What If Global Mobility Stopped Doing Its Job?

Episode Description 
In this episode, Ben uses a thought experiment to explore the often-invisible value of Global Mobility by imagining what would happen if the function quietly stopped doing its job. By focusing on absence rather than activity, the episode highlights why Global Mobility’s contribution to business performance is real, critical, and frequently underestimated.

What This Episode Covers 
• why the value of Global Mobility is rarely visible when things go right

• how the absence of coordination, judgment, and prevention creates downstream problems

• why many Global Mobility issues surface outside the function itself

• how Global Mobility compares to functions like Finance, Legal, and IT in terms of invisible value

• why non-events are often the strongest indicator of success

Three Key Takeaways 
• much of Global Mobility’s value lies in prevention rather than execution

• when Global Mobility weakens, problems emerge elsewhere in the organization

• value becomes most visible when the function’s coordinating role disappears

Key Insight 
Global Mobility creates business value by reducing friction, managing complexity, and enabling informed decisions — contributions that are often only recognized once they are missing.

Why This Matters 
As organizations scrutinize costs and functions more closely, understanding and articulating the hidden value of Global Mobility is essential for credibility, investment, and long-term sustainability.

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

Subscribe 
Subscribe to Evidence, Insight, Impact — The MasteringGM® Podcast for short, focused episodes that connect research, insight, and real-world Global Mobility practice.