Top Tips to Manage Pressure and a 'One-Team' Global Mobility-RMC Partnership

Welcoming back with open arms to continue this 3-part series; my special guest-author Christian Ter-Nedden (please see end of article for Christian’s details and contact info).

Christian has extensive experience working in the RMC world partnering with Global Mobility teams, as well as leading high pressured and high performing Relocation Consultant teams.

The aim of our series is to bring to light the challenges of cultivating a trusted, safe, human-centred relationship when it comes to creating a healthy functioning partnership between Global Mobility and their chosen RMC partner.

In this second edition, Christian shares 3 more Top Tips for Global Mobility Teams to consider for a One-Team Partnership as well as highlighting the red flags to look out for.

We also acknowledge how tough it can in the role of a Relocation Consultant with multiple external stress triggers coming from both Global Mobility teams and the end-client (the assignee (and their family)). Ultimately both Global Mobility and the RMC share the same goal: for the assignee and their family to be happy. However, when the assignee is predominantly dealing with their assigned Relocation Consultant; when things go wrong, it’s more often than not that the RMC picks up the ‘blame’ or has to be the bad messenger to the client.

With such high-volume workload and being in highly demanding service role; it’s no wonder that Relocation Consultants are experiencing stress, anxiety and burnout. ?We recognise that you are often at the centre of life-changing transitions for your clients!

The role itself brings a unique set of pressures: tight timelines, moving parts, and emotional client needs. While these can create intense and stressful moments, embracing a compassionate approach - both for yourself and your clients - can help you to manage your own wellbeing, emotional and mental health. It’s not easy to communicate missing deadlines, not meeting expectations or ‘failing’ – when SO many things are outside the control of the Relocation Consultant.

In my experience as a Coach (and a human) the most helpful exercise we can do is to understand how we can create and manage personalised strategies to help us manage ‘pressure’ in a self-compassionate way.

Pressure being the internal feeling we manifest inside of us based on our internal motivations, external factors and the situation we are in. Pressure is something we 'put' on ourselves.

With my coaching insights from multiple conversations with Relocation Consultants across the industry, I know that the word ‘pressure’ resonates with you. No day is smooth-sailing and no day seems to stop (yes, I know a lot of you are working a lot of hours right up to the sacred hours of sleep). So, I share my 5 Compassionate Considerations to relieve and lighten pressure. This is the stuff we would most likely be working on together if we were in our coaching space together to support your wellbeing, emotional and mental health, as well as your energy management.

Ask yourself now, how are you dealing with pressure? Thriving, surviving, sinking?

.... Just keeping your head above water?

There’s an easier way. Head to the final section for my Compassionate Guide with 5 Considerations to help you personalise your pressure management strategy that focuses on you as a human, and not as a machine.

Part 2 – Next 3 Top Tips for Global Mobility Consideration

4. Dealing with challenges by partnering with your RMC

• The RMC’s experience makes them a valuable extension of your team – sharing the same goals to provide a great experience for transferring employees.

Red flag: Treating the RMC as a vendor providing a commodity.

Staying unbiased and calm, managing through issues and improvements, and focusing on the robust long-term relationship will yield a better analysis of the causes of any issues. The RMC’s expertise will be happily shared within a mindset of collaboration and “we-are- in-this-together.”

5. Implement a recurring review to gather information for progress

• Revisiting your mobility strategy and its policies and procedures is vital – best is to use a combination of employee surveys, benchmarking provided by the RMC, as well as a close examination of recurring exceptions to policy.

Red flag: Neglecting to review what works and what does not, particularly if it does (more or less).

At some point, your mobility strategy and your policies will no longer align with the organization’s overall talent management strategy.

An example would be sought-after talent preferring to work for a competitor because expectations have changed in your industry.

6. Obtaining first-hand information through the RMC consultants

• Always going back to the source – that’s what a historian does to establish what happened. Getting to know the consultants working with your organization’s transferees to learn more about their experience and their strengths.

Unbiased listening to all versions of the story.

Red flag: Seeing a point of outsourcing mobility services as minimizing interaction with your RMC partner. Knowledge that would be readily available to improve the programme collaboratively will remain unshared and unspoken.

This works both ways: Sharing news of a recent massive layoff with the consultants that will have to relocate some of the laid off employees makes everyone’s work less difficult.

Thank you Christian!

Now let’s look at how we can take a compassionate approach to deal with pressure:

My Compassionate Guide for Relocation Consultants.

1. Self-compassion is your guiding value

Wave your own Appreciation Flag: the first step is to acknowledge how tough your role can be on a daily basis. Self-validate your challenges and recognise that the work you do is absolutely crucial to deliver the hopes and dreams of others. Your work is not only vital to achieve the end goal; it’s challenging in a world of uncertainty, and can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. So ease the pressure off having to get every component right or for the experience to be perfect! You are present for others every step of their journey and so when things feel overwhelming, cultivate space for self-kindness and self-compassion. You’re human, not a robot.

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2. Set realistic boundaries and expectations

Are you practicing realism or perfectionism?

Our language programmes our thoughts. Setting up your intention helps to lighten feelings of anxiety and worry. Are you putting pressure on yourself through your inner critic or that unhelpful dialogue? Your ‘imposter’ wants to sabotage you and will get its way with language like, “I should”, “I have to”, “I ought to”. Avoid this pressure inducing narrative and notice that whatever you do – you’re doing your best to meet both expectations of others and the inner standards you hold for yourself . Try instead, “I can” “I’m committed to” “I can help by”.

