Do You Know Your Own Recipe? Managing Your Own Diversity at Work A Guest Post by Daniel Toth I’ve never cooked a goulash in my life, I guess for many reasons. You need a lot of people to eat it, or you will eat it alone for a week. Then, not all the ingredients are available in Switzerland, or at least not with the exact same taste. But most likely, I tend to avoid everything Hungarian in my life, which could remind me of my home, where I grew up… it is not the place at all that it used to be, but populism and its effect on society is not the topic of today.  Yet when I was asked […]

The Global Rockstar Album – 21 Verses to Find Your Tact as an Inclusive Leader With “The Global Rockstar Album – 21 Verses to Find Your Tact as an Inclusive Leader” launching around the corner, I thought I would talk briefly about my journey of completing this book. Every book project is a massive team effort. I realized in June that it would be easy just to quit the project, so I forced myself a little. I used what I call the “people approach to managing projects.” Often when I am confronted with my inner corrupters and I find a way to get over myself I feel like sharing this with you. Here are my learnings from this fourth book […]

Seven Virtues for Purpose, Performance, and Productivity The Back-to-School Mood Rose petals sprinkled over my neglected Zen Garden, sunflower fields turned brown, and you have started to turn on the lights in the morning again. When you get home from work, you don’t want to sit outside anymore as it is dark, but you might vaguely remember this feeling you had as a kid when you were playing hide and seek at this time of the year, and it was just a notch better because it got dark at dinner time. This August is a bit like the “Summer of ‘69”. Did you also feel like a Rockstar? Finally out again in the world, listening to “Rock’n’Roll Music” or “Jailhouse Rock.”  […]

Bringing the Family on Board in Global Mobility Have you been offered an international project or long-term assignment to another country and are not sure how to bring your family on board? Many expats take difficult decisions. These decisions are not always to the liking of our partner or children, especially teenagers can be quite difficult when they find out that they have to leave their friends. Having worked in Global Mobility for a long time in my career, I would like to help you bring your family on board earlier in the process. You might argue now that your partner knew when they married you, that you had an international outlook on your career, and that you love the […]

The Push for Rainbow Talent in Global Mobility In our last post, we explained why we need to push for more Female and Minority Talent in Global Mobility and how we include a number of people under this rainbow umbrella. We even coined #RainbowTalent. Why is this worth talking about? Picture this scenario: a leading multinational company must select somebody with the right skills to establish its first overseas division and has two equally strong candidates. Alice just got married and, in their best intentions but without consulting her, leadership decides that she would not like to go on assignment as she is likely to be starting a family. The opportunity is therefore offered to George.  What do Alice and […]

Why We Need to Support Rainbow Talent The Push for Rainbow Talent in Global Mobility is a series we created for Pride Month to raise awareness of the issues diverse talent might experience in the realm of Global Mobility. Although international organizations have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) objective, according to a report by KPMG (2018), many need to catch up due to failure to understand how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion impact Global Mobility.  Another KPMG (2018) survey highlighted that most Global Mobility Programs do not need to have specific Diversity and Inclusion objectives as part of their strategy. 70% of the companies with diversity and inclusion practices in place stated that this was due to a strong business […]

We think it is important to give you five key tips to handle your repatriation* to Zurich, Switzerland. We have clients like Peter, a Swiss national, who decided to go on an international assignment that led him to spend several years in another country. During his stay, he fell in love with a local resident and they got married. As a result, their children obtained dual nationality. Eventually, when the assignment was over, Peter decided to return to Switzerland with his family, triggering a series of immigration and other challenges, particularly for his partner, who did not speak the local languages such as German or French. Unfortunately, such matters are regarded as personal and not within the means of a […]

We summarize exercises team leaders can use in global virtual teams to build and increase psychological safety.

