BOOK REVIEW: How to do business abroad

CARRY A CHICKEN IN YOUR LAP

OR, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO

GLOBALIZE YOUR BUSINESS

By Bruce Alan Johnson and

R. William Ayres

St. Martin’s Press. 214 page. $24.99

Reviewed by Peter Hannaford

This may be the ultimate how-to/how-not-to book for American companies selecting men and women to represent them overseas.

The authors claim, “Every year, American corporations send thousands of employees overseas. Around 75 percent fail. Because it costs roughly $300,000 a year to maintain an employee overseas and the average assignment runs four years, this means they are spending $1.2 million per employee sent abroad.”

Bruce Alan Johnson and R. William Ayres have half a century between them of doing business overseas and counseling companies on how to succeed internationally. “Carry a Chicken in Your Lap” is a distillation of what they have learned over the years.

They illustrate their points with real-life examples of just how wrong things can go if a company hasn’t sent the right person (or has sent an ill-trained one) overseas. Reading these may make you smile, but the events cost the companies involved a great deal of money to correct.

In 14 short, readable chapters, the authors deal with major considerations in selecting executives to take on overseas assignments. Because much money is at stake, don’t pick someone for the wrong reasons, they say. For example, they write, “Overseas assignments are often made for foolish bureaucratic and political reasons - because it’s ‘Fred’s turn’ or because he’s somebody’s cousin.” Or, because so-and-so was great at marketing widgets at home, he’ll be equally good overseas.

There are plenty of pitfalls in choosing the “right” person, they say.

While candidates do not have to be skilled linguists, knowing the language of their destination helps and, failing that, so does willingness to learn some phrases to use in daily dealings to show one’s respect for the host country.

Overseas-bound executives also should be tutored in such things as customs, manners and the politics and economy of the host country.

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