For your wellbeing, take moments of ‘Pause’ – a few minutes, ten minutes and definitely take your lunch break. Schedule these Pauses directly into your diary: make space for breaks between big tasks or client calls. Use this time to decompress, breathe, take a walk, make a refreshing beverage. Create and maintain a ‘Self-Confidence Bank’ of all the positive feedback you receive from clients and colleagues so you can so you go to it and remind yourself of the great work and experiences you are responsible for! This ‘Bank’ is your reality – not the inner critic or that voice. Refer to it when the noisy inner narrative surfaces, or you can notice those phsyiological responses in your body, maybe heart pumping, sickness in the stomach or a fog taking over. Your Bank is there any time - especially when you're being too hard on yourself.

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3. Adopt a mindful listening approach

Empathise first, problem-solve second.

When clients express concerns, we can find sometimes notice ourselves shifting into a defensive mode. It’s OK – it just means that you care about your work! At this time where the client is sharing, be present and listen with empathy before offering solutions. Validating their experience and concerns is key to them feeling like you see them as a human, not another case. If the client feels seen and heard, this can help improve trust and safety in your relationship and how the client perceives ‘mistakes’ or misgivings in the future. So take a moment to acknowledge their stress and emotions. This alone can be very calming for both you and them. Expressing our feelings, concerns and stress allows our brain to release pressure – so take the time to support this process, knowing that brain science has got you covered!

4. Identify your empowerment anchors

Who is supporting you when you’re 'on the up' and or when you’re edging down with stress?

Connect with fellow consultants and discuss challenges with colleagues who can provide a fresh perspective, alternative ways to approach any obstacles, provide solution options, and sometimes do that very important thing of just reminding you that you’re not alone. It’s a no-brainer that they have also dealt with a lot of uncertainty, complicated or simple challenges as well as stressed out clients just like you. Share the load, feel lighter and more empowered in how to move forward to support a great client experience.

If you don't have empowerment anchors around you in your peer group - establish them. It's likely your fellow anchors will appreciate the support also when they need you.

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5. Integrate ‘Intention’ and a ‘check-in’ ritual

Circling back to acknowledging yourself and validating the challenges you navigate on a daily basis; start your work day by setting an intention that is aligned with compassion.

Here's some examples: “Today, I’ll approach each task or call with care and patience” or “I’ll focus on offering reassurance to clients who feel overwhelmed (and then also offer myself inner-assurance after we talk”)” or “I am here to do my best and navigate challenges in a compassionate and realistic way.”

It can be helpful to mirror your morning intention with an end-of-day reflection, spending a few minutes reflecting on what went well and how you might do things differently next time if you noticed something didn't feel good for you (maybe you noticed an emotional response, or, you didn’t stand up for yourself, or you went straight to solution-mode).

Give yourself space to recognise how you showed up for clients and yourself that day as well as showing yourself gratitude - especially for your own efforts as well as how your building your resilience.

And make sure you ‘bank’ any great compliments or personal wins straight into your Self-Confidence Bank. :)

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It’s easy isn’t it for me to share this Compassionate Guide to help us manage pressure, but when it comes to the situation where you’ve got unhappy clients or an unhappy Global Mobility partner it can feel like the world is coming down on you.

I truly understand. Having been Director of Client Services in my last role, I know what it feels like when you're trying to help an experience-led service. It's hard when you always strive to do your best, but sometimes, we have to acknowledge that the world isn't perfect; we are not perfect and we can't always get it right (or wave a magic wand to fix things).

What we can control is how we respond and help our clients through the messy parts.

That’s why it’s even more important NOW to take time out and consider how you’re supporting yourself. Because you're human, and your mental and emotional health is important.

Indeed, if you’re a Global Mobility manager? - how can you support your RMC partner to lean into these practices? Could you establish some of these rituals together within your One-Team Partnership?

For example, maybe it's not daily, but why not have a monthly intention and check in ritual together, or why not be an Empowerment Anchor for Relocation Consultants when they need you to back their corner and create a unified-one-team stand for the client. There's more that we can do. Giving ourselves space to reflect and integrate small rituals can make all the difference.

Shift from ‘Pressure’ to ‘Purpose’

And lastly, we all have the opportunity to show more compassion for each other. Again, saying it out loud here – every human counts. We are all in this together. Professionals who approach their role with integrity are those who turn up to work with an intention to deliver a great assignee experience; or we might say, they come to work with 'purpose'.

Let’s make the workplace a space based on Equity, Trust, Collaboration, Communication and Compassion.

If you need to catch up on Part 1, follow this link: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/part-1-3-top-tips-one-team-global-mobility-rmc-partnership-hill-tdv8f/?trackingId=zJXpw3NFT5agffiPQoFvxw%3D%3D

Acknowledging again my fellow co-author, the wonderful Christian Ter Nedden!

Contact Christian directly - [email protected]

I was born in Marburg, Germany, and moved to the Zurich, Switzerland, area at age 9. Not a great experience, as the culture shock was significant.

I obtained a M.A. in Linguistics and English at the University of Zurich, with a year abroad at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK.

Without knowing there was such a thing, I started in the relocation industry while still in college. As a Business German teacher to Zurich expats, I enhanced their dry German lessons with trips to the nearest supermarket. Destination services!

In California, I worked for a German-American cultural center with artists-in-residence who wanted to walk around Los Angeles and couldn’t drive. (More destination services required.)

My mobility career began in earnest with a five-year role at Cartus as an international mobility consultant. I later served as an operations manager and trainer for domestic and international mobility at Sterling Lexicon (Lexicon Relocation).

Currently, I'm looking for a new strategic and consultative role in mobility/relocation.

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