Going on an international assignment is often a relationship challenge. Even if you have already been married for a long time moving abroad can bring out the best and worst in the relationship with your spouse and/or life partner. Gone are the days of the “expat wife” sitting in the expat country club, playing tennis or painting her fingernails at the pool while an armada of the staff was taking care of the driving, children, household, and cooking. Today, life partners and spouses are of all backgrounds and all colors. My observation is that more and more male spouses are joining female expats. We also see more same-sex couples going on assignments together. Some couples plan to have a family […]

Did you go to a party last night and ask Karen, the other Expat Spouse across from you, how she managed her transition to Switzerland? And did Karen say: “Just reinvent yourself!”. This is a dreadful sentence to tell any newbie in a new place.  This sentence is advice you often hear when you lose your work or are still looking for a new job in Switzerland.  You are a New York, London, Frankfurt, or Mumbai professional. You have a career stamped on yourself. Telling you to reinvent yourself is like saying, “Why don’t you just run a marathon after recovering from COVID-19.” People make it sound so simple; it makes you feel guilty and shameful because it seems to […]

Guest Post by BiCortex Languages Team Moving to a new country comes with many challenges, and transitioning into a new society is challenging due to numerous factors. Often, the biggest challenge of moving abroad is that you and your spouse or family do not understand the local language. Not understanding the local language creates many sub or additional challenges, which is why learning your new country’s local language is an important part of acclimating, integrating into society, and acculturation. This article discusses how language lessons can help you navigate the many challenges that come with moving to a new country. Some of the challenges that will be discussed include the following: ● how language lessons help you communicate at work […]

GUEST POST BY NABEHA LATIF With all the world going digital and businesses indulging more in online servicing, communications, and social interactions have therefore been more of a hot spot, especially with the likes of LinkedIn helping now Freelance and stay-at-home workers connect and grow themselves. LinkedIn is by no means a new platform or in its early stages, a well-established and maintained social platform for business-minded individuals and professionals. However, does being a professional on LinkedIn or being a veteran on the site mean you have the best profiles out there? Not at all! Much like everything else, each passing moment calls for a new development that brings multiple changes to the platform. So this brings up the question, […]

Providing Psychological Safety The present war in Ukraine has reminded us how our world’s stability is all but relative and fragile. Just another sign of this BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear, Incomprehensible) World. As if the humanitarian situation in Ukraine was not enough in itself, the rest of Europe and the world will definitely feel the earthquake aftershocks because of our ever-growing interconnectedness that condemns us all to food and energy security failures and negative impact on general trade.  The sheer size of the catastrophe is a major factor that contributes to the prevailing anxiety and adds to the confusing complexity of our nonlinear world: the multiple causes and impacts (even the yet unforeseen consequences that will or could eventually occur). […]

You are Jason Bourne, you wake up in a hotel room in a Middle Eastern country. It’s too hot in your room. You sweat and you just woke up from a nightmare. You are not sure if this nightmare is a memory because you cannot remember who you are.  How will it be possible for you to connect with anyone? How will you trust others if you do not even know who you are? What if you have changed your identity so often that you cannot even clearly pronounce your name? This is a challenge and you are probably shaking your head. “This is a movie, it’s not real.”.  Yes, but there is a truth in this movie that is […]

Do you know Darth Vader, the dark force in many of the Star Wars movies? Did you know that we all have a bit of Darth Vader in us? We are driven by our fears. The Star Wars movies are full of allusions to deep psychology and how our attachments and fears form our behaviors and life. With this post, I would like to give you an understanding of how we are influenced by our fears and how you can change to become a Jedi.        Fritz Riemann, a deep psychologist established a theory based on four basic forms of fear (“Grundformen der Angst”). The four basic forms of angst are formed in our early childhood and determine to […]

We have lived in a world dominated by political, economic, and environmental uncertainty for many years. However, the past three years have been exceptional and challenging for most of us. The global health crisis caused by Covid-19 has brought the entire planet to its knees. The pandemic impacted all aspects of life and radically changed the way we work. The world of Global Mobility will never be the same. We are beyond Global Mobility and ride into a new way of working. Considering the impact caused by the pandemic, it does not take a fortune teller to foresee that Global Mobility Managers will have to deal with the blow of the crisis in the years to come. If you thought […]

In the interview below we cover four key tips for your repatriation or your next transition. 1 – Repatriating Your Role – You own your career and your brand Maintain a Repatriation Plan with your Employer Regular “home leave” where you network with your previous colleagues and meet your sponsor and other important influencers, and key decision-makers. Think about alternative roles you could do with your expat experience, start your own business Update your CV and LinkedIn profile and add your transferable skills 2- Expect Re-Entry Shock – It’s not all milk and chocolate Reading the news and keeping up with the latest trends in the country before you repatriate Keep relationships up and return “home” regularly. Psychological contract: Consider […]

