With the economic climate likely to remain tough and turbulent over the next few years at least, many of us will be enticed to take a more interesting and lucrative job in another country.  This opportunity can be hugely rewarding and exciting as long as the transition out of one’s home country and into the new, relatively unfamiliar location, is managed effectively.  The importance of the “last 100 days” should also not be ignored. Exiting from the old job and leaving the familiar hometown, stand out as important  as the preparation and planning for the move into a new role.

Exiting Professionally

Leaving a job is never easy. Having invested time, energy and emotion at work, and then walking away in search of better opportunities might often be view by others as “not caring enough”, or even “deserting a sinking ship”, especially, when the business is underperforming. Communication, completing performance reviews, salary evaluations and business planning cycles often tend to be neglected in the hustle and bustle, leaving a bad taste in the very people’s mouths, who unknowingly, might continue to remain important to continuing career success.

It has become common practice for a new team to find out what the new boss was like at the old job, especially as to how s/he behaved. Bad news travels really fast.  There is always going to be someone who knows someone who knows you, even if the job is on the other side of the world. Leaving elegantly enhances professional reputations.

Preparation and Planning are Key

The final weeks before the move may seem feel like a never ending list of “to do’s”, ranging from renting or selling the family home, to stopping payment to the utilities companies as well as caring for the family. But more than ever learning about the future context cannot be set aside until later.  There is so much to understand about the new, different culture ranging from what people do at lunch time, to what time they tend to leave the office in the evening.  In many countries and organizational cultures for example it is customary to address the Chairman or CEO formally, as sir or madam.  In others, first name is the accepted norm.  Understanding how “it works over there”, will ensure no offense is caused in greeting, eating or what might seem perfectly innocent remarks or questions.

There is so much more to learn than simply the companies past performance, future strategy or the capability of your team.  The values, organizational culture and  how the structure really operates is just as important.

Landing with Two Feet on the Ground

The brutal reality is that executives from foreign countries have far less time than ever to prove their worth.  Tough global competition, increasingly engaged Boards, and demanding investors have combined to create an environment in which a new hire has to show results and fast. Telescopes focus on these first 100 days, which remain practically as well as symbolically important, especially for managers from another country, who really have to prove their worth.  The temptation is to go for visible changes, such as firing and hiring people, or restructuring.   In cross-cultural moves, it is very often not only about the importance of getting the relationships and priorities right, but also understanding consumer needs.

When she became CEO of Pepsico, one of Indra Nooyi’s first priorities was a trip to India, where she spoke widely of Pepsi’s initiatives to improve the water used to make Pepsi and the environment, as well as her own fond memories of growing up in the country. One of her many themes: “This is a company with a soul.” Indian media praised her and soda sales improved. (BusinessWeek, May 31, 2007)

This is one of the reasons why Pepsi is so readily available in most cafes and restaurants in India today compared to some of its main competitors.

It is Always Performance That Counts

Never Neglect Relationships

“The best piece of advice I got when I relocated from the USA was to remember that I had been hired for my talent, skills and experience, and that there was no need to prove it, initially. I am a task-oriented person.  I gave myself the freedom to work on a new task – relationship building.  I did just that for the first few months and I credit my success in India to doing just that. These relationships; from the tea wallah to my boss the CEO and everyone in between made it possible for me to enroll 100% support and participation in projects that I initiated and managed”. Highly qualified merchandiser, who moved from New York to Mumbai, in a fast paced retail start up.

It is always tempting to get on and try to prove oneself through specific actions.  These might often be strategies or plans that have worked in the previous job.  It is easy to forget that the new role and context will be very different from the one you came from, not to mention different customers needs and perceptions, (internal as well as external), and style of working. “Doing what you did before”, might well lead to disaster. 

Keep Focus

Companies typically take great care in selecting new leaders and have high expectations for them.  Even more so when the new hire is a foreigner.

Any leader transitioning new roles as well as new cultures will need to adapt his or her personal leadership strategy successfully.  This demands the ability to continuously enhance self-awareness, exercise personal discipline, and inspire the team. Recent Liberum research* shows that executive turnover has slowed over the past two years as the recession clouded over. Previously, they reported that two out of every five transitioning leaders fall short. As the economy improves and boards of directors start paying less attention to survival and more to relative performance, the number of cross global hires might well begin to increase.  Great opportunities to make the mark during those first 100 days. 


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