Choosing Your Coach: The Unique Benefits of an Expatriate Coach Over a Regular Life or Career Coach

Embarking on the journey of living or working abroad presents unique challenges and opportunities. While a life coach or career coach offers valuable guidance, an expatriate coach brings a specialized skill set tailored to these unique aspects of expatriate life. Here, I explore the key differences between regular life or career coaches and expatriate coaches and delve into some factors that contribute to the success of expatriate coaching using the scientific findings of Salomaa's (2015) research published in the Journal of Global Mobility.

Understanding the Basics: Life and Career Coaching

Life and career coaches are instrumental in helping individuals achieve personal and professional goals. They provide strategies to overcome obstacles, enhance performance, and improve overall life satisfaction. Their focus ranges from navigating career changes to improving relationships and personal growth.

The Specialized Role of an Expatriate Coach

Expatriate coaches specialize in the unique challenges of living and working abroad, understanding the complexities of adapting to different cultures, such as managing cross-cultural communication, and handling the logistical, emotional, and professional aspects of expatriate life.

Three Key Differences Between Expatriate Coaches and Regular Coaches

1. Cultural Adaptation Expertise:

• Expatriate Coach: Offers strategies for adapting to new cultures and avoiding cultural misunderstandings.

• Regular Coach: May lack in-depth knowledge of cultural nuances specific to expatriates.

2. Building a Network:

• Expatriate Coach: Assists in coming up with ideas on how to develop social and professional networks in a new country.

• Regular Coach: Networking advice might not be tailored for foreign settings.

3. Addressing Expatriate-Specific Challenges:

• Expatriate Coach: Skilled in handling issues like culture shock and maintaining relationships across distances.

• Regular Coach: Less experienced with these expatriate-specific issues.

Understanding the Unique Factors of Expatriate Coaching Success

Salomaa's (2015) study in the “Journal of Global Mobility” identifies crucial factors contributing to successful expatriate coaching:

1. International Experience and Empathy of the coach: The coach's knowledge of the expatriate's assignment location, including language and culture, is critical. Empathy and positive regard are particularly important in the expatriate context, fostering openness to change.

2. Adaptability and Coachability of the client: The coaching process must be flexible to meet the evolving needs of the expatriate. Coachability, or the expatriate's willingness to engage in coaching, is vital for effective coaching outcomes.

The Distinctive Competence of an Expatriate Coach

In my experience, the bond between a coach and a client is significantly strengthened when both have experienced expatriation and are living abroad, not in their home countries. This shared experience creates a profound connection and understanding, fostering a quicker development of trust, an element that Salomaa (2015) also identifies as a key contributor to coaching success.

Planning to move abroad or currently living as an expatriate? Connect with a professional expatriate coach today to navigate your journey with confidence and ease. Reach out for more information and embark on a successful expatriate life.

Reference: Salomaa, R. (2015). Expatriate coaching: factors impacting coaching success. Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, 3(3), 216–243. doi:10.1108/jgm-10-2014-0050