Starting a business (and keep running it) is hard work. I mean hard! But it is all worth the time, money, and effort invested in the end for those who have a passion, a plan, and a reliable support system. It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride, though. Between the rewarding highs of seeing the spark of interest in a student’s eyes or the genuinely thankful client, you were able to help. Then, there are the lows of the stress and responsibilities that come with being an entrepreneur, and you might wonder if you did the right thing or if you are going to make it. But the freedom to focus your energy on what you have most at heart […]

In times of crisis, #blacklivesmatter, #metoo and refugees being part of our workforce, we need to take a stance and stand up for minority and female talent. Who knows, had my employer sent me to Dubai in 2011, I may still have been there today. In January, I made a commitment to hire at least one professional from a minority group or from a country I am not familiar with at all. I’m hoping to challenge myself against my biases and assumptions. It’s a baby step, but you can do this too.

We are all deeply saddened by what is happening in Ukraine and our hearts go out to all the people suffering in this conflict, no matter what their passport says. We stand with Ukraine. We condemn violence. We pray for peace. Immediate Actions – How You Can Help Right Now (Status: Tuesday, 8 March 22) Keep yourself informed about the security situation on the ground and in the neighboring countries. Ensure that you are mentally ready to support others and feel free to reach out to Angie if you wish to talk. The best way to reach her right now is through her mobile phone. Provide a shower or room: In Switzerland, organizations such as Campax are looking for accommodation […]

I sat on a panel, and I just got as far as saying “I think…” when the other panelist gave her opinion on the matter. She probably didn’t notice that I was trying to say something, but for a moment, I was annoyed and thought, “How rude…”. And it seems to happen more and more that I am waiting an instant too long and then it is too late to say what I wanted to say. I now notice how I have become a “Swiss person.” or maybe I have allowed a younger and shyer version of myself to take over these days. Having lived here in Zurich for over ten years, I prefer to run my life Swiss-style. Despite considering […]

What beautiful sunny weather, we have had the chance to enjoy these last few days! You might, as I do,  make a point of benefiting from the last golden rays of the sun to soak up as much vitamin D as possible before the days become even shorter. Who doesn’t need that energy to accomplish everything that needs to be done, everything you want to do?  You might be in a position right now where either you are worried about losing your job, or you are already looking for a new job (or any kind of work). Maybe you have even been looking for a while already. Perhaps you feel it’s time to update your resume and your job searching […]

These days, if you’re not on LinkedIn or any equivalent jobs platform, you’re either sitting on a large inheritance or seriously out of touch with the industry. For freelancers in particular and job seekers in general, having a digital presence is now perhaps as essential as being qualified to work, to begin with.

The Digital Nomad – Part 3 – Improve Your Productivity Kanban-Style Last week, when you could not fall asleep because you felt overwhelmed by the increasing number of items on your to-do list, you had the brilliant idea to buy post-its and start to plan your next four weeks. Then, you also thought about writing down your 25 priorities.  You already felt a little relieved and fell asleep. However, the question remains “did you actually do what you planned the day after?” I bet you didn’t do it even if you thought it was a great idea. The good news is that what happened to you last week happens to most of us too. The bad news is that when […]

Did you just have another day where you cleaned up your desk, wondered what you had achieved today, and got home to a stack of dishes, a pile of clothes, and a crying son? Did you spend last night driving your daughter to SCUBA class, squeezed in a conference call, and forgot that it was your mother’s birthday? Did you then at 11 PM sit down thinking “Why am I not moving on with my life?”Often we think we are too busy to do that right thing, the Ph.D. we wanted to start, the Master we wanted to finish, the weight loss program, and healthy nutrition we wanted to implement. We keep ourselves too busy to meet a new partner. […]

In consulting firms, you have to maintain a timesheet in which you document daily how you use your time. This can be great to give you an understanding of where you are focused and where your priorities lie. Similarly, you can increase the value of this exercise by maintaining a daily diary in which you document your accomplished tasks (Have-Done-Diary). I recommend a notebook and handwriting for this exercise.

