Emotions, empathy and managing mobility

Here is a pretty scary statement with potentially spooky  repercussions for the world that I stumbled upon from the Forbes article, How Important Is Empathy To Successful Management?:

"We know from research that empathy is on the decline," says CHRO Bianca McCann at BetterWorks.

I am going to hold off on percolating on all the ramifications that the ongoing loss of empathy could have on the world (prefer not to go straight home completely freaked out this early in the day), but let's consider what challenges that presents in the world of global mobility.  

While every relocation is a logistical project management challenge that takes a wide variety of resources to support both the employee and the company effectively, it is also a human-centered endeavor where emotions are felt across the full spectrum – excitement, anticipation, confusion, frustration, and even fear. The employee journey can have numerous highs and lows so if you are one of those people in the world that is losing your empathetic capabilities, try tapping into a couple of great resources that can get you back on track:

1. What can neuroscience teach us about relocation? (aka, this is your brain on relocation) Jon Harman helps you better understand why we feel and act the way we do.
2. In Their Shoes which is a one-of-a-kind video where Plus Relocation's CEO Susan Benevides shares two decades worth of experiences in the shoes of Ida Raderstay. It allows you to walk alongside the relocating family and experience the journey through their eyes. 

I also recently read this article in Relocate Magazine from Kim Krollman who is a global relocation expert from Chamness Worldwide. Kim looks at the range of emotions that a new assignment, whether it be transfer abroad or a domestic move, throws up for employees and their families. However, at the core of the message (Kim's, Jon's, Susan's) is that we MUST tap into our empathetic capabilities to hone in on true insights and design real quality solutions that matter and that positively impact the mobile employee's experience. It is why empathizing is the first stage of and crucial element of the Design Thinking process. 

Looking for more? Hit our "employee journey" page for more options to download and consider.