Moving Children Abroad

Moving abroad with children is both a challenge and a wonderful opportunity. It is a chance for families to spend more time together and experience new things – it is also hard emotionally to leave friends and the familiar behind. Young children go through a sense of loss when they leave "home" – even if home was another assignment abroad; teenagers may be very resistant to moving at all. Here are a few tips to help you make the transition easier for the whole family. Remember that children are often your best link to the new community – it is through their activities and friends that your circle will expand.

Moving Children Abroad - Challenge and Opportunity…

Moving abroad with children is both a challenge and a wonderful opportunity. It is a chance for families to spend more time together and experience new things - it is also hard emotionally to leave friends and the familiar behind. Young children go through a sense of loss when they leave "home" - even if home was another assignment abroad; teenagers may be very resistant to moving at all.

Here are a few tips to help you make the transition easier for the whole family. Remember that children are often your best link to the new community - it is through their activities and friends that your circle will expand.

Before you go

Discuss the move with the children - let them express their fears, concerns, excitement, and maybe even anger…
Find out information and pictures of their new school, house, city - and share it with them. If they are older, they can research on-line. Look for fun activities to do in their new country.
Buy some children's language CD's if they need to learn the local language.
Try to assure them that they can keep in touch with friends - and help make it happen. The internet is a wonderful tool!
Let them pack a special box/ bag with all their favourite things that they will open first upon arrival. Take a carry-on with their things in it.
Have a farewell party for them and their friends.
Take pictures and video of their friends, house, school, park…it helps when they are feeling homesick. They can show them to their new friends as well.
Try not to arrive at post at the beginning of the summer holidays - it is hard to make new friends without school. Try to arrive closer to when school starts; even if this means the spouse and children follow later than the employee.
Try not to accept moves mid-school year. This is way too hard on the children.
Don't assume there are any accommodations for Special Education needs at post - check first.

On-Arrival

Try to spend some time as a family when you first arrive - plan a few fun activities.
Remember your children pick up their cues from you - try not to complain about the post in front of them. Try to find the positives.
Avoid moving into your residence right away if you can. Stay at a hotel, with a pool, when you arrive - it will let you all get over jet-lag and meals will be cooked for you for the first few days.
Before you arrive find out if colleagues have children the same age - arrange for them to meet and play together.
If your children are of school age, arrange to visit the school before school starts.
If your children are pre-school age, find out if there is a playgroup you can join - a great way to meet people!
Find out if there is a sports club you can join that has activities and sports for the whole family. This can be a place to meet friends.
Ask someone to show you and your family around.
Plan a family holiday in-country to get to know your host country better.
Encourage family and friends to visit.
Try to go home once a year to maintain relationships.
Ask for referrals to doctors and dentists before you need them - an emergency is not the time to be looking for one in a new place.
Pack special holiday decorations - it makes home wherever you are. Buy special gifts from home for holidays and birthdays.
Patience, patience, patience - it can take a year to settle in.

Coming Home

Now you get to do it all again, in reverse.
Try to plan a family vacation en-route home - something low stress, like an all-inclusive with a kids club. Often kids are free during the summer months.
Don't be surprised if your children now do not want to leave for home. Your country of assignment is where their friends are.
Help them re-enter - they may feel they don't fit in at home. Warn them that others may not want to hear about their lives abroad.
Make your children your priority. The boxes will eventually get unpacked.
Check out schools and programs before you come back. If your children are in need of any special programs, start at least 6 months in advance before you come home. Visit the school with your children and meet the teacher/principal when you arrive home.
Encourage them to keep up with friends from abroad - even encourage visits to Canada. You want them to learn how to maintain relationships. Be a role-model for them.
Try to arrange for them to talk to children of other families who have been back for a year or two from a foreign posting - they can relate.

Bibliography

The Third Culture Kid Experience: Growing Up among Worlds by David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken

Strangers at Home: Essays on the Effects of Living Overseas and Coming "Home" to a Strange Land. Carolyn D. Smith

Where in the World Are You Going? Judith M. Blohm

Moving Your Family Overseas. Rosalind Kalb and Penelope Welch

The Global Staircase: A Handbook for People Relocating Internationally. Mary MacKinnon.

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Moving Children Abroad

Strengthening International Development Projects and Programs through Effective Intercultural Collaborations

All international collaborations are also intercultural collaborations. Intercultural effectiveness is an important dimension of strengthening aid effectiveness and of building global security and prosperity. However, the intercultural dimension of project and program effectiveness is often overlooked. (This article first appeared in Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Magazine.)

