Is a Company Your Romantic Rival?

When your rival isn't human!

When your partner told you that they had been asked to work in another country, you were excited about the opportunity. You made plans about your new life and the places you would see. You spent time discussing how you would live and imagined yourself living a whirlwind romance in another country.

The reality of an international assignment is different. The logistics of the move themselves are enough to take the romance out of anyone, but the subsequent change in your relationship is not usually for the better.

Honey, I'm Not Home!

Many international assignments mean more autonomy and responsibility for the assignee. At first you can find new things to do, but once you settle in to a routine, you find that your spouse isn't there. You are now on an international assignment on your own!

This can play out in different ways. You might be reasonable at first. Of course they need to work, but your unmet emotional needs soon turn to resentment. You are lonely and isolated. You are here because of them and they aren't with you at all.

And then this strange idea comes in to your mind; the company gets your partner's attention instead of you. Suddenly you are the jealous rival!

Never Leave Your Wingman ...

An unconventional power struggle emerges in your relationship. Both of you start to leverage your power for your own advantage.

Your partner plays their trump card of work and you list the accompanying partner problems (and the kids' new set of outsider problems).

In the end, the financial strain, the isolation and the additional work quickly overwhelm both of you and you return home to the life that you liked.

Tip: Before you accept an international assignment, ask your company what support they provide for your family and take the training course, What Should I Know Before I Go on an International Assignment?

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