mBARC Provides Multinational Companies with “Sheltering in Country” Support

mBARC provides information, communications and business continuity support program to help companies with employees around the world safely and successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic; partnership with Corporate Health LLC to make program available across Russia.

 

BOCA RATON, FL – April 24, 2020 – mBARC, the “globility” company, today announces an information and communications program to support multinational companies with employees “sheltering in country” around the world. Reports have been pouring in from locations across the globe attesting to the uncertainty and anxiety expatriates are experiencing, which are often heightened by the lack of clear direction and support from their employers back home. The mBARC program offers a combination of timely webinars, virtual town halls to connect global workforces, a chatbot for on-demand access to up-to-the minute COVID-related information, employee assessments to identify needs, and a help desk for employees and their families seeking support and access to critical resources.

The program includes the following components:

1. Real-time webinars lead by mBARC’s team of experts in behavioral health, pandemic response and business continuity, incuding a Q&A with the company’s leadership and workforce. Topics to include:

  • Managing the Human Impacts of COVID-19: a series on behavioral health/coping strategies for employees.
  • Organizational Agility and Business Continuity: tools and approaches for optimizing communications/collaboration/engagement across a “remote” workforce.
  • Executive COVID Briefing: lead by mBARC’s team of infectious disease experts, attendees will be brought up to date on what we know, what we don’t know, what to prepare for.

2. Virtual Town Hall: mBARC will coordinate and host virtual town hall-type meetings connecting company leadership with their workforce around the world.   

3. Resiliency Assessments: evaluate coping, overall performance, including how well employees are adapting to tele-work during the crisis; identify needs as they arise.

4. Chatbot: provides users with on-demand information and insight on the fast-evolving virus. Includes information on symptoms, transmission, prevention, treatment, latest news developments, and resources.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is an entirely new category of critical incident that will bring unprecedented levels of uncertainty, anxiety and disruption, which is increasingly the case with expats who find themselves in limbo – ineligible for support from the host country, and fearful of losing their jobs if they return to the U.S.(or their home country),” said Ken Burgess, mBARC co-Founder. “Our program enables companies to provide their expats with up-to-date information, clear direction and on-demand support to decrease their anxiety, help promote healthy behaviors, and maintain business continuity during this crisis.”

 

Corporate Health, LLC, Russia-based EAP, engages mBARC to make the program available to companies with workforces located across Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belorussia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.  

“As we’re starting to see here in Russia, the duration and unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic make it very different from a standard critical incident, demanding that companies take specific measures to support the mental health and wellbeing of their employees to maintain focus and business continuity,” said Alexander Shtoulman, General Director for Corporate Health. “Combining mBARC’s program with our EAP services enables us to keep the organizations we serve better informed, safer, less anxious and more productive.”

“Corporate Health, a true pioneer in bringing EAP to Russia, has a well-deserved reputation for providing responsive, discrete, and effective counseling and critical incident services,” said Burgess. “Working together, we will be able to provide expats as well as Russian nationals with guidance, reliable information and support, enabling multinationals to safeguard their most valuable assets anywhere in the world.”  

 

On Thursday, May 21, at 5 PM (Moscow Time), mBARC, in association with Corporate Health, will be moderating a webinar on “Behavioral Health and Well-Being: the Cornerstones of Business Continuity During the COVID-19 Crisis.” Click to learn more and to register. 

 
About mBARC

mBARC is a “globility” company providing all segments of the mobile workforce with tools, expertise and guidance for safe, successful business assignments anywhere in the world – from expatriates to tele-workers. mBARC was developed in consultation with a cross section of business leaders and experts in the fields of global security and workforce mobility, risk management, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral science. For more, visit www.mbarcworld.com

 

About Corporate Health

Corporate Health, LLC was established in 2008 and has become the first Russian provider of Employee Assistance Program and other workplace services. They currently service more than 250 organizations in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belorussia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia, thirty of which are on the Fortune Global 500 list. For more, visit www.corphealth.ru.

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Categories: Press Release.

mBARC, the “Globility Company,” Officially Launches

mBARC to provide expertise, guidance and readiness tools for safe and successful business assignments anywhere in the world

 

BOCA RATON, FL – February 5, 2020 – Today marks the official launch of mBARC, a “globility” platform providing comprehensive, personalized, destination-specific support to assure safe and successful business assignments anywhere in the world. mBARC covers all phases of the expatriate journey, beginning with an AI-driven assessment that gauges adaptability to the host country/region, cultural competence and situational/risk awareness. Each expat and his/her family is paired with a dedicated “Navigator” – a coach with deep and broad regional expertise, to help prepare and provide support for the life of the assignment. mBARC also provides managers with Duty of Care training on their responsibilities and role in assuring their employees’ safety when sent to given world locations.

mBARC was developed in consultation with a cross section of business leaders and experts in the fields of global security and workforce mobility, risk management, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral science. The destination-specific assessment and preparation instrument, called the International Assignment Profile, has been used by hundreds of expats and their families in identifying assignment “risk” and preparing them for successful overseas assignments. mBARC’s Navigators are credentialed counselors and coaches who have lived and worked in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. They provide mentoring during the pre-departure phase, in-country guidance, ongoing engagement, and critical incident support.

