Die Rückkehr nach einer Auslandsentsendung erlebt jeder auf seine ganz individuelle Weise. Ob als Entsandte(r), mitausreisende(r) Partner(in) oder Kind, jeder findet sich in seinem eigenen Tempo wieder in der Heimat zurecht. Dabei spielen neben der eigenen Persönlichkeit mehrere Faktoren eine Rolle: Ziehe ich an den alten Wohnort zurück oder geht es in eine ganz neue Region? Wie oft war ich bereits im Ausland? Wie lange…
„Who are you? And if so, how many?“ This is the title of a well-known German philosophy book on identity by Richard David Precht and it fits perfectly for this article! As mentioned in my previous article, we should stop thinking in terms of countries and national cultures when we talk about culture. You will most probably not define yourself as „typically Mexican“ or „typically…
The knowledge about culture and cultural dimensions is certainly an important starting point, but it is not sufficient. To be truly effective in foreign cultures, you need to develop the skills to transfer your knowledge into effective behavior. And practice! Andy Molinsky provides a set of very helpful strategies step by step in his book „Global Dexterity“. By Global Dexterity he refers to „the capacity…
Expatriation can be one of the most exciting periods of your life, but also one the most challenging. Have you heard of the expat curve or the stages of acculturation? Did you experience culture shock after moving abroad or re-entry shock when you returned back home? Take a look at the following graphic that depicts the different stages of acculturation. I also recommend this short…
Our choices „What makes a good sailboat captain?“, I asked my husband while we were sailing last week. „Good assessment of the circumstances and making the right choices.“ How strong is the wind? How high are the waves? How fit is the crew? How reliable is the boat? Safety first. He has always had very good judgement and I trust him 100% when it comes…
I would like to invite you to follow me through the notes and conclusions I have drawn from the book „Basic forms of anxiety“ by Fritz Riemann. First published in the 60s, it is considered standard psychology literature in Germany (I hear you think… ‚yeah, no wonder the „German Angst“ is such a thing!‘). It was recommended to us in our coaching course so I…
My first post about resilience on LinkedIn attracted over 1500 readers from all over the world. It seems that many of us are in need of good strategies to ride out the current global crisis. I felt encouraged to keep posting about the topic and to write this blog article as a compilation of my posts. Again, I hope that my thoughts and tips will…
In addition to my earlier article „Six essential cultural dimensions that will change how you view the world“, I would like to write about four other important dimensions that are worth considering when crossing cultures. The initial motivation was a colleague of mine who has asked me to design three more graphics as she would like to use them for her trainings. Very happy that…
Unsere persönlichen Geschichten zu teilen und voneinander zu lernen, ist seit Anbeginn der Menschheit der wirkungsvollste Weg zu mehr Gemeinschaft, gegenseitiger Inspiration und persönlichem Wachstum. Durch sie haben wir die Chance, neue Perspektiven zu entdecken und unseren Horizont zu erweitern. Silke erzählt, wie ihr Expat-Leben in Mexiko durch den Tod ihres Mannes ein abruptes, tragisches Ende nahm und was ihr und ihren vier Töchtern half,…
Nancy from Mexico shares 3 secrets that made her bicultural marriage a big love story Sharing our personal stories and learning from each other is the most powerful way to find inspiration, community and growth. Gain a fresh perspective and expand your horizon! (versión original en español más abajo) Nancy, tell us where you are from and what motivated you to emigrate to Germany. I…