Discussion Paper

Strengthening International Development Projects and Programs through Effective Intercultural Collaborations:
Lessons Learned and Principles to be Applied

October 2003
Revised March 2005

Introduction:
Three Perspectives on Intercultural Effectiveness

All international collaborations are also intercultural collaborations.Intercultural effectiveness is an important dimension of strengthening aid effectiveness and of building global security and prosperity. However, the intercultural dimension of project and program effectiveness is often overlooked. The intercultural elements at play in international work can be analysed and understood from three perspectives:

the intercultural abilities of individuals;
the intercultural effectiveness of projects and programs;
the degree of support or adversity of the surrounding environmental conditions.¹

Each of these three perspectives is significant to understanding the potential success or failure of international work, and which intercultural perspective is most relevant will depend on the specifics of the situation and the problem to be solved. Elsewhere, the Centre for Intercultural Learning has published a study on the competencies of "the interculturally effective person"², the first of these

three perspectives. Here, in this brief paper, are some preliminary but important findings from the Centre"s work in the field about increasing the intercultural effectiveness of projects and programs: What are the issues and factors in effective intercultural collaborations? And which intercultural processes and tools will make projects and programs more effective in achieving their stated aims and outcomes?

Seven Issues for Effective Intercultural Collaborations

From its work with dozens of international projects and collaborations in the field over the past five years, the Centre for Intercultural Learning has identified some key issues and factors that affect the success of international collaborations. Here, these are posed as process and knowledge issues in how a project or program performs. Poor functioning around any one of these issues could be a cause of problems. If the issue is not adequately addressed, bottlenecks may arise and in the longer term, projects and programs may fail.

1. Intercultural dialogue
Is there sufficient dialogue among the main partners prior to decisionmaking? Are there genuine two-way exchanges for the purpose of exploration, and for building mutual understanding? Do all partners contribute, or do just a few dominate? Is there sufficient dialogue on the key issues and areas for collaboration?

2. Shared tools, jargon and work methods
Are the main implementation strategies and work approaches known and agreed upon? What management tools need to be used in common? What specialized concepts and jargon will be in regular use?

3. Knowing the stakeholders and the management context
Have the stakeholders been mapped by the partners: do they know the institutional and organizational contexts, and who are the delivery partners, the intermediaries, the beneficiaries?

4. Shared understanding of expected results
Have each of the main actors participated in an analysis of the problems to be addressed and the results to be achieved? Is there sufficient "fit" for each of the main partners in terms of what is to be done?

5. Clear process, transparency, trust
Is there understanding of the dynamics of the partnership: what each partner needs from the collaboration, what each can and cannot do and will contribute; about roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities?

6. Knowledge and acceptance of cultural differences
Management practices, business process, and views of the world ma be vastly different between cultural regions and even amongst national groups. Working relationships often depend on sensitivity to such differences. Do the participants in the collaboration understand the differences in ways of working? Is there understanding of how to work effectively in the cultural environment of the collaboration?

7. Learning while doing an iterative approach
Are there tools and processes for exchanging knowledge among project participants of different backgrounds and disciplines? Are there the means to assess the situation, to derive lessons learned, to build on the knowledge base of the project or program, and to tap local knowledge to ensure that things are done in such a way that they will fit and be sustainable in the local context?

Effective Intercultural Collaborations: Keys to Sustainable Development

If the seven issues above are managed effectively, projects and programs will be supported by:

sufficient shared commitment of all the partners
sufficient common ground among the main actors for the project or program to proceed
sufficient "fit" with the local environment for viability and sustainability in the local context.

This basis of shared commitment, common ground, and "fit" with the environment, greatly increase the potential for success. Combined with suitable technical and resource inputs, the international project or program will more likely result in local ownership, strong partnership, and beneficial, sustainable results.

Diagnosing Problems and Facilitating Solutions
The challenge of diagnosing intercultural problems

One of the challenges faced by project and program managers is identifying intercultural problems correctly. Sometimes projects or collaborations get bogged down over relatively minor procedural or communication issues. Surprisingly often, these minor problems are not resolved because they are symptoms of a larger problem of a lack of dialogue and shared understanding around the aims of the collaboration. For example, at root may be insufficient understanding and a lack of shared commitment to the project purpose and expected outcomes. In other instances, due to a lack of understanding of the cultural differences, communications are tense and working relationships are unsupportive.

In both of these cases, the missing ingredient is intercultural dialogue and intercultural learning: building common ground on the important work to be done while learning about the cultural differences and each other"s context. In the experience of the Centre for Intercultural Learning, it is often a surprise to see the effect of two or three days of structured dialogue on longstanding areas of friction, enabling the actors in development to get on with bringing their full capabilities to bear on the developmental challenges they are there to solve.

The principle of "just enough"
In reading the list of potential issues in intercultural collaborations, program managers may be discouraged at how much there is to do. We know that there is insufficient time or resources in our own projects or programs to manage intercultural collaborations in the best way.

