Global Mobility Trends

How can women live an enjoyable expatriation?

In general, women tend to be associated with personal skills which are considered conventionally “feminine”, such as flexibility, sensitivity, and empathy. Some potential expat women may have rejected an assignment because their partners were not willing to change their own career path rather drastically. On the other hand, those women who do in fact accept expat assignments are confronted with a “man’s world” among international employees. For those and many other reasons expat women face more challenges than their counterparts. To make living internationally more enjoyable, and to allow better assimilation into the community, women need to understand some of the potential differences trying to overcome them.

One major factor that leaves a person vulnerable in any situation is unfamiliarity. Learning such details as which streets and which neighborhoods are safest is one aspect of safety. The most common piece of advice given to expat women is to study the history, culture, and more importantly, the local language. It facilitates engagement in the community, makes taking care of tasks less frustrating, and helps to alleviate the feelings of isolation. On the other hand, networking with other expats as well as locals in the community is invaluable for feeling safe and secure in a foreign country. Networking is not just about adding friends to a list or finding fellow English speakers to talk to. Rather, it is about finding helpful and positive connections that help to gain some sense of control in a foreign culture.

As stated above, finding connections is a great need for expat women. Keeping a diary, or writing about one’s experiences in any way is always connective, and helps to sort out their feelings, while blogging is one of the best ways to establish friendly connections. Blogs are an excellent way for expat women to gain a valuable insight into the expat experience. An important effect that often results is becoming connected with others – expat bloggers, expats, potential expats, people who are interested in this interesting lifestyle choice, and many other pleasant surprises.

Client Relationship Management Tips

Client relationship management involves major challenges in our competitive marketplace. Too much emphasis is often placed on the immediate profit to meet the short-term organizational goals; however – little emphasis on relationship building and return on investment in the long run.From the organizational perspective, this process should encompass not simply immediate transactions but especially service quality through pipeline relationship building and client-centric practices based on analysis and forecasting of client trends and behaviors. The idea is to follow the type of principles and guidelines which enhance the client’s experience with the product or service and build client loyalty.
Projects often fall behind schedule, program costs exceed approved budgets, client retention rate drops, and the return on investment diminishes. Such problems can occur on regular bases. Relationships with clients can be easily damaged when the interactions do not serve the best interest of the clients. The field of global mobility requires a stronger client relationship management process to ensure improved levels of client satisfaction, retention, and overall outcomes.
Assignment managers should set realistic expectations and break those down into actionable steps to exceed project goals and enhance client experience. If unexpected problems occur, managers should promptly communicate with the client to discuss the situation and offer alternative solutions that would still meet the timelines and exceed all expectations. Keeping the clients informed and having alternative solution strategies in place would ease the process and increase the client’s confidence. It is better to set realistic timelines and budgets and deliver all promises to ensure future business from the same client.
Problems are resolved more effectively when relationships are built and set up in a way that would make each party comfortable with discussing alternative solutions and moving the business forward. A strong client relationship management process can minimize conflict, add value, retain clients, and build mutual loyalty.