I’m sure you have been told countless times in recent years that in this driven, fast-changing world, the agile will reign supreme. I’m sure you have also wondered, what exactly does that mean?

I think the simplest answer to that is: Professionals who can keep up to date with their skill set are the ones who will find sustained success. Keeping your skills and knowledge in tip-top condition is something I’ve touched on in a previous Club Sandwich too, but today I’d like to focus on the aspect of digital competency. For many professionals, maintaining a current skill set as this new world gets more digital-centric is the real challenge. This means asking yourself, are you someone with a robust IT skill set or do you ‘just get by’?

If your answer is the latter, perhaps it is time to consider ramping up the attention you give to this aspect. Being able to work with a few basic apps and systems will no longer take you the distance. I understand that getting to grips with this rapid change can be too much for some professionals, who feel that their learning progress has hit a brick wall, or become a slow crawl. This can naturally lead to a feeling of frustration and impatience for ‘not getting it’, which may directly affect your productivity and self esteem.

What I’d like to do today is to help you boost your productivity in ways that may also bolster your digital competence. The following are a few methods I’ve used personally and have assisted clients as well. Let’s do this!

Have a read through of Jane Piper’s excellent book Focus in the Age of Distraction
Jane Piper is a digital wellbeing expert who draws on her experience in Focus, highlight key consequences of living in the digital age that can impact productivity. There have been several studies on how digital apps, especially networking ones have affected our ability to focus and engage – something that is now visible in workplaces around the world. For those among us who find themselves struggling to focus and perform at their peak, this book is a must read!

Start using a productivity app
Now, don’t get scared! Most productivity apps on the market can appear daunting, and hide most features behind a paywall, that is, they let you use their basic version for free but require you to pay a one-time or recurring cost for premium features. That means you never know if the money spent will be worth it. Instead, I’ll focus you towards the best apps that offer these features for free, allowing you to find your own groove.

A productivity or task management app can be something as simple as Gmail’s Tasks list, or something more elaborate like Microsoft To-Do and Todoist. What is similar about these apps and what you will learn is this: lists help your mind declutter and refocus. These apps provide additional help by providing reminders, categorization options and cross-system(platform) support.

The unique thing each app brings is what will determine if they are something you will wish to use long-term. People who enjoy the satisfaction of making lists will prefer Todoist, while those who may require organizational options will go for Microsoft To-Do.

Find the app that works for you and start planning your day better!

Are You More of a Visual Thinker? Then Play to Your Strength! 
Productivity apps are great but only if you can harness their power effectively. For those among us who are more visual thinkers, or work with visuals and design, will definitely find themselves flocking to Trello and its card-based approach. It’s like having a digital corkboard to map out your tasks, and definitely worth trying out.

Experiment with Global Virtual Team Collaboration Apps
For those among us who run teams, there are group productivity and task management/collaboration tools such as Slack and Asana that are worth looking into. A note on Slack usage: It is primarily a team collaboration tool but its productivity boosting capabilities come from its ability to integrate with Google Drive/Dropbox and Salesforce. I find it important that you experiment with your team and review after a few months what worked well and what didn’t work well. You might notice generational differences in app usage and effectiveness.

Simplify and find tools that work for your team or collective
Yesterday, I listed all the tools we are using in one of our collectives on a flipchart paper. I tried to paint the icons without looking at my iphone and had to smile later because they actually look slightly different. However, I realized that we often use many tools already but we haven’t agreed on simple communication principles. So the work only starts when you have identified the right tools. (The hammer alone doesn’t help. You also need to bring in energy to slam in the nail.) We will continue to discuss global virtual team collaboration in the upcoming issues.

Unplug and keep a have-done diary
One aspect (that is also addressed in Jane Piper’s book) is how the pressure and stress of work combined with the always-on digital aspects can put us in a state of mind where we are unable to focus on anything, much fewer deliverables and time management. 

Here’s what you do: List down your completed daily tasks. I recommend a notebook and handwriting for this exercise. Not only will this give you a break from the screen but help you analyze your productivity cycle, its peaks and low points. I’ve learned this method from my coach educator Boudewijn Vermeulen and it served me well during hectic times.

I talk about more productivity hacks that can help you reclaim your diary here. Practice one of these hacks per week and let me know how your experience went in the RockMeApp! You can add them to your “weekly practices”.