Doing "just enough" means not making additional work where it is not needed. If things are going well, the issue probably does not merit special attention. Making an assessment of "when" and of "how much" dialogue and participation is needed in order to produce good results, is one of the tasks inherent to managing intercultural collaborations.

Lessons learned: the role of intercultural facilitation
The experience of the Centre working with CIDA and its executing agencies has yielded a significant area of lessons learned in what the Centre calls "intercultural facilitation and organizational development" (iFOD).

At the outset of this paper it was proposed that a failure of any of the seven issues listed (or any combination of the seven issues) may impede progress and could even cause breakdowns in intercultural collaborations. Since there are many possible causes, correct diagnosis of problems is a pre-condition to effective interventions.

To address these issues, the Centre is confident that the facilitation of intercultural dialogue is a critical input in order to achieve successful collaborations. "Dialogue" and "learning" have an important role in international work but are not necessarily given their due importance during planning, in resource allocation and for their role in making international projects and programs successful.

The Centre for Intercultural Learning is confident that intercultural dialogue will strengthen shared commitment of the partners, increase the areas of common ground, and the "fit" with the local context to support effective and sustainable development.

Managers and teams are more effective when they apply the analysis and principles outlined in this paper. At the same time, experience suggests that an external "third-party neutral" facilitator can be better than an internal facilitator for critical issues or junctures in the life of a project or program.

Often, project managers tell us at the end of a project workshop "we should have had this early on in our project". And consistently, CIDA partners from developing countries appreciate the increased voice and the opportunity to strengthen their contribution which is provided by expert and structured facilitation.

Applications within CIDA
Intercultural dimensions of aid effectiveness

The success of intercultural facilitation as applied by the Centre in CIDA development projects and programs has been consistent. This enables the Centre to propose with confidence a significant link between what it has learned about intercultural collaboration and achieving aid effectiveness.

Appendix 1 is a chart "Intercultural Dimensions of Aid Effectiveness". On the left hand side of the chart are the characteristics of effective intercultural collaborations described in this paper. On the right hand side are the CIDA Principles of Aid Effectiveness³. It is proposed that applying the intercultural principles discussed in this document will significantly strengthen local ownership and partnerships, as well as help to make other principles and factors of effective development become more of a reality.

Applications of intercultural facilitation to the project and program cycle
Seen from hindsight, the life of any CIDA project and program has events which are milestones in its relative success or failure. In some cases, it is these events where the intercultural rather than solely the technical dimension may have greater importance, and where expert intercultural facilitation would be most worthwhile. In collaboration with CIDA, the Centre has developed a number of services which fit a variety of circumstances and program or project events. By way of example:

participatory rapid appraisals: stakeholder workshops by theme, sector, or project
project or program start-up workshops
custom project workshops, review or intercultural problem solving
lessons learned workshops
facilitation training and capacity building
intercultural team building
attaching an intercultural specialist/facilitator to a project team, as one would have a gender or environment specialist

For more information on these and other services, please visit the Centre"s website:
www.intercultures.gc.ca

Common intercultural process and knowledge issues on CIDA's development projects.

Three current CIDA intercultural collaborations involving Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America demonstrate some of the most common trends and issues. Analysis by CIDA managers and the Centre"s intercultural specialists in each case revealed these same three issues. A need for:

dialogue to build a shared understanding of the project
learning about the different ways of working amongst the cultural groups present
exchanges on what each needs and what each will contribute to the partnership.

The experience of those leading the workshop… was the essential component that allowed very senior members of government to express opinions readily and become engaged in the participatory workshop(…) The investment of this short amount of time (2 days) in our lengthly and complicated project was in hindsight, a wise and essential initiative.

Perry Trimper, Russia Program Director, Jacques Whitford Environment, following a project workshop with the Canadian and Russian Project Steering Committee, Sustainable Resource Development in the Komi Republic, Russia

Conclusion

With each service provided in the field comes learning. In collaboration with CIDA, partners and clients, the Centre for Intercultural Learning will validate, refine, and document a viable approach to strengthening intercultural partnerships and collaborations. The positive profile of Canadians in intercultural effectiveness is a long-standing tradition. It is an expertise we can continue to build on in strengthening aid effectiveness, and in helping to build global security, peace, and prosperity.

Note

¹ Daniel Kealey and David Protheroe, researchers on intercultural effectiveness, note that the studies on determinants of success in intercultural projects fall into for the most part, one of these three perspectives. In:

Daniel Kealey, and David Protheroe, "Getting International Projects Right: A Challenge for the 21st Century", unpublished literature review, (Hull, Qc: Centre for Intercultural Learning (CIL), Canadian Foreign Service Institute (CFSI), August 2002).

² Thomas Vulpe, Daniel Kealey, David Protheroe, and Doug MacDonald, A Profile of the Interculturally Effective Person / Profil de la personne efficace sur le plan interculturel, (Hull, Qc: CIL, CFSI, 2000).

³ Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canada making a difference in the world: A policy statement on strengthening aid effectiveness / Le Canada contribue à un monde meilleur : Énoncé de politique en faveur d'une aide internationale plus efficace, (September 2002).

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Strengthening International Development Projects and Programs through Effective Intercultural Collaborations

Intercultural Effectiveness as Competitive Advantage in Global Business

A relatively recent addition to the global business lexicon is the term Cultural Due Diligence (CDD). If CDD is not currently part of your vocabulary, you should be aware that, according to disgruntled shareholders of many global corporations, it should be.

Intercultural Effectiveness as Competitive Advantage in Global Business

Doug MacDonald

Company cultures are like country cultures. Never try to change one. Try, instead, to work with what you've got. Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker points to the inherent difficulty for multinational corporations working across cultures, be they national or organizational. Survey results of global mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and international joint ventures (IJVs) put the rate of failure of these ventures somewhere between 40-80% (as defined by not achieving pre-merger anticipated outcomes of value creation, cost savings, or revenue and profitability targets). While the exact numbers may vary, there are few dissenting voices to the fact that joining organizational forces across borders and cultures is risky business. As for the shareholders, what really has them miffed is the 80-85% failure rate of global M&As if success is defined as increasing shareholder value.

"Were Cultural Differences Assessed in Due Diligence?" This question was one of four critical issues in a 2003 research study conducted by Right Management Consultants of post merger/acquisition performance in the areas of productivity, culture and business integration, communications, talent management, alignment, and customer focus. In the same study, "Alignment of Culture with Strategy" was also identified as one of three key issues which strongly correlated with achieving value and growth after a merger. These areas are increasingly of concern to shareholders precisely for the reason that national and organizational cultures and their impact on both individuals and organizational systems remain largely unrecognized or ignored by global managers and HR departments tasked with creating the systems and processes for integration. University of McGill professor and author Nancy Adler writes, "Research has shown that… [cultural] values affect corporate strategy…[and] all forms of organizational behaviour, including selection and reward systems, superior/subordinate relationships, and group behaviour, communication, leadership, and conflict management styles." According to Piero Morosini of the European School of Management and Technology, the impact of these differences is unambiguous: "misunderstood national culture differences have been cited as the most important factors behind the failure rate of global JVs and alliances."

For the Centre for Intercultural Learning, Intercultural Effectiveness involves applying this concept of cultural due diligence not only at the level of individual competencies, but also to HR systems and processes, and the management of project or program cycles. A similar approach is described in a recent Cendant case-study: "global organizations require three groups of specialists: business managers, country managers, and function managers. For successful intercultural management, a unique fourth kind of manager is also needed – specialized leaders with global mindset skills who can manage the complex interactions between the areas of the company."

In a recent review of the literature related to causes of failure for international projects, the Centre for Intercultural Learning found three major categories of challenges common to many international projects. First, the co-existence of national cultures in international projects creates unique problems of communication and of achieving unity of purpose and work-styles. The second difficulty is that, despite the huge advances in communications and transportation, physical distance still causes problems, particularly related to alignment of purpose with headquarters or the home office. The third category of difficulty for international projects is the challenge they face in performing the environmental scanning function, that is, of accurately assessing and predicting trends in the economic and social/political environment that will affect the success of the project. In addition to these three general challenges, CIL's study also identified eight critical success factors for international projects, the headings for which can be seen in the sidebar below.

For Canadian companies working in the international marketplace, cultural due diligence and the associated intercultural competencies represent real competitive advantage. Whether M&As, IJVs, vendor agreements, or most any form of international business relationship, recognizing the influence that national and organizational cultures have on alignment of strategy and purpose is one of the critical success factors for global ventures, as is actively assessing the impact of culture across all levels, functions and locations in the organization. Shareholders are not the only group with vested interest in cultural due diligence – employees and customers are all interested in seeing stronger organizational cohesion and better results.

Doug MacDonald is Deputy Director and Head of Research at the Centre for Intercultural Learning, Canadian Foreign Service Institute, Foreign Affairs Canada.

Critical Success Factors for International Projects

Recognize the pervasive influence of culture on all activities and processes
Balance differing management practices of foreign and local participating organizations and employees.
Achieve a clear and shared understanding of purposes, management approaches, and respective roles and responsibilities between participants.
Have the right people doing the right things at the right time
Maintain a strong and consistent commitment to seeing the project through to a point of sustainability.
Set realistic objectives and a realistic pacing of implementation schedules.
Be proactive in environmental monitoring and management.
Establish a high level of mutual trust between the participating organizations and their employees.

Kealey, D.J., Protheroe, D., MacDonald, D., Vulpe, T., Readying your Organization for International Projects (in press).

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Intercultural Effectiveness as Competitive Advantage in Global Business