Love and Rockets...

It’s the height of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Asia, and I have just started a new job. That in itself is a remarkable thing, but the circumstances leading up to it, the way it has manifested and worked out, and what I have discovered as a result, is so remarkable, that I was compelled to write about it. First some background…

I just ended a six-month career break. It was an incredible experience in which I enjoyed the opportunity to take a deliberate break for the first time in my career... I was able to spend time in New Zealand on our country property there, go hiking in Europe, and relax at home in Singapore reconnecting with family, with friends, with people I admire and frankly, with myself. I got healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally; I afforded myself the luxury of time: to sit and think, read, cook, listen to music, photograph...to get focused on what really matters to me, revisiting my priorities.

I was also able to take my time and explore different opportunities to take my career forward, with clarity on what I really wanted and what motivates me. It turned out to be one of the best career decisions I have ever made. I met with many firms, and discussed multiple roles, some felt close to what I wanted, some felt far off the mark; the luxury was in taking my time, and looking at these opportunities through fresh eyes. I read a lot during this time, I contemplated a lot, and let my mind roam… then, in the midst of this bliss and introspection, the pandemic hit.

“Put it Out There”

Folks who know me know that I try to live my life, both personally and professionally, with a pretty positive outlook; I’m no Pollyanna, but I do feel strongly that your attitude dictates your altitude. I have made no secret of my leadership philosophy, which is not so much about leadership, as it is just being a good human being (I have written about it on this platform). The one thing that ties it all together is basically putting out into the world the type of stuff you’d like to receive from it… call it karma, call it the "Golden Rule", call it common sense… label it however best fits your beliefs, but being genuine, gracious, kind, and grateful generally creates the same in return, and I prefer life like this. Many folks have asked me how I went about getting employed in the middle of a global pandemic, and most especially, at such an amazing company. This genuine practice is how I landed on a rocket ship, and joined a Dream Team. It’s a long story, but here’s the Cliffs Notes:

I began the process by listing out 20 companies that I know that I would like to have conversations with, where I also have contacts in my social network. I reached out to them, and started doing just that: talking. Mind you, I was in a very unique position, in that I had made a conscious decision to step away from my career, unwind myself (I was wound up pretty tight), and refocus. Thus, I was not desperate, nor was I a “job-seeker”, but rather and interested party exploring ideas, opportunity, and trying to understand not only the firms strategy, but most importantly, their culture…or, lack thereof. I met with them all. It was so interesting, that I decided to do more… I made a longer list… I met with them… I did it again, and this time because I was doing this with genuine interest and learning, the companies were now coming to me. Again, I am no Alchemist; this is due to me speaking with wonderful folks in the search industry, with leaders in technology, with friends in amazing companies, and opening my mind to the possibility of moving anywhere in the world. I even did an interview with a firm in Belgium while on holiday with the family in Europe! Left them in Milan, flew to Brussels, spent the day, flew back that night… (amazing company by the way). My point is I was not limited, and thus, nor were my options. I did not treat it as a task, I looked at it as an opportunity to learn: about myself, about new areas, about people and culture. 48 roles in 37 companies over 5 months. I set my LinkedIn employer as “Career Break”, and my position as “Preparing to ride a rocket ship into the new decade”, and I put out the right energy.

I won’t go into all the details, as there is much I am glossing over, but here’s the last bit of this part of the story… I am an avid reader of news and market articles as well as a prolific user of LinkedIn. I do these things, every day, at least 3X per day. I read an article in early February about a firm called Globalization Partners (GP) that had just received a massive vote of confidence in its model and endorsement of leadership via a minority private equity investment of $150M USD. I know this company. I have partnered with this company before. I know people in this company. I was thrilled for them, and for what it means for the industry… so, I wrote a congratulatory post, linked the article, and threw it into my daily activity on LinkedIn. I was genuinely happy for them. About 24 hours later, the CEO and founder dropped me a line, asking me what I was up to these days, and if I might be interested in rocket ships… Now, of course I was more than happy to have that conversation, and the rest of the story is a fairy-tale like dream sequence (one that I am living in as I type this), but the point is this: I didn’t expect anything out of it, I did it because it was the right thing to do, and it was genuine. And what I experienced after that note left me more than impressed, it made me grateful.

“Laps In Champagne”

So, as I went through my journey to get to today, the global pandemic really took hold. We are in lockdown in Singapore as I write. This is important because it affected the process I went through and am going through at Globalization Partners, yet at the same time, it had no effect whatsoever. I was unable to go to Boston, the headquarters, to have my face to face interviews. So, we did these over Zoom. In each conversation, I was able to see the passion, the dedication, and common traits of the people I met, across time zones and around the world. This actually enhanced the process, as I was able to get perspective and see the story was consistent; morning speaking with folks in San Diego, afternoon with folks in Asia and Europe, and evening with Boston ( I must also call out that the teams were NOT stereotypical: for example, the Boston associates were scheduling calls with me as early as 06h00 their time, which I am certainly not accustomed to; Asia usually gets the short end of the stick when it comes to calls…). Multiple conversations were followed up immediately with actions and deliverables, and at every step, smooth, deliberate, and well thought out communication. They did what they said they’d do. Every time. Totally professional. I learned about the business, the opportunity, the growth, and realized it is indeed a Rocket Ship. I also began to realize that these people were GOOD. And I mean good not only as in professional and talented. I mean GOOD, as in, solid, gracious, sincere and inclusive humans. Essentially, I felt connection. I felt trust. I felt passion, authenticity, commonality… I guess, as corny as it sounds, I kinda fell in love!

