Coaching Case Study: Work Overseas or Come Back to Singapore

Coaching Case Study By Seet Juay Hiang
(Career Coach, SINGAPORE)

About coachee case:

Expatriate deciding to stay oversea or come back to Singapore to work.

Sandra has more than 25 years of experiences in early childhood education industry. She had been working in Hong Kong and China for more than 10 years. 2 years ago, shecame back Singapore to work. However, after 2 years of working in Singapore, she had went back to Shanghai to work. She had 3 main concern;

She had come back to Singapore 2 years ago to try to settle down back in Singapore. Back then the reason for her to come back to Singapore was because she felt that to start a new career back in Singapore after the age of 40 is difficult.

However, in the 2 years of working in Singapore was met with a lot of difficulties. She was writing early childhood education curriculum. She had met with the following problem.

I tried to understand her why she wanted to travel oversea to work. As I feel that I have to find out what make her choose the expatriate career path. I ask her a few questions like

Next, I asked a few questions to find out why she wants to come back to Singapore.

Coaching process and outcomes:

My coaching plan is to help her to overcome her work problems in Singapore and installing new belief in coming back to Singapore for good.

She is not doing well in Singapore, the main reason is

For so many years, she had made a lot of friends oversea. She had also find that her skillset is very much in demand in Shanghai. So as far as career concern, it is better for her to continue her career in Shanghai. At the same time she make plan to come back to Singapore. During this period when she is oversea, I suggest that she can make regular connection through Skype or WeChat with her family and friends back in Singapore.

I also suggest to her to do the below items during the coaching session.

1.) Reframe her negative feeling about work

1. Her perspective in her job in Singapore was very negative because of the bad experiences with her the company in Singapore 2 years ago. It is like wearing a pair yellow glass. Everything she sees is in yellow colour.
2. By changing the way she look at the work environment in Singapore, she can look at it very differently.The early childhood industry is blooming now in Singapore.
3. She can also have greater awarenesson how she is going to make decision.
4. And by changing the way that she see her current situation and circumstances to a positive one, she will be able to face her future challenges when she make a decision to come back to Singapore.
5. I had also suggested some of the empowering perspective for her to reframe. Some of which I learn from the coaching course which I felt is very relevance for her, like

2.) Use Visualisation to find her desire outcome, finally comes back to Singapore for good. First I suggest to her to relax herself and think of all the good things she want to when she is back to Singapore. Meanwhile, I will write them down for her. With these pictures in mind, I asked her to prioritise them in order to find what is the one things she most desire and want to do most when she comes back to Singapore. Then we set it as her as herlong term goal to achieve them. Then I follow by asking her to set some milestone to achieve for short term to achieve in the next month and so on.

3.) After the setting of goal, we move on to set some action plan. I apply the following principles I learnt from the coaching course into the action plan for her.

I ask her to write it down so that she can read it every day. That is to keep on reminding her of her goal. By read it every day, she is able to focus on her goal. I ask her to write it down so that she can read it every day. That is to keep on reminding her of her goal. By read it every day, she is able to focus on her goal.

During the journey towards achieving her goals, when she is face with difficult decision, she can ask herself this question, “How will this decision support your goals?”

I as her coach will acknowledge her short and long term goals. Support her vision and along the way help her to remain focused and to feel a sense of achievement.

As her coach and her friend, I will support her in her plan and will be welcoming her back to Singapore.

I suggest to her to visit my family when she comes back to Singapore during vacation to catch up with the goals set.

We will have a celebration dinner when she achieve her goal.