Building a Foundation for the Future
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung coined the term "synchronicity" to describe life's meaningful coincidences. As we celebrate 40 years of Worldwide ERC® members' professionalism, dedication, and excellence, there is definite synchronicity in the gift we concurrently give to our industry: The Worldwide ERC® Foundation for Workforce Mobility.
The concept of a foundation for Worldwide ERC® is hardly a new one—in fact, it first arose at a board meeting nearly 20 years ago. In 2003, we made the decision to move forward with the establishment of our Foundation, and chose to introduce it as part of our 40th year commemoration.
Why does a foundation fit Worldwide ERC® so well at this point in our work? Let's look at the issues we're facing. In some ways, our industry has both slimmed down and expanded at the same time. Inside employer organizations, relocation administration continues to be streamlined, diminishing the pool of internal "knowledge agents" and the recognition of workforce mobility. Yet, with the increase in globalization activity in some companies, often the same corporate staff members are anointed with the responsibility for international mobility. For all of us, whether from the employer or the service sector, handling relocation outside of one's home country has necessitated addressing more human resource functions not traditionally considered under the relocation banner.
There is a distinct need to raise the profile and awareness of relocation skills and know-how within employer organizations and in the business community; to grow the understanding of our industry as one that requires clear expertise and a strong network. This represents more synchronicity for us, because never have we been in a stronger position to demonstrate the convergence of global workforce mobility issues with strategic business planning.
By creating the Foundation for Workforce Mobility, our industry is able to position in a very powerful way for the demands and opportunities of our future. Where Worldwide ERC® provides programs, events, training, services, and information specific to traditional relocation professionals' needs, the Foundation becomes a bridge between Worldwide ERC® and the global business community. The Foundation gives us a means of accepting grants and awards (and delivering products) for research and education, and an entity through which to formalize a charitable channel for our industry association. Our charter mission statement is as follows: "To build upon the work of Worldwide ERC®, to cultivate in the business world at large a higher understanding and appreciation of global workforce mobility through education and research, and to lift up the lives of those in need through charitable outreach."
With this new resource for innovation and information sharing, we'll be able to focus on such issues as:
- Developing education on workforce mobility-related issues that extends beyond Worldwide ERC®'s membership.
- Providing broad educational products and opportunities for all business professionals who can benefit from workforce mobility learning.
- Conducting studies on such strategic business issues as labor patterns, outsourcing, and/or the productivity and competitive advantage gained by effective workforce mobility practices.
- Delivering existing research on workforce mobility-related issues to a broader public audience.
- Offering response to emergencies or crises within the Worldwide ERC® membership and the workforce mobility industry that are of a national or global nature.
- Developing a recognition of global workforce mobility that adds to its significance as an industry and to its selection as a career path for individuals.
I'm proud to say that two of our objectives already are well underway in the research and charitable arenas. First, we have partnered with the Urban Futures Institute to disseminate through the Foundation their labor force study, "Population and Participation: Labor Force Growth and Change in the United States of America, 1910 to 2040." And following the National Relocation Conference this month, we are holding a benefit Foundation golf tournament. Proceeds from this event will be allocated toward future Foundation charitable efforts and also will support The American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" program, which funds breast cancer research and treatment efforts.
Our Foundation not only aligns with our Worldwide ERC® organizational goals, it makes it possible for us to share our learning and proficiency with the world in a universal business arena, and expands the body of knowledge and humanitarian outreach of our global workforce mobility industry. Now that's synchronicity.
—H. Cris Collie, CAE
Worldwide ERC® Executive Vice President