The breakneck advances in modern technology and communication have revamped how we work in ways previous generations couldn’t have dreamed of. No longer does ‘working professional’ mean a person sitting in a cubicle, or in a conference room. You can work from home, from another country, even halfway across the world!

While we’ve witnessed this blurring of manmade boundaries, I feel such breakthroughs are not being embraced by organizations, most of which still stick to ‘traditional’ hierarchical structures in the face of an evolving workforce. The result of that is that a lot of modern professionals feel that they’re being held back by these relics of the past and as a result feel disempowered.

The truth of the matter is that we often tend to get a bit one-dimensional when, for instance, we stick with the same career for over a decade and haven’t moved to another company within the last five years. Such a move is guaranteed to stagnate your all-round professional development and flexibility, you don’t want to become a corporate zombie, do you?

Each year, you should explore options to upgrade your knowledge base and skill set. Set yourself new, incremental goals in the form of small weekly practices so your brain is kept regularly active and you’re not just going through the motions.

Here’s our top ten list of how to keep your knowledge base in a constant state of improvement:

1. Set yourself a reading target of 25 minutes per day. Maybe pair it with a nice cup of coffee or tea.
2. Listen to podcasts on your commute to/from work. They can range from industry-specific subjects or even a relevant hobby!
3.  Write guest blogs for reputable websites, adding to other’s knowledge base is just good karma!
4. Give guest lectures regularly at universities and professional academies.
5. Attend a panel once in a quarter where you and other professionals are sharing your expertise.
6. Join a non-profit board so you can learn a completely new skill.
7. Engage in (a maximum of) three groups on LinkedIn to see buzz topics, hashtags, and important trends in your industry.
8. Book a Master-level university course in a topic you wish to dive into deeper.
9. Attend at least one annual industry event.
10. Sign up for and attend one retreat a year to clear your baggage and move on unrestrained.

We often believe we deserve a promotion but there usually aren’t that many promotions available; some of us end up having reached our highest career level at the age of 35.

Don’t let that happen to you.

Let’s have a conversation about your current global leadership or expatriate career wishes and challenges.

Kind regards,
Angie

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 it take to manage employees across the globe and from various cultures who speak different languages? It is challenging, but for many companies, it is not only worth it, but it is a necessary evil.

Understanding Culture

One of the first challenges you will face is maintaining company culture when a different societal culture defines the country where your employees are located. When any company is looking to expand globally, it is important to maintain vision, mission, and values. This involves some important steps in cross-cultural management.

Send Experienced Teams to Establish New Teams

No matter how great a leader you might be, you cannot instil company culture by yourself. Typically, as a company grows, the company culture becomes a blend of employees and management working together. Assemble a small, experienced team to help set up and manage remote teams even if they do so virtually. This will assure that mission and vision are communicated properly.

Understand and Honor Local Customs and Traditions

You cannot establish a workforce presence in another country without understanding and respecting local customs and traditions including holidays, religious restrictions, and other cultural differences. To work with these things, you will have to think outside the box and have alternative holidays and other considerations.

This translates to many different areas, including the location and layout of offices, necessary break times, and even dress codes if you have one. Your team must work to align your company culture with that of your host country.

Work at Cultural Alignment

This cultural alignment will take work. There are several important aspects of aligning your company culture globally, and it will not happen organically. Here are some points to consider.

• Direction and purpose: What is your “why” and how does it translate to a new culture?
• Supervisor support: What does management support mean, and how can it be achieved remotely or globally?
• Learning and growth: Are there opportunities for growth even globally? Are training materials available in the native language and are they relevant?
• Relationships and team performance: Relationships must be developed outside of employees’ and management’s comfort zones, but the end result is rewarding. Pick team members who are willing to do this.
• Make feedback into influence: Your global team members are more than just employees and will have ideas of how to make your company work in their culture. Welcome their influence and implement their feedback.
• Recognition and rewards: These may look different in another culture, but they are still necessary and relevant.

By making the alignment of your company culture a priority and following these steps, you will increase the value of your global presence.

Managing Remote Teams

Like Buffer, many global teams are remote, and managing remote workers has additional challenges. While there are many advantages to a remote team such as global talent, saving the cost of relocation, and the addition of diversity, there are also some drawbacks. One of those is that they can be more difficult to manage.

