Whether your leaders have just arrived in China, are preparing for an assignment in another country / region, or are taking on a new regional or global role, we have a coaching solution to meet your need. 

For many years MDS coaches have been providing cultural orientations for executives arriving in the different countries of the region. These programmes are coached on a one-to-one basis and show you how to lead your team and do business effectively in your new culture. Key subjects include: history and geography, philosophy and religion, economic and political systems, family and education norms, social behaviour, leadership styles and business etiquette. 

The programme puts a special focus on managing cross-cultural teams and managing remotely across the region. This is particularly relevant if you are taking up duties in one of the regional centres: Hong Kong, Singapore or Shanghai.  A successful cultural orientation can often save you six months of confusion and lost opportunities in your new role and the new location. 

Also please see Partner Career and Transition Assistance programmes if you feel your spouse or partner might need help.

Regardless of country of origin, plenty of smart and talented executives sometimes fail spectacularly when put into regional and global roles. MDS Global Ready Leader / Global Mindset programmes are designed for leaders who are taking on more international interaction and responsibility or moving into global roles much earlier in their careers.

These programmes are coached on a one-to-one or group basis and focus on the key capabilities required for successful leadership across many countries and cultures. You will determine your current level of global leadership capability and practice the most effective ways to quickly develop your global mindset.

MDS coaches are certified and experienced practitioners of leading psychometric instruments and assessments. These include:

• MBTI® (The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®)

• LEA 360™ (Leadership Effectiveness Analysis™)

• FIRO® (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation – Behaviour®)

• SPA™ (Sales Performance Assessment™)

• TKI™ (Thomas-Kilmann Instrument™)

Reports are often used in the early stages of an executive coaching assignment as data from assessments accelerates growth in self-awareness and often identifies clear goals for your development plan.

These assessment reports are very valuable, even if you will not proceed to an executive coaching programme. In this case the usual practice is to arrange 2 review sessions with a certified practitioner. These are 1.5 hours each with a week between each session. The first session gives you the chance to have expert comment and digest the insights from your report. The second session is to work with your coach to create a personal development plan – so that you can apply your insights and learning from the assessment report.

When people are outplaced, MDS takes complete responsibility for their successful career transition. Our personalised style ensures that you receive care, support and advice. Our flexibility means you can create the programme which exactly suits your need and budget.

Our approach has 3 distinctive elements:

1. Counselling and Guidance

Personal counselling is at the heart of good career consulting. Consultations, held in your native language, cover psychometric profiling, individual personality and career mapping, life choices and career direction, confidence building and self-marketing.

2. Coaching 

Coaching gives the essential skills to find a new job quickly. Our coaches are professional career consultants trained to help you gain essential job search skills in:

• Powerful curriculum vitae (CV) writing
• Job search discipline
• Self-marketing
• Job search by internet
• Networking skills
• Using the hidden job market
• Interview skills

3. Practical Job Search Facilities

Our library provides excellent support facilities: 

• Information on companies and networking organisations
• Training videotapes – interview skills
• Magazines and journal collections

Different programmes are available, and are tailored according to your need and budget. The most popular programmes are:

Programme 1: Career Moves

This programme is designed for senior managers who may need up to 6 months to secure a new position. It provides:

• Personal counselling and guidance
• MBTI® personality profiling and career assessment
• In depth leadership assessment using the LEA 360™ and other assessments as necessary for interpersonal relationships, career interest or emotional intelligence
• Services of an experienced coach
• Training in all essential job search skills
• Access to our library 

Plus

• Transfer to any OI Partner firm worldwide (if relocating)

Programme 2: New Directions

This is a popular, cost effective 3 month programme for middle managers. It provides:

• Personal counselling and guidance
• MBTI® personality profiling
• Job search support and coaching
• Training in all essential job search skills
• Encouragement and "tracking" until a job is found
• Access to our library

We offer career and orientation assistance for the partners of expatriates relocating to cites in Greater China and the Asia Pacific region. Currently we can offer this service in more than a dozen cities around the region.

We follow the international "STAR" programme, designed by our affiliate partner Ricklin-Echikson Associates Inc (REA) , a leading innovator in the spouse/partner career assistance industry with representation in 45 countries.

This stimulating and creative programme is designed to help you feel at home in your new city as quickly as possible. You decide the focus of the programme, which can include career coaching and assistance or simply help with orientation.

Your coach will offer you support, resources, and tools to assist you in acclimatising to your new location, understanding and moving through the various stages of transition, and connecting with others in your community. Specifically, your coach works with you to:

• Acquire an understanding of your interests and concerns, helping you formulate short and long term goals
• Discuss successful strategies for managing the many changes that you experience during relocation
• Provide you with practical information about your new location
• Refer you to organisations, clubs or people that will help you to feel more comfortable in your new environment
• Explore opportunities to enhance your existing skills, develop new ones and/or add some meaningful experience to your CV
• Explain the culture of the area, especially as it relates to social activities and the workplace, if interested in exploring work or volunteer options
• Determine what your employment options are if you want to volunteer or work, and assist you in all phases of your pursuit of this
• Create an action plan that will help you accomplish your personal and professional goals

Please note that while we provide clients with resources and information to help clarify work status and options, we do not process visas or sponsor employment.

Delivery of the programme is open ended although it typically spans three months and includes around 8 hours of face to face coaching and 8 hours tele-coaching. Sessions are usually scheduled in 1.5 hour slots.