Are your expatriates flourishing?

‘Flourish’ – it’s such a great term, and it creates such a vivid picture of well-being! 

Martin Seligman thought so because Flourish is the title he has given to his latest book where he refines his model of positive psychology.  In the new model the focus is not centered on happiness but on well-being.  Happiness has been relegated to one of five elements that contribute to well-being and flourishing.

So what are the five elements? And based on my experience and observations, how do I believe an overseas assignment may impact on them?

Seligman’s five pillars which, he says, support flourishing are; positive emotions (the happiness part), engagement, strong relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.

So, do expats generally experience more happiness/Positive emotions? I think this one depends firstly on the stage in the assignment. We all know that the initial weeks are usually associated with more positive feelings than the two or three month stage when homesickness or culture shock take effect. Secondly it can also depend on the location/posting itself.  Some postings are undoubtedly challenging due to environmental factors or safety and security and in these locations general feelings of happiness may be lower than in a place of beauty or a location where there are many supporting facilities. 

The next element; Engagement is the pillar which I think many expatriates enjoy.  Engagement is when your core strengths are being used to their fullest – when you lose yourself in the enjoyment and flow of your activity.  To gain a role where you are experiencing a new and very different market, where you may be across all the functions of an organisation for the first time, where the challenge of developing markets demands new solutions, where your authority may have significantly increased, where you are respected and appreciated for the skills and knowledge you bring – this is an opportunity for deep engagement.   I have seen many expatriates experience this sort of engagement and love the experience; growing in their skills and confidence – truly flourishing.

But – all is not always perfect in paradise – the opposite may be happening for the supporting partner.  Many expat partners leave behind engaging work situations to move to a location where they have few opportunities for engagement and sorely feel the loss. 

And this adjustment for the partner will impact on the next pillar, which is Strong relationships.  For expatriates who have moved alone they will need time to develop these relationships in the new location; relationships which support and enhance their experiences.  For those who have travelled with partners, the issues the supporting partners face and the emotions they experience will have a contagion effect on the partner at work.

Seligman has retained the concept of Meaning as the next pillar that is critical to flourishing.  This is where you are contributing to something bigger than yourself.  What you are doing is important in light of a cause or value you hold dear.  For some people this meaning may come through their work, or through the outcomes that their work achieves in changing lives of people around them.  For others it may come from spiritual beliefs and practices or from the opportunity to give back in a meaningful way to communities they belong to.

It’s easy to see aid or development organisations as providing meaning or roles where expats teach or nurture or heal.  But those who build or finance often find meaning in their work also.  Many expatriates appreciate the opportunity to mentor the locals they are working with, enhancing their career opportunities with subsequent impacts on families and communities.  

And again the difficulties may arise when the supporting partner doesn’t find an opportunity to contribute in a way that is as meaningful. Often expat partner groups develop charity arms giving back to the local community out of a desire to create meaning and purpose.

The final pillar that supports flourishing is Accomplishment. The opportunity to succeed, to win or to show mastery is a core element of flourishing.   And here’s the part where some expats do feel a loss – at least until they master the cultural differences or the language.  For some people – needing to begin again and relearn a basic skill such as language or communication style threatens their total well-being.  And their poor performance at work until those skills are mastered can create  further feelings of lack of achievement. 

For most though this is a passing phase, and soon mastery returns and with it a sense of accomplishment and subsequent flourishing.

Once again however, this may not be so for the supporting partner who may be unable to gain a visa or employment in their field of expertise.  Some will turn to other activities and gain mastery in language or hobbies and pastimes but others will have a diminished sense of well-being and will be eager to return home where they can feel a sense of achievement.

There are many opportunities here to enhance and support flourishing for expats and their families, both in skills and strategies they can learn as individuals through training or coaching or in ways the organisation can structure assignments to encourage such well-being.