglect to prepare for such assignments. Despite the high failure rates and associated costs, most companies do not train managers for international assignments. So what can a manager do to prepare for an overseas assignment? This article contains practical suggestions for designing a personal training program.