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To describe the useful skills a manager can learn abroad it is necessary to mention that new era of globalization in the socio-economic history means the assimilation of new values and rules. The most fundamental among them include openness, partnership, sharing resources and global scope of operations (Tapscott, Williams 2008, pp. 40–55). These new values demand some specific skills that can be acquired working and living abroad.
Among the useful skills that manager can acquire when assigned oversees the following skills and abilities are:
– intercultural communication skills;
– interpersonal skills in an intercultural context;
– problem-solving and decision-making skills in an intercultural context;
– a deep knowledge in a variety of organizational structures and interrelation of cultural context and organizational structure;
– different language skills;
– effective work in the multicultural team; and many others.
Some of these useful skills can be learned in the US companies with international staff. However, all the multicultural differences in the USA are diluted because of powerful influence of the US culture. Foreigners adapt to the local culture, so the cultural differences can be diminished. The life and work in the foreign country helps to learn and to understand its culture. Some of the most significant cultural differences can be learned during the business trip, but the successful business performance demands more deep knowledge that it is can be obtained by the tourist. Some researchers in the field of international business argue that working abroad managers can learn “non-US contexts, models, and values (Boyacigiller and Adler, 1991). For example, the issue of power in national culture and organizational culture is very significant for the business performance and can’t be controlled without the perfect understanding of the local culture.
The work abroad and the exposure in the cultural differences between managers and employees of different national backgrounds or cultures can transform these differences into the advantages and positive factor. The expansion of the international company in different countries and regions can be more effective under the management of the US-born individual with the experience of work abroad. (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 1993)
Within the recent two decades the largest companies of the USA provide the special training programs to equip their best managers with global skills at younger ages. Along with these trainings the most foreseeing company leaders send young managers to foreign divisions. Michael Longua, the director of international recruiting in healthcare products company Johnson & Johnson’s, says that “they are going to come up short in global competition. (Lublin, 1992)”
Recently the group of researchers conducted the survey among the managers around the world to understand what kind of person thrives on cross-cultural complexity. They concluded that the key factor of success for manager abroad is the “global mind-set.” (Javidjan et al, 2010). The authors divided this mind-set into three components:
“intellectual capital, or knowledge of international business and the capacity to learn; psychological capital, or openness to different cultures and the capacity to change; and social capital, the ability to form connections, to bring people together, and to influence stakeholders—including colleagues, clients, suppliers, and regulatory agencies—who are unlike you in cultural heritage, professional background, or political outlook.” (Javidjan et al, 2010).
These three kinds of necessary capital along with a broad view of the history and the culture and open minded approach can hardly be acquired without the experience of working abroad.
It is also necessary to point out the verbal and non-verbal communication style. Verbal communication means not only other language or languages but the way of using verbal communication, for example, the different forms of address to senior manager or subordinate. Non-verbal communication includes body language and gestures and other non-verbal parts of the communication. It isn’t the secret that the meaning of the gestures can vary from country to country but it is hard to remember their meaning outside the cultural context. The understanding of different communication styles helps manager to understand co-workers in their own context comparatively with the context of the local community. It is also important to distinguish the stereotypes and the real features of the national culture.
The self-reliance is one of the secondary features that can be acquired working abroad faster than in the US office. The manager abroad should be always ready to handle an unpredictable situation and adapt the new scenario.
At last, every manager needs the formal and informal feedback of his activity. (Comfort and Franklin, 102). Cultural traditions can vary the types and meaning of the feedback and the knowledge of local culture is also required to understand the feedback in the international company. Speaking picturesquely, international manager without the experience of working abroad is like the Commander in Chief who has never had the opportunity to lead soldiers in combat. The importance of practical experience can hardly be overvalued in any sphere of human activity including management. Work abroad is the investment for future; it expands the horizon and helps to set up the long-term career goals.

Boyacigiller, N. and Adler, N. The Parochial Dinosaur: Organization Science in the Global Context. Academy of Management Review, 16, 2: 262-290, 1991
Comfort, J., Franklin, P. (2007) The Mindful International Manage. York Associates International Ltd.
Hampden-Turner, C., and Trompenaars, F. The Seven Cultures of Capitalism. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
Tapscott, D., Williams, A.D., (2008). Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. Expanded edition. Reed Elsevier Inc.
Javidan, M., Teagarden, M., Bowen, D. Managing Yourself: Making It Overseas. Harvard Business Review. April 2010