LIke cultural alignment, there are some general guidelines for managing virtual teams that apply nearly universally.

• Build trust: Your team must trust that you have their best interests at heart, just as you do those of your customers. You have to follow through with what you say you will do, and give them the support they need to accomplish the tasks you set for them.
• Have clear goals, standards, and rules: A part of this building of trust is to have clear and consistent expectations and goals. Work must be done to a standard regardless of where in the world your employee is.
• Communicate clearly and constantly: Communication is the key, and while this can be challenging in different time zones and across the world, it still can be done. As a leader, it is your responsibility to align your schedule with theirs, not for them to inconvenience themselves to accommodate you.
• Build a team rhythm: Consistency is also key. Develop a rhythm and a schedule your team can adhere to, and that works for all of you. Develop and stick to consistent workflows to keep everyone at their most productive.

To manage a remote team, you will need a more flexible company culture, especially worldwide. Be conscious of this, and don’t micromanage no matter where in the world your employees are. Your management style must be consistent and predictable, too. Managing people is much different than managing spreadsheets and numbers, no matter how far removed from your office they are.

Remember, you are the leader, and the satisfaction of the employees and, in the end, the customer is your responsibility.

Providing Your Team with Tools

One of the key elements to working globally is to have tools that translate to everyone and are available in a variety of languages and formats for different countries. There are several tools that do this in different categories.

• Chat programs: Facebook Workplace and Slack are two common tools that work worldwide.
• Microsoft Office Suite: Microsoft offers worldwide support, and through OneDrive, more than one person can work on a document at the same time.
• The Google Business Suite: There are many apps and shared applications that can be had from Google through their business suite, and it is almost universal with the exception of China (which creates a challenge for some teams).
• Adobe PDF and Acrobat: Adobe also offers Adobe PDF files and Adobe Acrobat, which work almost anywhere and translate worldwide. This is a powerful tool, and one many global teams depend on. There are many training programs to teach your team about them as well.

There are other ways to support your team as well. Tablets or laptops are the most common platforms, but you may want to provide remote teams with phones or pay their cell phone service costs for them. Both physical tools and software are important and should be a consideration. Managing their devices makes it easier to manage the team overall.

Traveling Both Ways

Face it, if you expand globally, you will be doing more travel, and you may want to bring in your remote employees from time to time, or like Buffer, have some kind of annual gathering.

While video meetings and chat are good, there is something to be said for meeting face to face. There are many ways to manage your international business travel, from rewards cards to mileage programs, and rewards programs can save you substantial money, especially when traveling abroad. Don’t be afraid to bring employees to you too, for annual reviews or other special events. Make this a positive experience for them, and use the time to connect and build a deeper relationship.

Global management and handling an international workforce comes with a number of challenges, but in the end, the diversity, the relationships you develop, and the broader presence of your company will be worth all of the work.

A Happy New Year 2019 to you. May it bring you health, happiness and lots of success in your projects.

The holidays are over and you are probably already getting back-to-work blues. That’s alright, most of us  experience a form of adjustment and maybe even feel a little overwhelmed at the change of pace

I thought I could ease myself in slowly by starting on Thursday already and then it hit me like a snowball. Friday, I was working away in a frenzy and did about four loads of washing at the same time. (I know, multitasking is not good for the brain, but every machine run is a bit like a smoking break – not that I smoke…but you get the gist.)

Since a long time I haven’t written a to-do-list other than the ones, I write to structure my housework. However, on Friday I wrote one and still many items are open because the client work, lecture and workshop preparations were more urgent than many of those small tasks.

I thought I should share with you my plan for starting this week in a mindful way even though it is packed.

Here’s a quick rundown of what I will do to get myself prepared. Hopefully, I have the energy to return to that to-do list every day of the next week.

• • Put away the holiday decorations – I know that’s the hardest part but it’s time to say goodbye to the holidays and throw out that Christmas tree (if you had one). I keep all cards but they go into a box and the decorations box is stowed away in the attic.

• • Start a new diary – Literally, it’s a new year and worth to get a new diary.

