9. Talk to your spouse or those closest to you about your mobility and willingness to move.
The following post assumes that you want to or can be mobile, as in you are willing to move or go somewhere to expose yourself and your family to other cultures. If you determine with your spouse that you are not mobile it may limit your ability to be promoted. It is possible that it doesn't limit it in any way but if you work for a multi-national corporation the chances are good that they want you at some time to work abroad or in an alternate location to see how you do in another area of the business.
Who takes the brunt of a move for the company you work for? It is usually the other person, the accompanying spouse. The one who has to take the kids to a new school. The one that doesn't have a job to go to but will need to go out looking for a new one. The one that will be searching for a new doctor, dentist, church, grocery store, and dry cleaners. The challenge of staying in touch with current friends and of finding new friends. All the givens will now be open for discussion.
Here are the things that I need to remember if I am going to tell my company that I am mobile to other parts of the company.
It is an ongoing dialogue and not a one time conversation. If it is a dialogue it means that we are going to talk and share. I am not going to be the only one talking during the conversation and telling my wife how it is going to be. We may need to talk about mobility many times and remind ourselves of what we agreed upon. It can be exciting to pick up and move but the idea of mobility is more exciting than the reality.
What is lost if you are not mobile? If you live in a community that you are happy in what would you lose by staying? Consider a pros and cons listing if you were to move.
Do live in a place that is just too expensive for your company and you see them slowly migrating out of your area? I love the Bay Area but let's get real that California and especially the Bay Area is a high-cost geography and in some cases it could mean the difference between profit and loss to a company that has thin margins. I owe it to my family to be realistic about the cost of living in a particular area. There are trade offs in every move. I can't paint an unrealistic picture of another location thinking happiness will be found at the destination.
Can the same be accomplished done with travel or short stints? Get creative with job assignments. Can you go for two or three weeks at a time? Weeks of travel may allow you to complete a project and demonstrate to your company your mobility.
Saying I am mobile may never materialize into an assignment. There can be a lot of hand-wringing over the idea of mobility but it may never come to pass. If it doesn't ever happen I still believe the conversation is important to have and to talk through.
How many times can you turn down an opportunity? This may come down to your company culture. Can you defer or delay without consequences? If you can say no to an opportunity, what are the consequences? Mobility questions and answers will have an impact on my future with the company. Those same questions will have a greater impact on those closest to me. The experience of others has been shared with me, if your spouse is not happy in a new location, it will certainly impact the whole experience in the new town, state or country.
Bottom line: I don't live in isolation, I am surrounded by other people that will be impacted by my decisions.
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