Mobility’s mood board is a box of chaos tied together with a bow of bounded optimism

Like many of you, my colleague, Senior Manager of Consulting Services Mary Fitzpatrick, is adjusting to a new normal of managing a team while everyone is working from home. I have had the pleasure of working with Mary for many years, and if she implemented your account, your already know about the magic of Mary. She is an expert in policy and program development, as well as project management, and truly enjoys and excels in guiding mobility programs to functioning at a higher level. 

Mary is notorious for finding great articles and podcasts on a wide variety of mobility topics. Here she has found one to challenge our concepts on leadership.  Take it away, Mary...

The new normal is not so normal.

Just as everyone gets used to the new normal of Zoom meetings, pet interruptions and home schooling, governments around the world are starting to loosen the restrictions allowing office and mobility managers to tackle their next project: how do we strategically begin moving people again to keep them safe and meet the needs of the business?

For mobility managers, your role becomes more like air traffic controllers tracking which offices are open, where did people stop their mobility journeys and how do you get them in the right place just at the right time, all while maintaining a respectable social distance. Remaining calm and confident with the recommendations that you make to the business and people in transit while the rule books are changing is no small feat. It’s easy to get into a routine of swinging from moments of self-doubt to moments of clarity until you find your footing and structure in the new, albeit temporary, normal.

To help guide leaders to stay calm in the chaos, McKinsey & Company recently provided six steps for bounded optimism. Bounded optimism is a balance of confidence and hope intermixed with realism that empowers leaders to find compassion for themselves while they pivot to find the opportunity in the challenges.

Looking for some additional insights on managing the unending obstacles presented to global mobility?  Try, “Challenge, Accepted: How to Overcome Obstacles and Support Your Relocating Employees.”