“Employees on an overseas assignment of any duration have a much greater chance of success when they are resilient and engaged, have an understanding of the culture plus support for their spouse and/or family, a clear-eyed view of the threats and risks associated with their location, and are trained in security protocols and crisis management/response,” said Ken Burgess, mBARC co-founder. “Our AI-driven assessment and readiness instrument and the expertise of our roster of top international coaches, enable us to assure successful business assignments and safeguard a company’s investment in their global workforce.”  

 

mBARC Addresses the Following Company Pain Points:

  • Failed assignments due to lack of preparation.
  • Need to manage increasing size and complexity of mobile workforce.
  • Management unaware of their DOC responsibilities.
  • Lack of In-country support.
  • Lack of engagement during assignment.
  • Successful assignment, failed transition back home.

 

“Expat failure rates among U.S. companies remain high, with costs of failed assignments running into the millions, largely due to poor preparation, lack of responsive in-country support, and unsuccessful repatriation – a largely unmet need that mBARC was formed to address,” said Charles Epstein, mBARC co-founder. “mBARC is essentially an extended warranty on an organization’s mobile workforce. We look forward to working with companies in safely and successfully extending their reach to all parts of the world and achieving their international business objectives.”

For more, email info@mbarcworld.com.

Categories: Press Release.

Case Study: On Assignment in Perth, Australia

Destination: Perth, Australia.

Assignment: 2 years in country.  

Who: Manager in his 50s.

Background:  During his acceptance meeting with management, the manager insisted he’d spend the assignment unaccompanied, despite being married for over 20 years:  “my wife has many commitments and she feels that this would be best.”

As a standard component of the pre departure process, the coach arranged for the couple to independently complete our assessment using our International Assignment Profile tool to identify pre-assignment risk factors.   The couple complied and completed the assessment, but when the coach attempted to schedule a follow-up call to discuss the results, the manager initially refused to have her join the call: “my wife is not accompanying me to Perth, why does she need to be on the call?”   Sensing the manager was avoiding a potential underlying issue, the coach politely yet firmly insisted on the importance of speaking with his wife, which the manager finally agreed to. 

In speaking with the manager’s wife, the coach discovered there was indeed marital conflict, and found both husband and wife wished for reconciliation and a positive solution.  The assignment was to begin in three months, which gave them time to work things out before the manager was to leave for Perth.  The coach arranged for them to meet with a counselor twice weekly at first, then weekly thereafter.  The coach maintained regular contact with the couple in the three months leading up to the departure date;  they managed to patch up their differences and agreed to go on assignment together.  They also continued regular sessions with their therapist by Internet. With their relationship back on track, they enjoyed their time in Perth together,  and the assignment  proved successful. 

Categories: Case Study.

Case Study: On Assignment in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Destination: Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Assignment: 6 months in country (with possibility for extension). 

Who: Senior Manager.

Background: The senior manager was assigned from the company’s US headquaters to spend an initial period of six months in Sao Paulo to implement and oversee changes in the location’s accounting processes. Because he was a successful accountant at home, it was felt “this is the pro we need in Brazil.”  In both his pre-assignment assessment and during his initial interview with the coach, he was found to be a direct, no-nonsense “let’s get the job done and don’t ask questions” kind of guy. He didn’t speak a word of Portuguese and during his interview made a comment that raised a major red flag:  “they speak English, and if they don’t they’d better learn.”

Having lived and worked in Sao Paulo, the coach knew this attitude would cause inevitable friction with his co-workers, and in his ability to settle into the new location.  In a series of pre-departure interactions, the coach focused on convincing him to “tone it down,” pointing out that Brazil is a “collective, we” culture, and the problems he’d encounter if he held himself above or apart from the team.  

Once in Brazil, the manager learned his approach tended to shut people down, and in his follow up call with his coach, began to talk about his negative experience in-country; only, this time, he sought her advice and guidance. She explained, as they had discussed earlier, that successful bosses within Brazilian business culture are more cooperative and non-hierarchical. She sent him several articles and recommended a book on the subject, and for several weeks they spoke regularly via Skype to discuss his new more inclusive approach, and the progress he’d been making with his Brazilian colleagues. 

