Entries by Melinda Roberts
Communication Between Expat Partners — Sometimes Fragile, Always Crucial
At about halfway through the summer each year, I start noticing newspaper articles discussing the strain vacation puts on couples. The gist of most of these articles is that heightened expectations (that are not well communicated), in combination with spending extended time together without the regular framework of everyday life, expose communication deficiencies within a […]
Decoding school culture and building a community
Changing schools can be tricky in the best of circumstances and doing so because of an international relocation can complicate matters even more. It’s not just the kids who go to school who have to make adjustments and figure out the new lay of the land; parents do too. With a new school, you have […]
Finding your Work Groove as a New Expat
My first “expat job interview” took place when I was still fairly new to the country — it was terrifying, confusing AND a good learning experience. Even though I had been fortunate enough to get prepped by local friends, the whole thing ended up being a bit of a disaster. As great as it is […]
Feeling Settled—Gaining and Losing Cultural References
I was looking for a long lost friend on the Internet the other day when I stumbled across an article on her dad in a Swedish newspaper. Her dad was American and the article highlighted his 50th birthday with an interview discussing his life, how he had ended up in Sweden and what his wishes […]
How Cultural Brokers Facilitate Creativity, Productivity on Multicultural Teams
Innovation is a must to be successful and stay relevant in any business and there is plenty of research supporting the claim that having a multicultural team boosts both creativity and promotes problem-solving. And it makes sense, a diverse team naturally has more points of view and experiences. However, a diverse team can only function […]
The many ways of communicating
One of the reasons to love traveling is the opportunity learn – about new cultures, languages and about yourself. You don’t even have to leave your country to be exposed to a different way of life. Moving successfully between cultures, whether locally or far away, requires one thing more than anything else – a desire […]
Communication – Brings us Together and Sets us Apart
If our ability to communicate is what defines us as humans, then why aren’t we better at it? If you consider that something as simple as the “V-sign” hand gesture has completely different meanings depending on where you are – it’s a symbol for peace in the USA, while signaling contempt and rudeness in some […]
Strategic Benefits of Language Learning in a Multinational Workplace
Any company doing business internationally knows the importance of being able to communicate effectively with its foreign counterparts. Likewise, a business with a multinational workforce needs to ensure that communication within the organization is as clear as can be. Miscommunication on any level can have a direct impact on the end product or result. From […]
Why Companies Supporting Expatriate Children Have an Edge
As international interactions become ever more vital in the increasingly competitive global workplace, relocation trends are encouraging regarding the current and future growth of expatriate populations. Many of these expats have a family in tow; therefore, companies who invest in providing superior relocation support for entire families will not only have a competitive edge, but […]
My month of moving
This past month has been a month of moving for me. After completing a local move with all that that entails of planning, packing and getting settled in a new place, I turned around and did the same thing about a week later across the planet in Sweden. The second move was far more disorganized […]
Summer holidays at “home”?
As the end of the school year is rapidly approaching, it is time to start thinking about the summer holiday. Many expat families will be packing up and heading back to their native countries during the break. It can be an exciting time that you and your family have been looking forward to for months. […]
