What makes a great Global Mobility Manager?
In the movie, Mary Poppins, the Banks children write their wish list for the perfect nanny: “have a cheery disposition, rosy cheeks, no warts!”
What would wish lists look like from your assignees? Imagine yourself in their position. What would you need in order to be happy and secure in your new home? Organize your offerings around the answers. Your assignees will promise not to “hide your spectacles so you can’t see, put toads in your bed, or pepper in your tea!”
Understanding what an expatriate goes through will make you a great Global Mobility professional. Even if you are sending people on assignment who are open to relocation and getting out of their comfort zones, don’t take them for granted. Even the savviest expats have their worlds turned upside-down on assignment, and it’s important for companies to acknowledge this.
Here are tips that fulfill assignee wishlists:
1. Appreciate your expatriates and their challenges.
2. Set them up with genuinely helpful go-to contacts.
3. Be flexible to their family circumstances.
4. Agree on clear objectives for assignments ahead of time.
5. Teach them networking skills.
6. Provide language training —-it helps your assignees and your company succeed.
7. Supply resources curated specifically for them, such as Living Abroad’s International Relocation Center.
8. Offer personalized online cross-cultural training, such as Living Abroad’s new Culture Coach Online.
9. Keep assignees in the communication loop.
10. Plan ahead for successful repatriations.
In the movie, Mary Poppins, the Banks children write their wish list for the perfect nanny: “have a cheery disposition, rosy cheeks, no warts!”
What would wish lists look like from your assignees? Imagine yourself in their position. What would you need in order to be happy and secure in your new home? Organize your offerings around the answers. Your assignees will promise not to “hide your spectacles so you can’t see, put toads in your bed, or pepper in your tea!”
Understanding what an expatriate goes through will make you a great Global Mobility professional. Even if you are sending people on assignment who are open to relocation and getting out of their comfort zones, don’t take them for granted. Even the savviest expats have their worlds turned upside-down on assignment, and it’s important for companies to acknowledge this.
Here are tips that fulfill assignee wishlists:
1. Appreciate your expatriates and their challenges.
2. Set them up with genuinely helpful go-to contacts.
3. Be flexible to their family circumstances.
4. Agree on clear objectives for assignments ahead of time.
5. Teach them networking skills.
6. Provide language training —-it helps your assignees and your company succeed.
7. Supply resources curated specifically for them, such as Living Abroad’s International Relocation Center.
8. Offer personalized online cross-cultural training, such as Living Abroad’s new Culture Coach Online.
9. Keep assignees in the communication loop.
10. Plan ahead for successful repatriations.
We are here to help! Our International Relocation Center is packed with resources and information. Our new Culture Coach Online is the only cultural learning platform designed around country-specific destinations.
Request a demo below, and let us show how we will support you and your assignees…in the most delightful way!
by Cathy Heyne, GMS-T, Managing Director
