Country Relocation
An HR Director and his family navigating the decision to move back to Canada after two decades in Hong Kong.
Background
Michael* is a Human Resources Director. He and his wife are originally from Canada, and they have been living in Hong Kong for the past two decades. They have four teenagers, all of whom would be heading to university in a few years.
The Challenge
Michael is looking to relocate back to Canada with his family. Several factors are pulling in different directions at once.
Hong Kong had recently changed its permanent residency rules, and his children may be unable to stay in Hong Kong after completing university. He is unsure whether they would want to study in Hong Kong, Canada, or take a gap year. Michael is also concerned about employment opportunities for himself if he moves back to Canada. And it is a good time to buy property in Canada, but he is unclear on where the family wants to settle.
From the coaching session, Michael wants to walk away with concrete action steps.
What We Explored
The session worked through four interconnected factors.
Alignment between Michael and his wife: they are in broad agreement on the move but have not fully agreed on where in Canada to settle. Michael acknowledged he has some fears about the location choice, but recognised they were irrational and could be worked through. This made them manageable rather than blocking.
The teenagers' readiness: deciding where to go to university is a significant life decision. It was established in the session that not all four teenagers are at the stage where they can make major life decisions independently. This means the family's eventual plan needs to build in flexibility, and Michael and his wife are the primary decision-makers for now.
Financial considerations: Michael could take a consulting role in Canada, but he has some resistance to that path. He is drawn to building his own coaching business, though he is uncertain whether it would be physical or digital. The business would take 12 to 18 months to become viable, and with four children heading to university, the financial feasibility needed to be examined honestly. Fortunately, the family has a nest egg that can carry them through the start-up period.
The emotional dimension was noted but not deeply explored in this session. There were too many unknown variables for the emotional work to be meaningful yet. Once Michael has gathered the factual information he needs, the feelings about the move will be clearer and more grounded in reality. A follow-up session would be the right place to go there.
Why This Approach
A decision to relocate an entire family to another country is not a single decision. It is a series of decisions, all of which depend on information that has not yet been gathered. The most useful thing coaching could do at this stage was to map the full landscape of what needed to be resolved, and identify the sequence in which to resolve it.
There is also a timing dimension here. Michael would be visiting Canada in a couple of months, and if the family was going to relocate, that trip was the right moment to start looking at properties. That gave the session a concrete urgency and a clear deliverable: what does Michael need to have figured out before that trip?
What Shifted
- Michael will have a conversation with his wife to align on the factors that came up in the session.
- He will consult a financial adviser on the full cost picture of the move.
- He will research the differences between physical and digital businesses, which will also inform where in Canada to settle.
- He will get clarity on steps 1 to 3 before speaking to the children about the move.
"Coaching does not need to go into the feelings to be valuable. Sometimes the most useful thing is to bring clarity to what needs to be decided, and in what order."
*Name has been changed for privacy and confidentiality.