With Five Pandemic Proven Methods for Connection Modern society has evolved in many regards, especially in how we interact with each other. A significant amount of these interactions now happen in digital social spaces than real ones. One excuse I get a lot these days is that you can’t “network” because it’s very difficult to meet other people in person, especially people you don’t know. Digital spaces are revolutionary and have brought people at great distances together but if you are like me you probably feel entirely ready to leave the house and meet a stranger in person. I have started to chat a bit longer with the bakery lady and the guy who fixes my doner kebab. It’s weird […]

Networking includes the Word Work for a reason You probably despise networking. You think of networking as wasting time and you don’t like to go to events with no direct outcome. Are you appalled by “coffee meetings” with people who never plan to support you but happily take your free advice? Know that feeling? You probably heard me say this before: For me, time has an immense value and since I started my business I’ve come to the conclusion that I have three major priorities: 1) My health, 2) My time and 3) My support group (including my family and partner). Without these you cannot run a successful company of one. In order to use my time effectively and to […]

The weather is chilly and grey if you live in Zurich, Switzerland right now. You might have thought about going to your home country for the holidays and that might not have worked out thanks to the pandemic. The year was undoubtedly a recipe for disappointment and mental stress in many ways. We can’t meet our families at home due to governmental restrictions but hopefully things will be better next year and we will get through this alive. This time of the year usually feels very quiet but this year it almost feels as if time came to a halt. We (our team) thought about ways to inspire you and we came up with this compilation of books. Here is […]

A natural consequence of the international professional, accelerated in recent years through increased globalisation and advances in Global Mobility, is the rise of Third Culture Kids, or, children who have grown up in cultures that weren’t the passport cultures of their parents. This term originated through the work of American sociologist Dr. Ruth Hill Useem in the 1960s. You can read more about her legacy here. Given that the term has been around for so long, some of these children have now grown up and are referred to as ATCK (Adult Third Culture Kid). Therefore, it is important that their unique experiences and those of current TCKs are recognized and better understood, as they will be shaping the future. I’d like […]

An Expert Interview by Sara Micacchioni Prof. Tamara Pawluk is specialized in cognitive diversity and inclusion. She has collaborated with teams designing Diversity and Inclusion campaigns and training teams to leverage diversity potential. Her professional goal is to contribute to any organization where diversity is seen as a key factor to achieve competitive advantages. Interestingly, she also works as Project Manager for Diego Romero Music to support her husband in bringing Argentinian and Latin American music into the European market.  In early September I  met her in her apartment in Berlin to get inspired by what she does.  Who is Tamara Pawluk in a nutshell?  I am an interculturalist by profession and by mindset. I like working with people from […]

Key Factors to Consider When Defining Your Ideal Client as an Expat Coach Are you struggling to attract the right clients to your business? Do you find yourself working with clients who don’t align with your values or goals? If so, it’s time to define your ideal client. Understanding who your ideal client is and what they want is essential for creating effective marketing strategies and building a successful business. In this article, we will explore the five key factors you need to consider when defining your ideal client. From demographics and psychographics to pain points and goals, we will dive deep into what makes your ideal client tick. By the end of this article, you will have a clear […]

Breaking Down Privilege: Recognizing and Overcoming Inequality In a world that is becoming increasingly aware of social issues and inequalities, it is crucial to delve into the concept of privilege. Privilege, often defined as unearned advantages enjoyed by certain individuals or groups, plays a significant role in perpetuating inequality in our society. This thought-provoking topic calls for a deep dive into the various forms of privilege that exist and the impact they have on marginalized communities. By understanding and acknowledging privilege, we can take essential steps toward creating a more inclusive and equitable world for all. In this article, we will explore the different dimensions of privilege, examine the ways it manifests in our day-to-day lives, and discuss effective strategies […]

Managing an International Workforce by Brooke Faulkner via @faulknercreek The worldwide web has also led to a more worldwide economy, and despite recent political manoeuvrings and issues with trade, that situation is not likely to change anytime soon. Many companies have moved toward not only a remote workforce, but one that is international as well. Think of the social media sharing app Buffer. The company has a 100 percent remote workforce with no physical home office. Employees and often their spouses are treated to a once-a-year retreat paid for with the money the company saves on infrastructure. Employees work around the world, in many different places and environments. How do they manage this workforce? How do other countries do it? What does […]