With 2020 now behind us, I asked some esteemed members of the global mobility community what they wish for our industry in 2021. Here’s what they had to say:
Lynn Shotwell, GMS, SHRM-SCP, Worldwide ERC® President & CEO
I see two silver linings in the pandemic for the mobility community: It raised the profile of mobility professionals who have deep experience managing non-traditional assignments. Our insights are being applied to the new world of remote work. It also pushed all of us to embrace technology and adopt new ways of doing things at a pace that would not have been possible a year ago. This can be exciting and energizing. My goals for Worldwide ERC in 2021 are to provide mobility professionals with the tools they need to be strategic leaders in their own organizations and to advance the interests of the mobility industry by highlighting our unique expertise with business leaders and policymakers.
Patricia Tavares, formerly Americas Global Mobility Head, Unilever. Currently Co-founder, Brazil Talks
2021! What to expect of this year? After all we went through in 2020, adaptation to new ways of working, fast changes to policies, creating or re-thinking processes! This all had to happen and with an incredible speed, meaning that Global Mobility grew and matured in 2020 what it would normally take at least 5 years to mature!
I see and believe that all we learned this past year has to come along with us to 2021. We cannot lose the speed we gained, the flexibility we learned to apply, and most of all, we need to continue showing to our stakeholders that we are ready for any situation that comes along! We all worked from home/virtually and we never worked so hard and so much and this proves that Global Mobility is here to stay! Global mobility professionals are getting better and better at what they do!
Hurray for a brilliant 2021! I am sure it will be absolutely amazing!
Brian Friedman, Host of The View from the Top & Strategy Director, Benivo
The View from The Top is as old as the pandemic. What started 2 years ago as a podcast, converted to a live show in March. We launched the LinkedIn Live shows at about the same time as borders closed around the world. We recognised early on that there was a genuine need for thought leaders to share knowledge and hopefully spread some optimism in dark times. Our aim in 2021 is to continue our weekly shows focusing on technology.
On a personal perspective, my family is very much on the front-line. My stepson is a doctor who has been working on the COVID wards during the peaks of the pandemic and my wife has been trained to be a COVID vaccinator. There is light at the end of the tunnel and that makes me hugely optimistic for 2021.
Vini Valverde, Lead Talent Mobility Consultant, NIKE
We all know that this past year has challenged us in many ways. The stress of COVID-19, lost jobs, financial struggles, social distancing, many companies and its employees are feeling agitated, overwhelmed, or disconnected. While some of these forces are beyond our control, we have the power and capabilities to make some changes to ensure a healthy and thriving Global Mobility industry.
My wish for 2021 is that everyone makes the time to do whatever activities feel restorative to you and also help others. It can be calling a friend, take on a new hobby, build new relationships, being a reference for a colleague that lost his/her job, reading a book, just sitting in silence or being available. This will help you bring the best version of yourself (while helping others) so we can win as a team and empower our organizations to grow into the future.
With so much positivity, how can 2021 be anything but better than 2020? Wishing all our colleagues an innovative, successful and healthy new year – a new beginning for us all!
Arranged by Cathy Heyne, GMS -T, Managing Director
