Susan Schneider’s Blog

It’s Hard to Find the Humor

I have always prided myself in trying to find humor in difficult situations. I guess you could call it my personal coping mechanism. Yet, after watching the news, reading the paper, as well as listening to others’ conversations, it is difficult to find much to laugh at when you look at our current economic situation.

I received an e-mail from our financial advisor today who summed up the cause of this challenging market in three words: greed, leverage and fear. The greed of Wall Street, as well as real estate speculators and homeowners, the leveraging of borrowed money against a booming real estate market which burst creating failure among some of our largest financial institutions, and now an insurmountable fear in those directly and indirectly impacted. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but it does hit the major points.

So, what does this mean for us in the relocation industry? It probably means that the light at the end of the tunnel is a bit further than we anticipated in the beginning of the year. When talking with corporate clients, there is definitely a cloud of hesitation looming. Relocation in some sectors will slow as moves become more expensive and qualified candidates opt out because they are upside down on their homes. For some companies, there may be an increase in relocation, but unfortunately that will be at the sacrifice of needing to close plants, offices, or realign management.

I feel a bit like a broken record when I keep addressing the need to stay flexible and open for change. We need to be creative; finding solutions that will maximize the return on investment. Don’t be afraid to beta test a new real estate marketing idea, change your relocation policy to get some short term results, continue to monitor all exceptions and of course keep positive.

I'm reminded of something our CEO has said for many years: "the greater the problem, the greater the opportunity." That is so true right now. The solutions for these problems are out there, waiting for us to uncover them. It will take extra focus from all of us, but in the end, I believe we are going to find a way to make this work. And, I'll work on getting my sense of humor to return...

It’s All in the Prep

The number of permanent moves to another country continues to increase at a staggering rate. What is also staggering is that the estimated rate of failure on assignment moves is around 30% . One might assume that most companies have the resources and policies to combat this failure rate. The truth is, many are new to this arena and are trying their best to find their way through this complicated journey.

To some of you, today’s information is well known, and this will hopefully be a good refresher or review. To others, it will be the first time you have seen this method of assignment planning. In either case, these thoughts have considerable value, and I would like to share them with you.

It begins by getting the right people at the table. Your pre-assignment planning meeting should include representatives from the host country, payroll, and tax. Then, plan your plan. All stakeholders need to agree on the budget, because at the end of the day, that is what will determine the benefits. Your goal is simple: maximize the benefits and minimize the costs. Next, set expectations and roles for the assignee and for everyone involved. Who will own the budget? Who will be the central point of communication? How are issues escalated?

Finally, stay firm but flexible. Can you do both? It is important to understand that each assignee comes with their own unique set of experiences and needs; yet each special request needs to be vetted through the group. Sometimes it may be in the best interest of the employee to give them alternative solutions that are also in the best interest of the company.

I have found that these things put everyone in a better position for success in assignment planning. The extra time spent in prepping and communicating global moves is well worth the effort.

Death by Paper Cut

This is my newest saying as it relates to anything that is too long, too winded, too boring. Today I want to talk about focus, especially as it relates to meetings, conference calls, or client visits.

Anyone who knows me understands that I like to move quickly, sometimes too quickly, but that is for another post. My point is, like many, I need conversations to stay on track in order to keep my interest. Otherwise, I inevitably start to think through my to-do list, count ceiling tiles, or worse yet, do bodily harm with the edge of my paper to produce a short coma. Ok not actually, but you get the point.

There are times when we are all easily distracted and thinking about the next place we need to be. Truthfully now, how many of you can admit to responding to e-mails while on a conference call?  I literally have to turn away from my computer, because the reality is we are not, even though we tell ourselves we are, good at multi-tasking. Our brains cannot listen to a conversation and craft an e-mail at the same time.

Meetings, agendas, actions, and outcomes are important. If you run out of time, getting an agreement to lengthen a meeting is important; feeling like you have to fill the original allotted time is not. If it is possible through focus, to achieve your meetings goals in a shorter period of time, then by all means, end it early. My favorite thing to do is surprise people with an extra fifteen minutes in their day that they were not expecting. Remember in college, when your professor would let you go early? It always set the tone for a great day!

It’s Hard Not to Talk Politics…

Especially when the RNC is happening right in my own backyard. The political race is definitely top of mind. I am wise enough to know that sharing my personal political views in this venue is not a smart idea, but I would like to talk about it from the macro level.

Whether you sit on the left or the right, you have to say that many Americans are fully engaged in looking for the best ways to lead our changing country. You can also see that we are watching history and transition in the making: from the running of a female presidential candidate, to the first African-American announcing his run for the presidential seat, to the possibility of a female in the V.P role. No one can deny that barriers are being broken down and the future is exciting.

On the micro level, I see the same kind of engagement and dedication, as we look for the best ways to lead our changing industry. The past twelve months have brought about some of the greatest challenges we have seen in decades; the old way of doing business, especially real estate, is no longer. In this challenging time, corporations and service providers are working together, better than they have in the past, to identify and create solutions for success. Difficult conversations with transferees are being handled with the greatest amount of care and compassion. Policies and processes are being restructured and redefined. My greatest hope is that when we look back at this period, we are pleased with how we faced the issues head on and created some of the best relocation solutions we have seen in years.

On a final note, I just want to say that my heartfelt thoughts are with those of you who are being impacted by Hurricane Gustav. As the relief and reconstructive efforts continue, my hope is that your families, employees, and other friends will be able to return to their homes very soon.