So, the fairy tale ending is I got the job, and I am feeling both blessed and grateful. The team is exactly as I had thought, and the opportunity is incredible; I will speak to this in a moment. The fascinating aspect of what happened next is this: a lot of companies talk about spreading their culture, going digital, helping people…they talk about “eating their own dog food” (gross), “drinking the Kool-Aid” (meh), or “drinking their own champagne” (better)… but GP takes it to another level. Let me explain… GP is a digital native business, which means the best model for today’s world; amazing strategy, tools, and execution… but the real “software” is the people who make the culture real. Because of this fact, my entire experience from initial interviews, to initial training, and then one on one meetings, parties welcoming me (!), and social networking, have been 100% digital, and 100% well delivered. It’s been superbly designed, it’s been amazing, it's been flawless, and most of all: it’s been critical given the times we live in. Across the entirety of the business, from the initial engagement of employees through to the on-boarding of our client’s professionals, we are applying our best services, technology, and people to ensure the best possible experience. And it’s what we do, every day, for all the people who we touch with our business. It’s not rocket science, but it does take focused, intentional planning to implement a healthy on-boarding program, and even more so to foster a sense of inclusion and purpose, all the while doing so virtually.

“…people are our business! So, when it comes to what we do, how we do it, and how we treat each other and YOUR global team, you’ll find that respect, dignity, and kindness are at our core.” - Nicole Sahin, CEO of Globalization Partners

The thoughtfulness, planning, and execution is part of the DNA here, and it's delivered through our Global Expansion Platform?, which is equal parts technology and amazing people. On-boarding is a critical moment in the employee life cycle and the unique opportunity companies have to engage their new hires, excite them and provide assurance and confidence that they have joined a great company. Making the life-changing decision to move to a new employer should not be followed by disappointment at the start of the journey. People need to feel that they have made the right choice from the very beginning, and this creates a strong bond with the company, the new team and a sense of common purpose. Globalization Partners looks at all employees, both the ones who are a part of the core business and the professionals we employ on behalf of our clients, through this lens: “what can we do to help maximise your success, at every step of your career?” So, we don’t just drink our own champagne, we swim laps in it!

“Mission Control”

The pandemic has altered our present and future workforce and HCM landscape like nothing has ever done before and it will take longer for things to get back to steady state than most people are predicting or can imagine. However, this does not mean that there is no opportunity for growth or global expansion, in fact, quite the contrary; and it’s an amazing time to find outstanding talent all over the world. In this article from Harvard Business Review written by Claudio Fernández-Aráoz, the case is clearly laid out for why now is an amazing point in time to put talent acquisition plans in place, engage top candidates, and grow your business through the power of great people. However, this forces some decisions that need to be made about how best to get started. Even as people go back to work, businesses will need to continue to build infrastructure for remote workforces, and this is beyond simply leveraging video conferencing and productivity software, this is also about finding new types of business models for tapping into world class talent in local markets and hiring them without taking on burdensome costs, processes, and risk… and doing so with incredible speed and no-compromise on compliance.

Businesses will need to use new types of recruitment engines that source the best talent anywhere in the world. They will need a partner with a model that can scale to their growth requirements, providing compliant employment services to local labour law, the logistics of on-boarding seamlessly, the ability to pay and administer benefits in any market the business chooses. They will need a partner who acts as an extension of their business, an HR arm, who is able to consult with the business and guide them as they encounter the logistics of growth; hiring talent, and making decisions on how to grow remotely. At the same time, they will come to understand that this is not only possible, but better for their business… they will be able to do what our CEO, Nicole Sahin, has done for GP: that is truly deliver on the “Triple Bottom Line”. Firms will see that they can source more/better people from anywhere in the world, while saving costs not deploying infrastructure they don’t need and they will already have much of what they need in place to make it work because they were forced to do so due to the proliferation of the three letter acronym we all now know: WFH. This is an incredibly exciting time for businesses and talent to navigate this “Now of Work”. Our models and solutions are purpose designed to help employers and professionals embrace the new opportunities and changes that we are all grappling with, and I am thrilled to be able to be a part this revolution.

Looking Forward...

As I discussed with another executive during a Zoom meeting this week who also just started in a new role, we probably will never forget that we’ve started our new jobs in this strange, and frankly, unprecedented time. We will also likely build the next chapters of our careers in a world that will be much different from what we had expected. We grow more certain that some of the changes we’re experiencing now are here to stay. Regardless, there is some awesome opportunity in this. We have choices… the choice to live with intention, the choice to continue to learn, the choice to grow. This pivotal moment in all our lives is an opportunity to focus on what truly matters, and “put it out there”. Make your talents available to those who need them. Think of others and see how you can help. Spread hope and look for ways to adapt to the change. Practice quietude, patience, and empathy. And most of all, be grateful… I am so grateful for how life continues to open doors and I am committed to following my own advice; so if I can help you in any way, please do reach out and let me know. I wish you peace, happiness, good health, and dreams fulfilled. I wish you Dulcius Ex Asperis…