• • Fix your sleep cycle – I feel that far too many of us enjoy sleeping late during the holidays as group conversations go late into the night or you just can’t stop binging that new show on Netflix. From Monday I’m setting the alarm at 5.15 AM every day. Then I’m automatically tired at 10 PM and can go to sleep easily. On Saturday and Sunday, I will try to get up around 7 AM. Then it is easier to readjust. Ensure you do the same for the kids and encourage your spouse/partner as well.

• • Reconnect with yourself – The holidays can be a fun yet hectic time of the year and when the endorphins wear off, you may find yourself drained. Schedule some ‘me’ time and recharge yourself! Try to establish your weekly practices* again. If you have no time at all to yourself write down at least 10 wishes for the year.

• Cut down on snacks and reduce your alcohol intake back to normal – However delicious those holiday leftovers may seem, perhaps it’s best if we get back to giving our bodies healthier nutrition and rejuvenate our bodies! And while we now have all these New Year receptions coming up it is also better to bring down your alcohol level to normality. Maybe have herbal tea one or two nights a week.

With an ever-increasing number of professionals moving to another country for work, the holidays are the ideal time for a visit home and catching up with family and friends. It’s a magical time, with expats getting to re-experience their favorite memories – perhaps visiting that ice-cream store with a childhood best friend, reconnecting with an extended family member. These visits are why a lot of expats end up forming stronger bonds with their loved ones back home. Sometimes, we also want to be back in our own homes, our own lives and with our current friends. You might experience a bit of emotional turmoil, jet lag and other typical signs of travel.

That said, I know that for a lot of people, these vacations are a bittersweet affair. Returning might reinforce the feeling of loss at what was sacrificed for the sake of your career: the familiarity and comfort of ‘home’, relationships and even support networks. For those returning after a very long time, they might even find themselves feeling alienated in their own home and country, as they’ve gotten acclimatized to their new environment. Maybe you are happy to be back in the host country and suddenly realize that you are happy but that your spouse still hasn’t found that job he was looking for. And that you would feel better if your spouse had an identity again.

If your spouse has been looking for a job in Switzerland for more than six months and is desperate please send him my way.

We will offer the next #HireMeGroup starting 26 January 2019 and I have two spots left. Meetings will be held on three Saturday mornings from 9 AM to 12 PM in a new location in 8032 Zurich.

We will arrange one meeting per month on 26 January 2019, 16 February 2019, 9 March 2019. If you want to sign up or have a friend who needs to join us please reply to this email and let me know how I can reach you by phone.

Have a great start in 2019!

Angie

Do you want to start a career in Global Mobility? Do you want to become an even sharper and wittier consultant on top of GM Trends and well networked? 

Globalization, Digitalization, Urbanization, Outsourcing, and generational preferences are disrupting Global Mobility.

Automation, business transformation, and the gig economy challenge our approaches to global talent management, leadership development, and life planning.

What we assumed about pensions, family structures, migration, health and security in mobility policies is deconstructed by our realities.

These fundamental changes do not only have an impact on our policies and expats. They also shape our role, our profession and how we define our work.

I used to believe that someday Global Mobility Leaders will have a seat at the table. The time is now.

The Global Mobility Profession is ready for take-off. Are you ready to join our Cabin Crew?

Are you a Global Mobility Specialist or Manager? Do you feel it’s time for you to move on?

Do you feel you have all the capabilities, knowledge, skills to be successful in Mobility and international Human Resources for the next 20 years?

Do you have the necessary professional network and reputation to thrive?

• Improve your knowledge and skills in Global Mobility and international HR.
• Become a better listener and consultant.
• Raise your professional standing.
• Develop and maintain a professional network and support group in our community.
• Become more effective in (intercultural) communication.

Are you confronted with these challenges?

• Moving from being a transactional busy bee to being a recognized consultant,
• Suffering from imposter syndrome, fear of failure, perfectionism and other symptoms of fear (especially common among female professionals),
• Building effective professional relationships,
• Balancing work and personal life and staying healthy in a 24/7 environment,
• Negotiating across cultures and for promotions, talent programs, and other incentives,
• Knowing when to move on and finding a new role in this niche market,
• Deciding on a role in another country,
• Losing a job due to outsourcing and general industry trends.

Email angela@globalpeopletransitions.com to discuss your career development in Global Mobility.

“It is Rocket Science!”

Inge Nitsche (referring to Global Mobility)