Mobility Strategy – Moving Beyond Benchmarking
By Tim O’Shea, Vice President, Mobility Strategy, Graebel
Mobility’s no longer only about moving people from A to B in the most efficient way possible.
It’s time to think bigger!
These days, Mobility is engaged in global economies and regulatory systems more than ever before. For example, it’s deeply involved in nurturing top talent – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Isn’t it logical, then, that with this expertise in hand, Mobility can offer an organisation far more than relocation operational solutions and transactions?
Now’s the time for Mobility to shift from being a transaction, siloed department into a trusted and valued partner to functional areas and business units across the organisation. Getting to that point takes persistence, constructive dialogue and a clear demonstration of Mobility’s return and value proposition. And all of that requires a Mobility Strategy.
It’s encouraging to see that a few of the best Mobility programmes around the globe are moving in that direction and rethinking their roles and ability to add lasting value.
What About Mobility Benchmarking?
Mobility programme analysis historically has focused exclusively on benchmarking the organisation’s relocation policies and benefits – a very transactional view of Mobility. Benchmarking is only the first chapter of the value story. It falls well short of assessing and measuring the programme’s overall value … or potential value.
Don’t get me wrong – Mobility teams must ensure their relocation policies and benefits are appropriate and competitive. But that’s the easy part. After that, they need to roll up their sleeves and move beyond benchmarking to strategic services.
The Graebel Mobility Strategy Service
As I mentioned, leading Mobility programmes are embracing the Mobility strategy imperative and the challenges and work that goes with it. At Graebel, we’ve explored the elements of Mobility strategy development with many of our clients. We’ve also taken the discussion to the industry as a whole at insideMOBILITY events – from Miami to Singapore and points in between.
What we’ve learned is that Mobility strategy itself is not an off-the-shelf blueprint. But the process of developing that strategy can be captured in a logical, sequential programme that utilises essential tools and exercises. We’ve developed and honed these tools and exercises over the past several years, and we’re already partnering with companies to help them define their programme strategies. The results have been impressive as these companies find themselves in a new world of Mobility – they’re asking different questions, measuring more important aspects and building stronger stakeholder relationships.
The Brave, Big, New World of Mobility
Moving forward, Mobility will continue to address policy development and benchmarking. It will still oversee relocations, escalations and exceptions. We’ve heard loud and clear though, that that’s not where the vast majority of Mobility leaders want to spend their time. They’re eager to engage across their organisations in strategic ways.
That journey isn’t easy – it takes work and it takes time. It may push some Mobility leaders out of their comfort zone. But when Mobility begins working side by side with key stakeholders and operating divisions within their organisation, two things are certain:
- Mobility will be a far more personally rewarding career than ever
- Mobility will help drive the success of the organisation
Ready to get going? Contact me for more information.