If We Were Rebuilding a Global Mobility Function from Scratch

Episode Description 
In this episode, Ben uses a thought experiment to reflect on how a Global Mobility function might be designed if it were built from the ground up today. Rather than offering a prescriptive blueprint, the episode deliberately avoids one-size-fits-all answers and focuses on fundamental design questions around purpose, decision-making, capability, and visibility.

What This Episode Covers 
• why rebuilding Global Mobility is a useful thought experiment, not a call for radical change

• why structure and reporting lines should come after clarity of purpose

• how decision principles matter more than increasingly detailed policies

• the growing importance of judgment, communication, and capability in Global Mobility roles

• why much of Global Mobility’s impact remains invisible — and why that matters

Three Key Takeaways 
• Global Mobility design starts with clarity about purpose and priorities, not org charts

• intentional decision logic enables flexibility without constant renegotiation

• making impact visible is about insight and learning, not self-promotion

Key Insight 
Rebuilding Global Mobility from scratch does not mean rejecting existing practice. It means creating enough distance from established routines to question whether current designs still fit the realities Global Mobility faces today.

Why This Matters 
As Global Mobility operates under increasing complexity and expectation, reflecting on fundamental design choices can help teams move from reactive problem-solving to more intentional, sustainable ways of working.

Host 
Hosted by Benjamin Bader, Professor of International HRM and co-founder of MasteringGM®.

Subscribe 
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