Increasing awareness of the importance of different cultural layers on your professional and personal life.

“I have been using Sinkkonen Consulting’s services for years. Our company sends employees on international assignments all over the world, sometimes even dozens of people per year. I feel that the service and expertise offered by Sinkkonen Consulting is something that is most efficiently provided by an external expert; it would not be sensible to have such a function in-house.

When an employee is about to move to work abroad, it is extremely important to thoroughly prepare for the relocation and to make sure that the employee and their family have a realistic impression of what to expect from the new environment. Thanks to the coaching, they are better prepared and equipped to face the new experiences, including challenging ones. The coaching also includes sharing other expatriates’ experiences and discussing them.

Reeta has a personal interest in the topic, and her enthusiasm spreads to the participants and helps them learn about important matters and even look at things from new perspectives. We can always rely on the level of expertise in her service.”

(Finnish stock exchange-listed company with global operations)

“High level of expertise; personal experience of working in Asia was clearly demonstrated. Great coaching, definitely worth taking!”

(Expatriate who relocated to a regional manager’s position in India, having worked in Malaysia and USA earlier)

“I can recommend Sinkkonen Consulting Oy. This is definitely a useful way of getting advice when you are about to move abroad. I enjoyed the course and got a lot of useful tips on mobility.”

(International company’s Irish manager, who relocated from Ireland to USA)

“I liked all of the course contents: the approach, pace of progress, and interaction. There was enough time to gather my thoughts and discuss any concerns. The information was presented simply, there were no complicated demonstrations or lessons. The open discussions were extremely helpful.”

(International company’s British manager, who relocated from UK to USA)

“We have active international mobility: about 25–30 Finnish employees relocate abroad every year. The most common destinations are the United States, Singapore and China. The number of employees relocating to Finland from abroad is smaller, around 2–3 per year.

We have received very positive feedback about Sinkkonen Consulting Oy’s coaching. The courses help expatriates prepare for their new home country’s culture and consider important things together with the family members moving abroad with them. The most important thing is to make sure that they are well equipped to cope with the foreign assignment and life in the new environment.

Cooperation with Reeta is fluent and flexible, and Reeta always takes our special needs into consideration. She is a competent, inspiring coach who offers personal service. We can rely on her delivering the agreed service.”

(Finnish stock exchange-listed company with global operations)

“This kind of coaching could be mandatory. I definitely recommend it! The coach knew what she was talking about. It was a nice mix of practical and ‘theoretical’ knowledge.”

(Employee who relocated to a country manager-s position in Chile)

“I liked the discussion on cultural differences between the U.S. and Finland and how they can affect relationships both professionally and personally. I also liked the discussion on the expatriate process and its influence on your adjustment to the new country. The discussion on the Finnish communication style was also helpful.”

(American expatriate who relocated to Finland)

“The coaching included excellent conversation and analysis of various issues that are relevant before and after the expatriate process. The expatriate’s family – spouse, children, etc. – was also taken into account. There was a great workshop that provided us with useful techniques and tips to apply before and after the relocation, as well as advice on overcoming hardships and crises. It was a very interesting course, even though I was quite skeptical about it, especially the workshop, in advance. However, the workshop turned out to be the best part of it. All in all, it was a very useful experience, and it was great to participate in it before leaving on the assignment.”

(International company’s Spanish manager, who moved from Poland to Denmark to work)

“Pekka moved to Poland and his wife Leena followed shortly after him. Pekka travelled a lot on business and therefore his settling into the new home country was a gradual process, which actually hindered his acquaintance with and adjustment to the new environment. Pekka comments: “I didn’t feel at home in the new place; it was just a place to sleep. I think the wisest way would be to get settled in the new home country right away and learn more about it in advance. I took a calculated risk.” Once his wife Leena also arrived in Poland, they got to know their new home town. At first, they ate out a lot. Now, they have returned to home cooking, but grocery shopping can be challenging due to the language barrier: they don’t know Polish well enough yet, but the people behind the meat counter don’t speak any English. Pekka and Leena both admit that they should have started learning the language much earlier. Struggling with everyday errands can really stretch your humor when you are tired after a hard day at work.

One thing about the local culture that has particularly surprised Pekka is the frequent hand-shaking at the workplace: Colleagues shake hands when coming to work and leaving from work, every day. There is a very strong community spirit at the workplace and colleagues come together for various activities also outside the working hours. Pekka and Leena are often invited to parties and events. Leena has made friends with other foreigners she has met through her studies, and she has also contacted other Finns living in the area through Facebook.

Pekka and Leena participated in Sinkkonen’s expatriate coaching. They say that the coaching gave them valuable insights, ‘eureka moments’ that prompted them to discuss matters between themselves. The coaching addressed concrete, practical issues, which makes it easier to face also the less pleasant moments. Both Pekka and Leena recommend expatriate coaching, because it helps you understand practical challenges and different customs and provides you with tools to tackle the challenges more efficiently.”

(Family, relocated to Poland)

“The course included a concrete list of good advice that made me see some potential issues. There was also a good, useful workshop.”

(A Swedish manager leaving for an assignment in China for the second time)

“I liked the coaching a lot. We focused on personal matters and your experience. The discussions were useful. All in all, the coaching was very practically oriented, which is great.”

(A Norwegian manager relocating to Poland to work as a CEO)