Heike Stengel's blog

An exciting conference will take place in Shanghai on Thursday, 18th March 2010. "New Ways of Working - Shape your world with coaching" is presented by the International Coach Academy (ICA) and Lobii sponsored by Adecco/Lee Hecht Harrison.

Following the lunar calendar, Chinese all over the world welcome the New Year on February 14. 2010 is the Year of the (Golden) Tiger. This animal symbolizes courage and power but also royalty and passion. Celebrations start with the traditional reunion dinner for the family and continue for 15 days.

If you would like to learn more about Chinese culture, please contact us for information on our customized seminars.

To all of of my Chinese friends, colleagues and clients: Gong Xi Fa Cai!

The 2010 SIETAR Forum will take place from 25 to 27 February in Bonn. This year focuses on diversity as a resource. How can we understand, preserve and leverage diversity in an ever changing environment?

The organising team has put together an exciting event. For more information and to register go to www.sietar-forum.de.

Dear clients, colleagues and friends,

2009 has been a difficult year for many but with it came opportunities to have a thorough look at life and to realise that there is always a choice and that it is up to us to create our own reality.  I am very grateful for an exciting year with many memorable encounters.

The speakers for the 2010 Families in Global Transition Conference (4-6 March, 2010 in Houston, TX) have been announced and the organizers have managed to attract an impressive line-up.  Janet Bennnett , Katrina Burrus, Anne Copeland, Jo Parfit and Ruth Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids will be speaking and/or conducting workshops.

The latest issue of the Best Life Abroad Newsletter is featuring my article "Moving Back Home: What Repatriation Really Means".  This is a topic dear to my heart. Repatriation is one of the most neglected aspects of a life on the move. It is often emotionally challenging without the support that we often find within expatriate communities. Being aware of the possibility of reverse culture shock is a first step towards a successful repatriation. There are a few things you can do to set yourself up for a successful return home.

I have been invited to speak at an AsiaCircle dinner event on November 19. My talk is entitled "Understanding Asian Etiquette" and tries to raise awareness on what is considered respectful behaviour in Asian culture.   The talk will be held in German.

When:   19 November 2009, 7pm
Where:  Shanghai Restaurant, Wilimdorfer Straße 70, 70839 Gerlingen (free parking)

From Surviving to Thriving  how to turn your challenges into powerful opportunities.

Join me and Jeanne Heinzer for a one-hour free teleclass about the essence of a happy and successful life abroad on

Having just returned from the W.I.N. 2009 Global Leadership Conference, I am still impressed and inspired by those days in Prague. Kristin Engvig and her team have once again managed to attract 500 participants from 60 countries. What makes this conference so special is the unique mix of corporate representatives, small business owners and entrepreneurs, creative minds and passionate individuals. In times of crisis, a new leadership style is required focusing on diversity, sustainability and global cooperation.

The W.I.N. 2009 Global Leadership Conference in Prague will be taking place this week. Jeanne Heinzer and I are delighted to have been invited to facilitate a workshop on the first day of the conference. Our topic is "From surviving to thriving: Living your best life in turbulent times". We will keep this workshop very interactive and look at the challenges of a life on the move and how to turn this challenge into an opportunity of a lifetime.