Evidence, Insight, Impact: The MasteringGM® Podcast

Episode Description When organizations think about international assignment success, attention often focuses on policies, relocation support, vendors, compliance, and employee readiness. In this episode, Ben argues that one of the most important factors is frequently overlooked: the line manager. From setting expectations before departure to supporting employees abroad and helping them navigate re...

Episode Description Global Mobility professionals often describe themselves as feeling permanently stretched. The common explanation is workload: too many cases, too many stakeholders, and too many competing demands. In this episode, Ben argues that the real issue may run deeper. As Global Mobility has evolved beyond administration and compliance, the role increasingly requires professionals to na...

Episode Description International assignments do more than move employees across borders. They reveal how organizations deal with uncertainty, control, vulnerability, and trust. In this episode, Ben explores why mobility decisions provide a surprisingly powerful window into organizational trust dynamics — between leaders, functions, and employees themselves. The episode examines how international...

Episode Description Why do some highly successful employees suddenly struggle on international assignments? In this episode, Ben explores why strong performance at home does not automatically translate into international success. International assignments fundamentally change the environment around a person — and with it, the capabilities required to succeed. The episode examines how adaptability,...

Episode Description International assignments are often presented as rational, merit-based, and strategic decisions. But beneath the surface, assignment decisions are frequently shaped by visibility, influence, leadership agendas, and organizational politics. In this episode, Ben explores the hidden political dynamics behind international assignments — not as a sign of corruption or dysfunction, b...

Episode Description  Repatriation is one of the most critical — and most overlooked — phases of Global Mobility. In this episode, Ben explores why repatriation so often becomes an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” issue, how misaligned expectations create long-term fallout, and why Global Mobility teams are frequently left managing problems they did not cause. Rather than offering quick fixes, the...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores Global Mobility as a diagnostic lens for understanding how organizations actually function beneath the surface. Rather than focusing on policies or structures, the episode examines how Global Mobility reveals silos, power dynamics, trust, strategic misalignment, and the gap between stated values and everyday decision-making.   What This...

Episode Description In this special episode, Ben introduces the upcoming WAVE Impact Series in the United States — a new series of highly interactive workshop sessions designed specifically for senior in-house Global Mobility professionals. The episode explores why Global Mobility often struggles with visibility and strategic influence inside organizations, and why making value visible requires fa...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores a question that increasingly reflects everyday Global Mobility practice: has Global Mobility quietly become a negotiation function? Rather than starting from a fixed position, the episode examines how growing complexity, rising expectations, and frequent exceptions are reshaping how mobility decisions are actually made — and what this sh...

Episode Description In this episode, Ben explores why employee choice has become a central theme in Global Mobility — and why it is far more complex than it first appears. While increased choice can empower employees and support engagement, the episode shows how poorly designed choice can also create misaligned expectations, fairness issues, and blurred accountability.   What This Episode Cov...

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 Description  In this episode, Ben discusses an open-access research paper published in The International Journal of Human Resource Management that examines how international assignments create different types of organizational value for home and host units. Co-authored by Phil Renshaw, Emma Parry, and MasteringGM® co-founder Michael Dickmann, the study challenges simplistic views of a...

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...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores why Global Mobility is often difficult to explain to senior stakeholders — and why this lack of clarity creates real challenges for the function. Drawing on a personal reflection from a conversation with a CFO, the episode shows how Global Mobility’s value is frequently reduced to operational tasks, and what gets lost when its broader contrib...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben makes a clear case for professional development in Global Mobility — not as a luxury or reward, but as an essential part of doing the job well. Acknowledging the constant pressure and workload Global Mobility professionals face, the episode reframes development as a deliberate, sustainable choice rather than something to postpone until “things calm do...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben discusses a recent research paper published in The International Journal of Human Resource Management that examines when cultural intelligence actually supports expatriate cross-cultural work adjustment — and when it does not. Rather than treating cultural intelligence as universally beneficial, the study shows how its effectiveness depends on specifi...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores why being “employee-centric” in Global Mobility — while well-intentioned — can sometimes create unintended consequences. The episode challenges the assumption that employee-centricity automatically leads to better outcomes and argues for a more intentional, principle-based approach that balances care with clarity, consistency, and sustainabil...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben unpacks why the term “Strategic Global Mobility” is used so frequently — and yet often explains very little in practice. The episode challenges common assumptions about what makes Global Mobility strategic and reframes strategy as contribution to decision-making rather than status, proximity, or language.   What This Episode Covers  • why “s...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben discusses a research paper by Tony Edwards and his co-authors that examines how global HR norms are created and negotiated inside multinational companies. Rather than treating global practices as simple headquarters-driven rollouts, the episode explores norm-making as a dynamic, contested process — and explains why this perspective is highly relevant...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores why Global Mobility business cases often struggle to resonate outside the function. Rather than arguing that business cases “fail,” the episode unpacks common structural issues: hidden assumptions, inward-looking logic, and a focus on activity rather than impact. It then outlines how Global Mobility professionals can build cases that speak to...

Episode Description  In this episode, Benjamin Bader explores why exception culture quietly drains time, credibility, and value in Global Mobility — and why the solution is not stricter rule-following. The episode argues for flexibility by design: structured, principled decision-making that allows case-by-case judgment while preserving consistency and trust.   What This Episode Covers&nb...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores why so much learning in Global Mobility fails to translate into changed practice. While knowledge acquisition is common, real behavioral change is far less so. The episode focuses on what it takes to design learning experiences that actually stick and lead to different decisions, actions, and outcomes in Global Mobility roles.   What Thi...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben discusses an open-access research article on expatriate performance management in multinational companies. Drawing on a large international comparison, the episode explores how organisations from different countries design and use expatriate performance management systems, and why there is no single “best” model. Instead, the episode highlights the im...

Episode Description  In this episode, Ben explores what senior leaders actually expect from global mobility — drawing on years of consulting projects, executive workshops, and academic research. Rather than focusing on operational delivery alone, the episode unpacks the often unspoken expectations that shape how global mobility is perceived, trusted, and valued at senior levels.   What T...

Episode Description In this episode, Ben focuses on the role of global mobility professionals and how they can strengthen their visibility and influence within the organisation. The episode explores why doing a great operational job is often not enough — and how documenting work, using data, and telling a clear story are essential for earning a meaningful seat at the table.   What This Episod...