Expatriate stories: a vehicle of professional development abroad?

Two‐thirds of European organisations are using informal briefings for expatriates. Why should expatriates place a heavy premium on such input, even when given in the stories of complete strangers? This article uses narrative method to examine expatriate experience, considering how stories enable expatriate understanding of novel environments. It considers briefly the importance of surprise in these situations and Weick's seven properties of sensemaking are used as a guideline for placing such expatriate stories in a sensemaking context. It further questions whether such stories might contribute to professional development by helping to bestow meaning for expatriates reflecting on their experiences.