After recently celebrating my company’s record breaking hot streak here at home, my new international business was quickly turning cold.

It looks like my American success formula wasn’t working with my foreign partners who kept telling me to think differently in order to compete on their turf. If I only knew then what I know now; I could have saved countless hours, endless headaches and a bundle of money. I guess I should have done a little more homework first.

Before you plan on expanding your business and going global, consider these 8 vital points:

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It an earlier article I noted that American companies continue to think of themselves as American, not multinational, thus assignments overseas are not viewed in a strategic totality, but rather as a nuisance that must be dealt with from time to time. So, when a requirement surfaces for a manager in China, Africa or elsewhere, there normally ensues a mad scramble to find someone willing to take the position. Overlooked is whether that person and his/her family are actually suited for the position and the required life style. The result can be an expensive disaster for both the company and the family involved.

Successful expatriates are born not made. Individuals assigned overseas must bring to the job the innate ability to live and work in a different culture and the personal characteristics necessary to adjust to a variety of business styles and ethics. Only a sharply focused selection program designed to identify the proper attributes can determine who has the “right stuff.” American firms spend millions each year determining which employees should be in management or sales, why should expatriate service receive less attention?

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Selecting employees to work overseas and establishing proper career paths for overseas personnel is only the tip of the iceberg. Equally important is the training and preparation they and their families receive before and during an assignment.

If a high failure rate as well as sub par performance is to be avoided, certain guidelines must be followed. In particular awareness of two of the most common problems:

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