Solution: The intervention (requested by the manager) enabled him to be more effective on the job – and vastly more comfortable. After six months on the job, his Brazilian “charges” were asked to fill out a formal assessment, which documented his effectiveness as a manager (his ability to listen and motivate), and their overall satisfaction in working with him. 

Categories: Case Study.

Case Study: On Assignment in Jakarta, Indonesia

Destination: Indonesia

Assignment: 2 years in country.

Who: a couple in their late 40’s.

Background: Our evaluation found them prepared for the assignment, but it was discovered during the follow-up call that they had a daughter in college who was struggling with school and very upset about their imminent departure. 

Solution: The coach/mentor arranged a (telephonic) family meeting for a frank, if delicate discussion, about the daughter’s “separation” issues. In the course of the conversation the coach learned that an aunt/uncle lived only 60-miles from the daughter’s university. Another call was arranged involving the aunt/uncle. during which the daughter agreed to spend at least one weekend per-month with them at their home. Mom and dad were set up on Skype and spoke with the daughter weekly – mom almost daily. With guidance from the coach/mentor, Dad spoke with the company and was able to work out an agreement where mom was supported to return home quarterly (at least for their first year). This arrangement smoothed what would have been an otherwise difficult, if untenable family situation, and paved the way for a successful two year assignment in Indonesia. Moreover, after the first year, the daughter settled in, gained a greater sense of independence, and mom no longer needed to return for quarterly visits. 

Categories: Case Study.

Engaging Employees with Expat Assignments?

PETER MILLS | LOYALTY360

A recent survey commissioned by MetLife found that 67 percent of American employees are interested in taking an expatriate assignment through their employer—stints lasting three months or more in another country—indicating that American workers have a strong desire to travel abroad for work. However, with just 15 percent saying they have taken an expat assignment and 24 percent unsure whether their employer even offers them, employees are not finding expat opportunities or are unaware of how to take advantage of them.
 
71 percent of Gen Xers are interested in an expat experience, which is statistically equivalent to millennials (75 percent). Despite the clear interest among both generations, only 12 percent of Gen Xers have ever gone on an expat assignment, versus 19 percent of millennials. When asked what would motivate them to take an expat assignment, both groups indicated working abroad appeals to their desire for trying new things and sense of adventure.

More

Categories: White Paper.

Smart OD is essential for global mobility

Changeboard. Michael Dickmann, Cranfield University School of Management.

One of the more worrying findings from The RES Forum’s 2018 Annual Report into global mobility trends was data indicating that less than 10% of organisations have more than sufficient candidates for potential international assignments while a large majority thought that there were substantial shortfalls.

With this in mind, one of the key observations from the report (which is based on research among the Forum’s 1500+ members from over 750 multinational organisations in 40+ countries), was the support for the argument that international organisational development and talent management should be supported by global mobility programmes that have specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time-bound objectives.

The article offers ten key recommendations for multinationals to help them pursue smart organisational development and talent management strategies and policies. 

– click for article –

Categories: Article.

Winning the War for Global Talent

Michael Dickmann. HRZone

recent survey of global mobility (GM) professionals around the world has revealed that most multinationals are struggling to attract the right candidates.

For all sorts of reasons, employees are unwilling to relocate, which can cause skills shortages and other problems for organisations.

The RES Forum’s latest report, Working Towards Top Class Global Mobility explains that getting the employee value proposition right is key to solving this issue.

– click for article –

Categories: Article.

Helping Expatriate Employees Deal with Culture Shock

By Allen Smith, J.D.June 4, 2019  (HR Magazine)

The president of one of the largest Dutch companies in the world thought he wasn’t a successful leader while on assignment in the United States. Three company vice presidents would not argue with him, but instead followed his orders without question; in the Netherlands, he would have expected his subordinates to debate with him. The company president believed he wasn’t generating enough confidence in his colleagues to get them to disagree. He had stumbled into something common for expatriates: culture shock.

Training before, during and after an employee’s time spent working abroad can help him or her understand cultural differences in management and communication styles, says Neal Goodman, Ph.D., president of Global Dynamics Inc. in Miami. Goodman shares the Dutch company president’s experience as an example of the difficulties his expatriate clients have faced in adjusting to different cultures around the world.

– click for article –

Categories: Article.

The Known Unknowns of Business Mobility

From South Bend to San Francisco, the transition can be a lot more challenging than you think: 

  • • Increased cost of living
  • • Inability to adjust to cultural/lifestyle differences
  • • Family maladjustment
  • Separation from family and friends

So too the transition from the main office to the home office: 

  • • Lack of colleague interaction, peer support, office/tech support
  • • Lack of structure, irregular hours
  • • Isolation can exacerbate counter-productive behaviors
  • • Intensified domestic stressors

Schedule a consultation with mBARC to discuss what we can do to assess, prepare and support all segments of your mobile workforce!

Categories: Post.